Akili Gathers is excited to be a part of The Little Engine That Could! She is a local actress, vocalist, writer, educator and director! Her passion lies in performing and helping others find themselves on the pathway to artistic alignment. Most recently, Akili starred as "Captain Freely" in Pirates! A Boy At Sea with Switch Theater; "Keely" in Keely and Du with Scapegoat Initiative; "Thomas Putnam" in The Crucible with Henderson Rec Players and "LaTrice" in NRACT's Chicken and Biscuits. One of her favorite roles this year has been “Tiny” in Blue Box Theater’s Thumbelinaadaptation titled, A Girl Called Tiny. She also proudly held the role of "Patience" in Finding Patience: The Musical, starring on the soundtrack and in the Ain't Nobody Sees Them music video, bringing home five film festival awards for Best Music Video. She also bears the distinction of being a Broadway World's Raleigh Awards Winner for "Best Musical Performance".