NEW YORK CITY: The Tank has announced the addition of Johnny G. Lloyd to its leadership team in the newly created role of director of artistic development. Lloyd, a playwright, producer, and dramaturg, has worked with the Tank as curator and producer for the company’s ongoing We Read Books series, as well as the writer and producer of the recent co-production of Or, An Astronaut Play (in association with InVersion Theatre). He will join the leadership team in this full-time position alongside artistic director Meghan Finn and managing director Danielle King beginning July 28.
“As the Tank continues to adapt in order to best serve our artists during this period of uncertainty, I couldn’t be more thrilled to officially welcome Johnny G. Lloyd to the team,” said Finn in a statement. “He brings with him expertise as a producer and artist, who understands what the Tank is to the communities we already serve, and what it could be to those we haven’t yet gotten to know. There is a lot of work to be done, and we so value the opportunity to do it in partnership with him.”
This new position was created by Finn and King along with Lloyd to combine his knowledge as a writer and producer with his interest in championing other artists. As director of artistic development, Lloyd will work with Finn and King to develop and produce work with an emphasis on uplifting underrepresented artists and ensuring equity of opportunities for artists of all ethnicities and gender identities as well as members of the LGBTQIA+ community and artists with disabilities. Included in this is the creation of a new producing mentorship program and the cultivation of tools and resources geared toward outreach and professional development for the Tank’s artists. In an interview, Lloyd explained that he hopes the Tank’s new model can serve as an example for other theatres in the country.
“One of the issues that I see in the American theatre as we talk about inclusivity and diversifying what has historically been this very white space, is that there’s been a very unfortunate trend of theatres hiring people to fill a role to bring in BIPOC artists, and not engaging with the fact that there are fantastic organizations that are already doing a lot of the work,” Floyd said, pointing to JAG Productions in White River Junction, Vt., as well as National Black Theatre as examples. “The question is, what can we offer these movements that they might need so that they can grow to be the best version of themselves, especially some of these smaller theatre companies? What do activists need, instead of thinking of it as a process of acquisition, which I think people have done, especially in this moment. I think it’s a real flaw of how we talk about bringing people to the table.”
Additionally, Lloyd will work with Finn on the aesthetic and curatorial vision of the Tank. The two will work together to program and produce the Tank’s in-house festivals, create new series, and maintain the Tank’s currently running series. Lloyd also mentioned in an interview his excitement to continue working in the digital sphere which he sees continuing for “quite some time.” Additionally, he will work on improving and streamlining the Tank’s current producing models and systems while potentially more closely leading and shepherding specific projects.
“I think it’s going to be really important moving forward that we make sure that we’re not just saying that the BIPOC artists are good at bringing in BIPOC artists, but also that BIPOC artists have good taste,” Lloyd said. “Hopefully this is a reminder that BIPOC artists are capable of programming all sorts of things.”
Lloyd is a New York-based writer, producer and dramaturg. Full length plays include Or, An Astronaut Play (the Tank), Patience (Corkscrew Theatre Festival) and In the Woods We Return (InVersion Theatre). Short plays include Round (Samuel French Off-Off Broadway Festival), A Brief History of Stamps(the Tank) and It’s A Ghost Story (Homebase Collective). His work has been seen and developed at JAG Productions (White River Junction, Vt.) 59E59, Dixon Place, Judson Memorial Church, the Kelly’s Writers House, TheatreLab (Boca Raton, Fla.) and more. Floyd was a member of the 2019-2020 Liberation Theatre Company’s Writing Residency. Floyd was a semi-finalist for the 2018 Open-Application Commission at Clubbed Thumb and was the 2017-2018 Shubert Fellow for Playwriting at Columbia University. He is the producing director for InVersion Theatre and co-founder of the We Read Books series at the Tank. His work as a dramaturg and associate director has been seen at En Garde Arts, Abrons Arts Center and more. Member of SalonSéance. MFA in Playwriting from Columbia University. jglloyd.com
