Naptown African American Theatre Collective launches as city's first Black equity theater

A group of Indianapolis actors and storytellers has come together to launch an entity the city has long lacked: a Black-owned professional equity theater that focuses on Black people's stories.

Naptown African American Theatre Collective, known as NAATC, has released the schedule of its first slate of productions, beginning May 13 with "Black Book."

The nonprofit NAATC is becoming what's known as an "equity house" — a theater that has a contract with the Actors' Equity Association union for actors and stage managers and typically provides better pay and benefits.

"I don't want any of us to overlook that this is huge," said board Vice President Mariah Ivey, a poet and founder of That Peace Open Mic. "I'm excited to see this be a ripple effect to just inspire and motivate and challenge people across the city and outside of the city to do, to act, to be, to become."

Along with producing shows, NAATC plans to educate students and offer workshops to harness the talent of Indianapolis' Black creatives on topics such as costumes, wigs, and working on a set.

What the theater will bring to the stage and community

NAATC is choosing work that focuses on Black stories, and Producing Director LaKesha Lorene said she will work with Latrice Young, the organization's director of community engagement strategy, to help communities feel at home.

"We were like, this is not a trend for us. We understand that this may be a trend in the country," said Lorene, a longtime actor, singer, film producer and director in Indianapolis.

"DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) may come and go over the next 10 years, but these are real people, these are real stories. We are real people, we have real stories, and we want to show the beauty, power and humanity of these stories."

The theater will launch its first season at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre at 705 N. Illinois St. The shows include:

• "Black Book" by Austin Dean Ashford, May 13

• "Detroit '67" by Dominique Morisseau, Aug. 25-Sept. 10

• "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" by August Wilson, March 8-24, 2024

• "The Light" by Loy A. Webb, May 2-19, 2024

NAATC's name reflects its goals. "Naptown" refers to the Indianapolis nickname with roots in Black culture that have been traced to Black performers in the 1920s. "Collective" refers to the support the theater wants to offer other organizations with underrepresented leadership.

What it means to have the union work with NAATC

A 2021 conversation between Lorene and Jamaal McCray, co-owner of Ankh Productions, planted the NAATC seed. Lack of opportunities for employment in the theater industry have led many Black creatives to leave Indianapolis, Lorene said. The union offers more opportunity to work fulltime in the theater industry and have health benefits.

"It's just more longterm sustainability," said Lorene, a member of the Actors' Equity Association.

This would be the first equity theater in Indianapolis founded, owned and operated by Black artists, according to Connie Oates-Allen, a veteran director, actor and playwright.

Theaters that have contracts with the Actors' Equity Association union are required to pay actors and stage managers a base rate that is often higher than nonequity theaters. For professional Black theaters, that has been a barrier, Oates-Allen said.

"Being able to get the support system to raise the type of money that that takes to sustain and being able to have a true home to do your art and have office space and all that, that can be very expensive," said Oates-Allen, who co-founded New Artists Productions Inc. and ran NAPI Rep. "I just think none of us went that additional step even though we paid people."

A second Black equity theater is in the works at the District Theatre with the Central Indiana Community Foundation, though it's not clear when it will launch.

While equity houses employ union members, they also can include nonmembers, and theaters can help nonmembers acquire membership if they'd like to.

'Opportunity is multiplied': 2 groups are planting seeds to expand Black theater in Indy

Plans to grow in the future

In the next few years, the theater's major goals include constructing a new building with performance, rehearsal and office space on the near northwest side, Lorene said. NAATC also plans to encourage other arts organizations owned by those who are underrepresented to use the building.

"Having space and having ownership of space, I think, is critical to sustainability," Ivey said.

NAATC has been fundraising since 2021. Donors include seed sponsor Central Indiana Community Foundation, and community partners include Flanner House, Witherspoon Presbyterian Church, Anderson Preparatory Academy and Longfellow Medical/STEM Middle School. NAATC declined to share the amount of its fundraising goal.

Those who would like to donate can do so at naatcinc.org or via mail to Naptown African American Theatre Collective Inc. at P.O. Box 44495, Indianapolis, IN 46244.

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Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Follow her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis actors launch city's first Black equity theater