INDIANAPOLIS — LaKesha Lorene always knew her place was on the stage.
“I started working professionally in equity theatre at eight years old at Beef & Boards," Lorene said.
The ‘07 North Central High School graduate performed in plays, danced and sang throughout grade school.
She went on to study Music and News Broadcasting at Tennessee State University, but never stopped performing.
“As I’m continuing to still work in New York and L.A. and Chicago and Florida and all these places. My home base is Indianapolis," she said. "Obviously I love here it. My family is here."
But Lorene says there’s an issue here in Indy.
“There have not been a lot of opportunities for people of color and our stories," she said.
So, she founded Naptown African American Theatre Collective last year to change that.
The theater company’s goal is educate, equip and empower the Black community and show the beauty, power and humanity of their stories.
“So many other artists that are here that are people of color looking for good equity work, looking for work that will allow them to do what they love on a professional stage. I wanted to add to the opportunities here for them," Lorene said.
One of the ways the nonprofit is creating those opportunities is through the Education 4 All Program.
The program allows artists to study wig, set and sound design, directing, acting, and more free of cost.
It’s made possible through a $99,600 grant from the 16 Tech Community Investment Fund.
NAATC is one of seven local nonprofits receiving $289,000 in funding for projects to support the Near West, Near Northwest and Nearby Neighborhoods.
The others include Northwest Landing Neighborhood Association, Go Scholars, Inc., New Life Development Ministries, Just Community Inc., Girls Inc. of Greater Indianapolis and Inner City Chess.
“They don’t realize that there actually practical jobs with 401Ks at theater houses and equity houses all over the diaspora of the entertainment companies that they can work at and make a wonderful living doing what they love," Lorene said.
Registration for Education 4 All opens in the spring.
Artists from fourth grade up to adults can participate.
NAATC is currently rehearsing its production of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
It will run March 8 to 24 at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.
