NEW YORK CITY: The Black Theatre Coalition (BTC) has announced a cohort of fellows who will receive one-year placements with Broadway professionals or offices specific to the opening or ongoing operations of Broadway productions. These recipients join a cohort of producing fellows announced by BTC last month.

The newly announced fellowships provide a $50,000 annual salary and the opportunity to participate in mounting a Broadway production. Each fellow will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in their area of the industry, working alongside current industry leaders at the highest levels. The fellowship also provides mentorship and guidance from Black professionals working in the industry and from “BTC Accomplices” within offices where fellows are placed. BTC will also create pop-up events in which the full cohort of fellows can put skills into practice.

Members of the cohort and their placements include Jordan Booker Medley (company management), working with the company management team for Wicked; Brandon Kelly (choreography), assistant choreographer for Come From Away; Jourdan Miler (scenic design) and Amina Alexander (lighting design), working with scenic and lighting designers from Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and Moulin Rouge; John Bronston (music direction) and Nia Long (stage management), working on Tina: The Tina Turner Musical; Amy Marie Haven (previously announced as a producing fellow), supporting the producing team at Iowa Stubborn LLC for the revival of The Music Man; Tyra Ann Marie Wilson (also previously announced as a producing fellow), supporting the producing team at Disney Theatrical Group with the ongoing tour of Lion King; and Lori Tishfield (marketing and advertising), supporting ongoing marketing efforts for Disney Theatrical Group’s Broadway productions.

The Black Theatre Coalition was founded in 2019 by T. Oliver Reid, Warren Adams, and Reginald “Reggie” Van Lee. According to a joint statement by Reid, Adams, and Van Lee, “Once we identified just how vast the disparity is between the perceived inclusivity on stage and the utter dearth of black professionals off stage, we began outlining ways in which we could address and ultimately eradicate this invisible imparity. This outline provided a clear path forward for our organization and our entire industry. It’s high time to end this ‘illusion of inclusion’ by reshaping the theatrical ecosystem for those who have been marginalized by systematically racist and biased power structures that have endured since the dawn of the American theatre.”