Our Vision
The Fonseca Theatre Company (FTC) exists to amplify the voices of and celebrate the underrepresented communities of Indianapolis through the prism of purposeful theater and civic engagement. FTC provides an open, safe, and respectful space for artists, students, and audiences to collaborate. We are committed to creating responsive programs that serve to inspire conversation, inform our community, and illuminate the beauty and the challenges of the world around us.
Our Mission
The Fonseca Theatre Company (FTC) brings together artists, students, and audiences to collaborate in an inspiring and supportive environment. We believe the sharing of culture is essential to our nation’s health, and our leadership reflects the diversity of our community. We invite the entire community to the table by producing plays, programs, and events by and/or about the global majority, including AAPI, Black, Disabled, Latino, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We are committed to creating an accessible and radically inclusive space where artists of all races, cultures, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities can participate fully and be the authority on their own story.
Our History
FTC’s work began in 2016 when founder Bryan Fonseca received a Transformational Impact Fellowship from Indy Arts Council and The Lilly Endowment to implement arts programming on Indy’s Near Westside. Following numerous community meetings with the neighborhood, other artists, and grantors, the Fonseca Theatre Company was formally incorporated in 2018.
Bryan’s 40-year legacy as a community builder and artist-advocate provided a solid foundation for our unique mission of inclusion and civic engagement. In 2020, co-founder Jordan Flores Schwartz took over the position of Producing Director after Bryan’s untimely passing due to complications from COVID-19.
Jordan continues to move the heart and operations of the company forward in new and exciting ways. Under her leadership FTC has completed construction on the Basile Collaboration Center, unveiled the Keith O. Norwalk and Steve L. Hamilton Gallery Wall to feature local visual artists, produced topical and responsive shows , and expanded our low-cost education programs.
With several more projects in development, Jordan and the rest of our team continue to find creative ways to challenge injustice and advocate for a more equitable community.
