M Ensemble Company Presents Searching for Willie Lynch
Apr 09, 2026 - Apr 26, 2026
Select Days
Thu (opening night): 8-11 PM | Fri: 8-10 PM | Sat-Sun: 3:00 PM and 8:00 PM
A multi-generational drama examines the lingering impact of a controversial historical narrative through intersecting family stories across time.
M Ensemble Company presents Searching for Willie Lynch on select dates from April 9 through 26 at the Sandrell Rivers Theater. Written and directed by Layon Gray, the production follows three families connected to the same Louisiana home in 1930, 1965 and 2008, where a mysterious doorway links past and present.
The play draws on the legacy of the widely circulated “Willie Lynch” speech, exploring themes of division, memory and resilience within Black communities. As the characters confront personal and collective histories, the narrative moves between realism and the surreal, using the shared space as both a physical setting and a symbolic bridge across generations.
Presented by M Ensemble Company, one of Florida’s longest-running Black theater organizations, the production highlights storytelling rooted in cultural history while engaging contemporary perspectives through performance.