The Naptown African American Theatre Collective, known as the NAATC, has closed after four years.
LaKesha Lorene, CEO, founder and producing director, said she and the board made the decision last summer, before its 2025-26 season.
“At this time we are dissolving. I’m really grateful for all of the support we’ve received from everyone and for the opportunity to give young and older talent the chance to shine on stage,” Lorene told Mirror Indy.
The reason lies within what Lorene described as a lack of stable operational support for both Black and smaller arts and culture organizations in Indianapolis.
NAATC received funding from Allen Whitehall Clowes Charitable Foundation, CICF, Indy Arts Council and Women’s Foundation of Indiana. It was based at the Phoenix Theatre Cultural Centre.
“We got some amazing support, but what is lacking for not just us but for so many nonprofits is operational support. Special project support is easy to come by, but our city doesn’t give the support to the arts and culture sector … in the way we need,” she said.
Operational support can include salaries, rent and administrative support. NAATC launched in 2022 with $30,000 in grant funding from CICF.
The nonprofit hosted three seasons and seven shows, including “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” “Detroit ’67,” and “Willa B’s Letter.” Lorene said shows were often sold out, but each one cost around $60,000 to $75,000 to produce.
NAATC employed over 80 actors and crew members, including composers and costume, set and lighting designers. Lorene said actors and crew were paid a range of $275-5,000 per season depending on equity and non-equity contracts.
One of those actors, Xavier Jones, landed his dream role of Levee Green in NAATC’s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in 2024. He said he learned about the organization through his aunt who encouraged him to audition.
With the recent closure of NAATC, Jones said he will miss the community and camaraderie he found while working on two productions.
“The community loses voices and the ability to see elevated stories. A place where talent is groomed and taken care of is hard to find,” he said.
NAATC was created to employ local Black theater professionals and tell multifaceted Black stories that go beyond poverty, struggle or slavery. NAATC started two years before the Indianapolis Black Theater Company, which operates out of the District Theatre on Mass Ave.
The collective was also an “equity house” which means it had a contract with the Actors’ Equity Association union for actors and stage managers. Being a part of the union guarantees fair wages, access to benefits and safe working conditions.
In addition to independent shows, NAATC formed a partnership with Flanner House for its Storytelling Slam competition. They also created the Education for All program — funded by 16 Tech — which provided eight free theater education classes taught by local, regional and national theater professionals.
Lorene said closing wasn’t the plan. They had their sights on buying a building when most Black organizations rent.
She said she hopes future Black arts organizations can launch with more funding, calling it “the investment that needs to be made … to not just do special projects here and there, but to actually run as full entities.”
“I am going to continue to advocate that those requests be taken seriously,” Lorene said.
Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.
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