District Theatre premiers ‘Voices of the Avenue’

The District Theatre’s latest musical takes audiences back in time, shining a spotlight on Indiana Avenue before its decay. “Voices of the Avenue,” written by local playwright Brandi Metzger, premieres May 31 through June 3 at the District Theatre as part of the organization’s new grant-funded Black Light Training and Development program. The program, which enrolls new students each spring and fall, includes funding for a series of one-act plays centering around the effect of displacement and gentrification on Indiana Avenue, said Tijideen Rowley, director of training and development for Black Light Training and Development. “There’s already an ecosystem here in Indy for Black artists, honestly. It has grown, and it’s pretty amazing, but we want to forward and develop it more,” Rowley said. “The goal is to pour into the community and really bring up as many artists as we can, so that other projects and other smaller black theaters in the city can have a more [sic] pool of talent to pull from, whether that’s through the avenue of writing, acting or directing.” Black Light Training and Development was introduced to the District Theatre a year ago as part of a $350,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation, Rowley...