For me, today marks the end of one chapter and the beginning of a new one. Year's of preparation have happened and now it's time to soar. I thank God for trusting me with the mission to open the door for more young people to have access to arts experiences where the people on stage look like them, sound like them, and dialogue about topics that they find relatable.
I will be forever grateful to the folks working on this project because they came alongside me to help me build my dream- Not because there was anything major in it for them, but simply out of a generous spirit. We worked hard and made something that we can be proud of together. We believed in the gifts God gave us and we persevered through the challenges. We didn't wait to be discovered, feeling stuck and being vulnerable to deception. We worked in community with people we we trusted and we accomplished things with baby steps, overtime. We turned a dream into a goal with a plan of action.
It is my hope that this experience will demonstrate the power of collaboration and inspire more people to use their mental ingenuity to pursue entrepreneurship rather than predatory practices. I pray that this story will spark authentic conversations that make space for young people to define their values and develop life skills. Thank you for joining me on the journey. ~Jenita Nakamura
JENITA WOULD LIKE TO GIVE SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Friends and family for giving emotional, spiritual, and financial support
The cast and creative team for generously sharing their time and talents
Liz Perkins & Jen McGrath for tech management & emotional support
June Coleman & Michelle Castorena for joining the team to fill in the gaps
Joy Truly Brown for working to make this theatre rental accessible
Saint Allen Austin for wearing any job title needed to make this show happen
Taylor St. John for dedicating himself to make a friend's dream reality
My Lord and Savior for choosing me as a vessel to share words of hope
SOAR SUPPORTERS
Theatre rental supported in part by a grant from the Orpheum Theatre Group
Community support was provided by Memphis Black Arts Alliance
Join our family of supporters by texting "give" to 901-641-1341
Support SOAR via cashapp using the cashtag $nakjently
