Tampa Bay Arts Passport, Author at Creative Loafing Tampa

A promotional group portrait of the cast and director of Kelundra Smith's 'The Wash,' making its Florida premiere Oct. 1-11 at The Studio in St. Petersburg. Seven women pose in two rows against a dark studio background with a black-and-wood slatted wall accent. In the back row (L-R), Holly Marie Weber stands in a bright blue top, Jemier Jenkins in a pink dress with braided hair, Jada Griffin in a light blue sleeveless top, and Andresia Moseley in a grey top. Seated in the front row (L-R), Nadine Young poses in a teal sleeveless jumpsuit, director Erica Sutherlin sits centrally with crossed legs in a white top, light green trousers, and sneakers, and Marjorie Joseph sits on the right in a lilac blazer, light blue jeans, and heels.

Arts & Entertainment, Events & Film, Tampa Bay Journalism Project

This play about Atlanta’s 1880s washtub unions is Tampa Bay’s most urgent show

‘The Wash’ runs at The Studio Oct. 1-11.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport September 17, 2026September 17, 2026

In the summer of 1881, twenty Black laundresses in Atlanta did some basic math on their backbreaking labor, realized they were being exploited, and decided they had washed their last shirt for pennies. They formed the Washing Society, set a firm rate of one dollar per twelve pounds of laundry, and walked off the job. […]

A stage production photograph by Chaz D. Photography showing (L-R) Michael Gregory, Kayah Bonilla-Mas and Jill Schroeder in 'Vanya and Sonya and Masha and Spike' at Off-Central Players in St. Petersburg, Florida. Set inside a cozy living room, Michael Gregory sits on the left in a wooden armchair wearing a grey t-shirt, burgundy satin pajama pants, and slippers, facing Jill Schroeder on the right, who lounges in a matching armchair in blue plaid pajama pants and a grey top while sipping from a cup with a straw. In the center background, Kayah Bonilla-Mas stands between them in a yellow patterned dress with a red headscarf, leaning forward over a small round woven table against a backdrop framed by framed artwork, wall sconces, and a staircase.

Arts & Entertainment, Events & Film, Tampa Bay Journalism Project

‘Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike’ is the biggest risk St. Pete’s Off-Central Players has ever taken

The production closes this weekend.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport September 17, 2026September 17, 2026

A photograph by Kyle Flubacker displaying a triptych of three rare color variations of Banksy's iconic "Girl with Balloon" artwork, presented against a stark black background. The image features three identical white rectangular frames hung side-by-side. Each frame contains the famous black stenciled silhouette of a young child reaching upward toward a heart-shaped balloon blowing away in the wind. The balloon in the left frame is a pale pink, the center frame features a traditional bright red balloon, and the right frame displays a bright blue balloon.

Arts & Entertainment

Visitors at Tampa’s ‘Art of Banksy’ show will enter and exit through the Straz Center backstage loading bay

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport July 10, 2026July 10, 2026

A medium-shot, indoor candid photograph of Dr. Kanika Tomalin speaking at an event inside the Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, Florida. Tomalin is positioned to the right, looking toward the left with a warm, engaged smile. They are wearing a long-sleeved, dark-colored, semi-sheer black top with a subtle circular pattern. They are holding a dark, open folder or script in their hands. A professional studio microphone on a stand is positioned in front of them. The background is softly out of focus, showing the interior of the venue with hints of studio lighting and a neutral, professional environment.

Arts & Entertainment

In St. Pete, Studio@620’s 2026-27 season is a bold interrogation of the American dream

The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg sponsors the lineup.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport June 22, 2026June 22, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Inaugural St. Pete New Works Festival set for spring 2027

The festival will activate diverse spaces across the city, utilizing the unique vibes of The Studio@620, freeFall Theatre, and The Off-Central Players to host both local talent and national creators.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport April 27, 2026April 27, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa Bay Bucs unveil giant 3D chalk mural for Black History Month

Laura Thomas’ latest work won’t be there forever.

