NEW HAVEN, CONN.: The Burry Fredrik Foundation and the Yale University David Geffen School of Drama have named Marcelo Martínez Garcia the recipient of the 2023 Burry Fredrik Design Fellowship. He will receive a $10,000 award.
“Marcelo Martínez Garcia joins an outstanding group of designers by being named a Burry Fredrik Design Fellow,” Barbara L. Pearce, chair of the Burry Fredrik Foundation, said in a statement. “We are proud to be supporting his work and to be able to provide opportunities with Connecticut theatres for all of this year’s talented graduate designers.”
Martínez Garcia is a Mexican scenic designer and architect who recently designed Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles at Yale Repertory Theatre. Other credits include the Yale Summer Cabaret and the Yale Baroque Opera Project, and he will design the Alley Theatre’s upcoming production of Torera. Martínez Garcia holds a degree in architecture from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and a specialization in scenic design from CENTRO CDMX. He is currently in his final year of his MFA in theatre design at Yale.
“I am deeply honored and humbled by this recognition,” Martínez Garcia said in a statement. “As an international artist, the opportunities the Burry Fredrik Design Fellowship provides are truly inspiring and moving. I am greatly looking forward to continuing to engage with the Connecticut theatre community.”
The Burry Fredrik Design Fellowship was established in 2017 to help launch the careers of graduates of the Yale School of Drama. Each year, the foundation selects one graduating scenic, costume, lighting, sound, or projection designer as the fellow. In addition to the cash award to fellows, the foundation awards professional theatres in Connecticut that hire the design fellow in the two years following their graduation with a grant, in an amount equal to the design fee. This year, the foundation has expanded to offer the grant to any Connecticut theatre that hires any designer from Yale’s class of 2023 from now until June 2025.
“It is truly exciting that theatres across Connecticut may also benefit from the amazing artistry of the talented class of David Geffen School of Drama designers who have inspired me for the last four years,” Martínez Garcia said in a statement.
Tony Award-winning producer, director, and stage manager Burry Fredrik established the Burry Fredrik Foundation to promote the development of new work and the fiscal health of professional theatres in Connecticut by fostering the development of new theatre designers.
