The Black Theatre Coalition has announced the inaugural cohort of General Management Fellows, a program created by BTC co-founders T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald "Reggie" Van Lee with executive director Olivia Jones and program director Lico Whitfield to address racial inequalities offstage in the theatre industry. Announced last year, the initiative sees six fellows joining a general management office for two years with a $50,000 annual stipend.
The program is co-funded by The Theater Leadership Project and Broadway general management offices 101 Productions, Bespoke Theatricals, Foresight Theatrical, RCI Theatricals, Showtown Theatricals, and Thompson Turner Productions.
The initial cohort, whose fellowships began in September, 2021, includes Nazlah Black, working with 101 Productions; Taylor Courtney, working with Bespoke Theatricals; David Norwood, working with RCI Theatricals; Carrli Cooper, working with Thompson Turner Productions; and Devon Miller and AJ Jackson, working at Foresight Theatrical. An additional fellow will join Showtown Theatricals later this year.
BTC's General Management fellowship stands alongside their one-year fellowships in writing, composition, directing, choreography, set design, lighting design, costume design, sound design, video design, wig and hair design, stage management, theatre management, musical direction, casting, marketing and advertising, public relations, digital media, and talent representation, all of which immerse fellows in the industry and place them alongside current industry professionals.
"From the first moment Warren reached out to me in June of 2020 with this idea, I said 'yes, sign me up!,'" shares Bespoke Theatricals Partner and General Manager Amy Jacobs. "Having six Black Fellows placed in busy GM offices with senior level mentorship for two-years is a complete game changer for our industry. I am grateful to Reggie, Warren, and T for their industry leadership in this vital area of off-stage and management representation."
For more information, visit BlackTheatreCoalition.org.