By Avery Anderson/Adam Bounds and Tampa Bay Arts PassportFebruary 16, 2026February 16, 2026

A smiling color guard member leading a flag team down the street during a sunny parade.

St. Pete celebrates MLK’s legacy for 45 days

The city is collaborating with the Tampa Bay Collard Green festival.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport January 15, 2026January 15, 2026

Two tango dancers perform on a dimly lit stage, standing close in an intimate pose. One dancer wears a gold-and-black sequined dress with a high leg extension, while the other wears a dark suit and holds their partner at the waist. Purple stage lighting and blurred musicians frame the dramatic moment.

Arts & Entertainment

Visa issues force cancellation of ‘Tango After Dark’ in Sarasota

The approvals simply did not come back in time for the Jan. 11 performance.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport January 8, 2026January 8, 2026

A performer in a beanie and grey cargo pants stands on stage, looking back toward an out-of-focus figure in the extreme foreground. In the background, a second performer holding a script appears to be mid-dialogue against a backdrop of black curtains.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa’s Jobsite Theater isn’t pretending ‘Comedy of Errors’ is a thesis statement

It runs Jan. 14-Feb. 8 at David A. Straz Center for the Performing Arts.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

Arts & Entertainment

Lakeland native plays Elder Smith in ‘Book of Mormon’ coming to Sarasota this month

The show returns to the Van Wezel Dec. 9–14 after its sold-out run in 2016.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

The dramatic "Barricade" scene from the musical Les Misérables, showing actors on a darkened, smoky set, with one actor (Christian Mark Gibbs as Enjolras) standing atop the debris and holding a large red flag.

Arts & Entertainment

‘Les Misérables’ is back in Tampa, and a man from Wellswood stage manages the whole thing

For a guy who has spent half his life living out of a suitcase, Davis talks about Tampa with the softness of someone who chooses it.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport December 1, 2025December 1, 2025

Opera conductor Andrew Bisantz, wearing a dark polo shirt and glasses, gestures with his right hand over a music stand during a rehearsal, with gray stage curtains behind him.

Arts & Entertainment

Tension drives Opera Tampa’s ‘Turn Of the Screw’

Tampa Bay Arts Passport dives deep into Britten’s masterpiece, showing twice this weekend.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport November 20, 2025November 20, 2025

Three actors rehearse on a stage, standing near a yellow velvet sofa. A man in the center holds a prop baby and wears a long brown patterned skirt and blue cardigan, flanked by a woman and a man holding scripts.

In Tampa, Landon Green turns USF comedy into a mirrorball reflecting identity, bravery, and what it means to finally see yourself

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport November 14, 2025

Cropped image of a female musician sits on a chair, playing a large brown cello on a stage with a rustic, interior set design, wearing a patterned shirt and blue jeans.

Arts & Entertainment

Meet Rose Mallare, American Stage’s rocking cello player

She’s back in ‘Hundred Days,’ a folk-rock musical that’s more like an indie concert with feelings than a traditional theatre show.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

Two young actors sit on a black and white checkered floor during a rehearsal, with the man speaking while holding a script and the woman looking at him with a quizzical expression.

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa’s ThinkTank Theatre puts some sunscreen on Shakespeare

‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ runs Nov. 5-16.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport November 3, 2025November 3, 2025

Close-up portrait of a bald man with a full white beard and glasses, wearing a purple collared shirt, against a softly blurred green and yellow outdoor background.

Arts & Entertainment

Opera Tampa’s ‘Love v. Death’ is the kind of tale that could only happen in Florida

The new work from St. Pete composer Tom Sivak is part gothic romance, part tabloid fever dream and runs Nov. 1-2 at Jaeb Theater.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport October 30, 2025October 30, 2025

Arts & Entertainment

Tampa Bay theaters join forces for ‘Cadillac Crew’

The Civil Rights-era play closes the season at Powerstories and opens the season at Studio@620.

by Avery Anderson and Tampa Bay Arts Passport October 27, 2025October 27, 2025