NEW YORK CITY: Theatre Communications Group (TCG) has announced the 2016 Round 4 recipients of the Leadership U[niversity] One-on-One program. Grants of $75,000, supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, have been awarded to eight early-career leaders from all areas of theatre. The recipients will also receive mentorship at a TCG Member Theatre. An honorarium of $5,000 will be gifted to each of the participating mentors.
“Over the three prior rounds of the One-on-One program, we’ve witnessed transformational changes for not only the early-career leaders but for the host theatres as well,” said TCG executive director Teresa Eyring in a statement. “Thanks to our longstanding partnership with the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this fourth round of Leadership U will continue to strengthen the intergenerational knowledge-sharing that is essential to our field’s growth”
For this round, a total of $756,000 was awarded to One-on-One recipients, and Leadership U has awarded more than $2.5 million over the life of the program. An Opportunity Fund of $10,000 is also made available for one or more of the following: outstanding student loans, supplemental activities, and/or life needs (i.e. health care, child or elder care, or other medical expenses). A Travel Fund of up to an additional $4,500 is made available for mentee and mentor travel. TCG selects the recipients through submitted proposals. This year’s recipients are:
- Nell Bang-Jensen will be mentored by Dan Rothenberg, co-artistic director of Pig Iron Theatre Company in Philadelphia
- Elisa Bocanegra will be mentored by Cynthia Rider, executive director of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Ore.
- Alejandra Cisneros will be mentored by Jesus Reyes, community partnerships director at Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles
- Clay Martin will be mentored by Jordan Butterfield, education director and head of the Trinity Rep Active Imagination Network (TRAIN), and Tyler Dobrowsky, associate artistic director of Trinity Repertory Company in Providence, R.I.
- David Mendizábal will be mentored by Jacob Padrón, senior line producer at the Public Theater in New York City
- Lauren E. Turner will be mentored by Aimée Hayes, artistic director of Southern Rep Theatre in New Orleans
- Jamie Van Camp will be mentored by Michael Fields, producing artistic director of Dell’Arte International in Blue Lake, Calif.
- Abigail Vega will be mentored by Carl, director of HowlRound and co-artistic director of ArtsEmerson in Boston
Two candidates for the Leadership U One-on-One program will receive a finalist award of $5,000. Rachel Karpf-Reidy will spend time with Lisa McNulty, producing artistic director of WP Theater in New York City, and Sherrice Mojgani will work with Delicia Turner Sonnenberg, artistic director of MOXIE Theatre in San Diego.
