NEW YORK CITY: Broadway & Beyond: Access for Stage Managers of Color, a new organization focused on connecting early and mid-career stage managers who are Black, Indigenous, or people of color (BIPOC) with industry professionals, will hold their first virtual event on Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. The event, introduced by Tony winner Kenny Leon, will consist of a panel discussion and Q&A. Attendance is free, though the event is capped at 75 participants. Applications are available on the Broadway & Beyond website.
“The theatre industry is a beautiful community to be a part of, and one we are grateful to have forged success and meaningful relationships in,” said Broadway & Beyond founders Lisa Dawn Cave, Beverly Jenkins, and Jimmie Lee Smith in a joint statement. “But we recognize the many challenges that face aspiring theatremakers, especially from within BIPOC communities, to making inroads to the small group of decision-makers who produce theatre and build out production teams. We want to give BIPOC stage managers direct access to the people who are responsible for filling stage management positions, to eliminate the phrase ‘I don’t know where to find them’ from the hiring process, and create necessary opportunity pathways for a group of folks who are woefully underrepresented on production teams around the country.”
The panel discussion will feature production supervisors, stage managers, and general managers representing theatres and organizations including Alliance Theatre, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Bespoke Theatricals, Dallas Theater Center, Disney Theatrical Group, Foresight Theatrical, NETworks, RCI Theatricals, the 5th Avenue Theatre, and the MUNY. A full list of panelists is available online.
Panelists will be provided with the résumés of confirmed participants before the event and work with participants in small breakout groups. The organization, founded by veteran stage managers Cave, Jenkins, and Smith, aims to give BIPOC stage managers the opportunity to meet and learn from industry leaders and advance their careers in the arts through free networking and educational events.
More information on Broadway & Beyond and the upcoming networking event is available on the Broadway & Beyond website.
