Actor, Dancer, Teacher: Nicki LaPorte
By Celeste Roche | Correspondent at April 10, 2024 | 10:00 am | Print
The New Britain City Journal is currently running a series of articles introducing residents of the New Britain Artists’ Cooperative. This article is the sixth of the series.
Nicki LaPorte, 29, is a teaching artist who has been living in the New Britain Artists’ Cooperative for about four-and-a-half years. She hopes to soon move into her first house in New Britain and aspires to work in theatre full-time.
In addition to acting, LaPorte has served as a stage manager and is “moving more towards directing.” She also dances and sews eighteenth-century costumes for reenactment. LaPorte came to New Britain to study at Central, graduating with degrees in fine arts and history.
“Surprisingly, my theatre degree has done more for my employment than my history degree.” LaPorte says that she initially had no intention of majoring in theatre due to the perceived impracticality, despite a lifelong love of the arts.
After graduation, LaPorte had considered starting a touring children’s theatre company, but ditched the idea when she joined up with the local youth theatre and found a number of other employment opportunities as a teaching artist.
“[The Cooperative] used to go to art fairs, and that’s where I met the New Britain Youth Theatre,” she says. In addition to the artistic opportunities afforded by life in the Co-op, LaPorte says that being a resident also sends a message to people that the arts community is taken seriously, at least by themselves.
“A lot of people don’t know we’re here,” she says. LaPorte wishes there were more prominent signage for the Cooperative. Residents report that visitors and delivery persons often miss their door entirely, as they only notice signage for the Visitors Center.
Additionally, LaPorte believes that the Co-op needs more community support, saying that leaders in the community “undervalue” the arts in general. She would also like a mechanism for dealing with members who don’t “pull their weight.” The group has no legal ability to evict tenants for lack of artistic production or group participation. She refers to the Cooperative’s lack of control over the Downtown Gallery as a “necessary evil,” but is cautiously optimistic about the group regaining use of the space.
LaPorte says that her greatest setback has been coping with not getting cast in roles she has auditioned for. Though this is less significant to her as she moves into other roles in theatre, she still feels that auditions are “super judgey.” She enjoys working with young children, ages four to seven.
“The expectation is really low, but they perform amazing stuff,” she says.
LaPorte is described by other residents of the Cooperative as “talented” and “enthusiastic.”
“I think she’s good at what she does,” says neighbor Jim Malloy. “A lot of passion.”
“Nicki has been living here a long time,” says another resident. “She’s seen a lot change and a lot of people come and go, and even if she doesn’t get along with everyone, she still works on her art and tries to help the community. I think that has a lot of worth.”
When asked what people don’t understand about artists, but should, LaPorte responds, “We are weirder than you think.”
