State’s first Afro-Latino theater to close its location, but it’s not the end – NBC Connecticut

On Oct. 31, the Pa'lante Theater located in downtown Waterbury will close its doors.

The theater is the first and only Afro-Latino theater in Connecticut and opened a physical location last year after receiving a grant from the federal government.

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“It’s important in Waterbury, but also the larger state of Connecticut,” said founder and artistic director Rafael Feliciano-Roman. “There are a lot of Black and Latino folks who are out there.”

That grant total was $130,000, but the theater only received half of it. It says the second half has been rescinded due to the federal governments funding cuts on diversity programs.

“Part of the grant was to help fund some of our expansion and our growth rate,” said Feliciano-Ro