AAPEX Interview: Jene India

Jene India

Meet Nashville actress/playwright/dancer Jene India, one of this city's movers and shakers.

What role did theater and the arts play in your childhood and upbringing?
I have always been fascinated with the arts. I was always creating things, painting things, dancing, and playing music growing up. My friends would be outside playing and I would be inside practicing my French horn. Ha!! Being artistic definitely made me different growing up because I was always doing different stuff from the other kids. Theater was something that came later as I grew up. I actually took a theatre class my freshman year in high school and failed miserably because I refused to read all those plays my teacher assigned. Then my junior year I got involved with forensics and that’s when I really started to develop and love for acting.

Tell us about your own evolution as an artist.
Well let’s see, I started playing various instruments in school all the way up to my senior year in high school and I just knew that I would be in a jazz band playing gigs or teaching music when I became an adult. Needless to say, it didn’t happen..lol. I became an intern with 92.1 in promotions a few years after high school and got back into theatre around the same time. While continuing on that path, I became a dancer with the Village Drum and Dance Ensemble focusing on West African Dance. Now I’m a radio personality, actress, writer, and dancer. I don’t know what happened to music. It’s so funny how paths change as you grow. I tried going back a few years ago by buying an acoustic guitar and a flute. I gave the guitar away and my flute is in storage now. LOL!!!!

What are you up to now?
I’ve recently written a play about domestic abuse. My goal is to take my show on the road and present it to as many cities as possible. It has such a powerful message and a very talented cast. We are actually doing a show in Kentucky on June 27th. I’m super excited! Besides that, I’m still doing my normal routine of working a full time job at a Health Care Company, doing radio on the weekends, dancing and acting every chance I get, and hosting an Open Mic Night once a month here in Nashville.

How's Nashville for you?
I love Nashville! I was born and raised here so I do feel that I will leave at some point to explore different things. But as for now, this is where I need to be until a door opens for the next phase of my career. Nashville is my home!!!

Jene' India
Radio Personality
92.1 WQQK
10 Music Circle East
Nashville, TN 37203