The Black Theatre Coalition has announced the inaugural cohort of Producing 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 production offices for a full year with a $50,000 salary.
The initial cohort comprises Tyra Ann-Marie Willson, working with Disney Theatrical Group; Adam Hyndman, working with Octopus Theatricals; Danielle Covington, working with Tom Kirdahy Productions; and Amy Marie Haven, working with with Iowa Stubborn LLC-Kate Horton/Rashad V. Chambers.
BTC's Producing fellowship stands alongside a two-year fellowship in general management whose inaugural cohort of fellows was announced earlier this year, and 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.
"My team and I are thrilled to be participating in the Black Theatre Coalition fellows program," says Kirdahy. "We dream about how the world could be and BTC is helping to bring about essential change in the theatre industry. BTC is blazing a trail for a better tomorrow and we are honored to be a part of that journey."
Funding partners for the program include Madison Wells Media, Disney Theatrical Group, Jujamcyn, Bespoke, Foresight, 101 Productions, RCI, Showtown, Thompson Turner Productions, Sony Music Group, Adventureland, Mara Isaacs, Tom Kirdahy, Hunter Arnold, Stage Entertainment, Moulin Rouge, Come From Away, Alchemation, Tara Rubin Casting, Telsey + Co, DKC/O&M, Broadway Women’s Alliance, Bond Theatrical, American Express, and The Theatre Leadership Project (TTLP)
For more information, visit BlackTheatreCoalition.org.
