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May 29, 2019 Corinna Schulenburg | cschulenburg@tcg.org | 212-609-5941
Theatre Communications Group Announces Recipients of Rising Leaders of Color Program
Cohort of ten Miami and New York City-based leaders, including an arts journalist
New York, NY – Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is pleased to announce the participants in the fourth round of its Rising Leaders of Color (RLC) Program, which seeks to develop and highlight exceptionally talented early-career leaders of color across the U.S. who are committed to upholding equitable practices in the theatre field. The program is supported by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, and The Hearst Foundations.
The fourth round of RLC recipients are based in Miami, FL, and New York City. The program builds on learnings from past programs in Washington, DC (2016), Portland, OR (2017), and St. Louis, MO (2018), and includes a theatre criticism/journalism track. This cohort will participate in a year-long curriculum designed to provide professional development and networking opportunities, and their learnings will be featured at the June 2019 TCG National Conference in Miami. RLC is part of TCG’s commitment to changing the face of theatre by nurturing and supporting an intergenerational network of leaders who are committed to transforming the field into a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse community.
“It’s been thrilling to witness the impact of the first three rounds of the Rising Leaders of Color program, and watch the recipients taking on new leadership roles in the field ,” said Teresa Eyring, executive director of TCG. “We look forward to working with this next cohort to continue building an ever-growing intergenerational network of leaders of color.”
Members of the new cohort are:
Christina N. Alexander has a passion for addressing Diversity and Tolerance issues in both her work and everyday life. Her academic research has focused on chronicling Black American Music from the Slave Era to its present forms and its impact on the American Musical Culture. She founded the South Florida Kids Choir, a program for performers interested in quality vocal and musical theater training. Her original theatrical piece HATE: An American Love Story addresses issues of gender, sexuality, race, and faith. Presently, her work is centered on bridging the arts and education and not shying away from conversations about EDI.
Jordana De La Cruz is a Brooklyn-based director and creative producer who connects artists, activists, and neighbors in cross-cultural dialogue to expand the concept of community and question what it means to be free. In winter 2019, De La Cruz was appointed Co-Director of the OBIE Award-winning performance space, JACK. Before joining JACK, she held positions at The Story Pirates, Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company, 52nd Street Project, and INTAR Theatre. Most recently, as Program Manager of Park Avenue Armory, De La Cruz was instrumental in the creation of the institution’s Public Programs Series.
Gabriela Gutierrez is the current Production Manager at Signature Theatre. She is a Chilean immigrant who moved to Miami at the age of 12 and is currently living in New York City. Gabriela graduated with a B.F.A in stage management from the University of Central Florida. In addition to her current position at Signature, she is also part of their EDI committee, and will take over as co-leader starting in the summer. With Gabriela’s involvement, specifically in the hiring/recruitment/onboarding process, Signature has created and is working on new and ongoing EDI initiatives.
Jazmin Jones-Oliver is the Theater Director/Facility Manager at the African Heritage Cultural Arts Center, the nucleus of arts training for African Americans in Miami. She is also the Artistic Director of the African Heritage Youth Theatre, where she trains young thespians ages 9-17. Understanding that students can only achieve what they see, Jazmin’s main goal has been to expose her students to the arts. So when she is not in rehearsal, you may her find her and about twenty students in any theater house in Miami-Dade County. At home, Jazmin enjoys watching reruns of “The Big Bang Theory” with her husband.
Reynaldi Lindner Lolong is the Associate Director of Digital Engagement for The Public Theater, where he focuses on the strategic intersection of digital content, social media, and email communications. He has been a frequent presenter at the Tessitura Conference, speaking on a variety of subjects including revenue strategy, organizational collaboration, and community engagement. He has also been a guest lecturer at Julliard, and a grant panelist for the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Reynaldi has his B.A. in Arts Marketing from San Francisco State University, and an M.F.A. in Theater Management from the Yale School of Drama.
Niurca Márquez is an artist/researcher working in film, site-specific work, and staged performance. Her work continuously examines the many intersections of roots and creation in flamenco informed by contemporary marginal practices in dance and theater, and is particularly interested in notions of identity, cultural memory and ritual, and the multiple layers of communication and understanding in the form that lead to liaisons with political and social discourse. She is Director of Cultural Arts Exchange, an organization dedicated to expanding the conversation and offerings of the arts community in South Florida and the Caribbean.
Cristina Pla-Guzman writes for BroadwayWorld.com as a Contributing Editor for Miami, Florida. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Florida International University with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts in Theatre and earned her Masters’ in Special Education from St. Thomas University. She was honored with the Kennedy Center/Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award in 2016. Cristina also was awarded Educator of the Year, the Cervantes Educator from Nova South Eastern University, the Varsity Brands National Top-Notch Teacher where her program was nominated for Performing Arts Achievement and the Spirit of Inclusion. For the last fifteen years, she has dedicated her life to theatre education. Currently, she is the Upper School Theatre Teacher at Miami Country Day School.
Erik J. Rodriguez is extremely happy to be chosen by the TCG as a Rising Leader of Color. Erik has been the Director of New Work and Community Relations at Miami New Drama since January 2018. He was also Literary Manager of New Theatre from 2014-2016. Some of his production credits include Body Awareness (Actor, Island City Stage), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (Actor, What If Works) and Not Ready for Primetime (Playwright, New Theatre). Erik has produced One Act Festivals in South Florida and Line Produced the National New Play Network 2015 Showcase at the South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center.
Vyana Rodríguez Preti is a Venezuelan theater director, writer, and educational & community leader. Her interest in theatre, community and social change has brought her to found a theatre school for kids and teenagers in Petare, one of the most dangerous favelas in Latin America, in 2011. During her tenure, over 300 students, most of them living in extreme poverty, graduated from the program – completely free of cost to them. She is also the writer of several children’s plays, where she explores issues as gender, inclusion, and coexistence. In 2019, Miami New Drama gave Vyana the opportunity to become Director of Education to continue and expand their Educational Program.
Alyssa Simmons is a creative producer and manager. She currently serves as the Assistant General Manager at The Public Theater where her primary responsibility is the Under The Radar Festival. Her interests run the gamut from devised performance to new plays to musicals to immersive experiences and live events. She is a woman of two cities: her hometown of Los Angeles and her adopted city of New York. She is a member of the 2018-2020 WP Theater Producers Lab and produced the 2018 Prelude Festival. BA, Yale University; MFA in Theater Management, Yale School of Drama.
This RLC cohort has taken part in an orientation meeting and will attend all professional development workshops and events in Miami from June 2 - 8, 2019, where they will be highlighted as part of Spotlight On activities. The program will then offer a year-long professional development curriculum designed to strengthen their leadership skills. Participants will explore concepts of equity, diversity and inclusion, and engage in dialogues about their personal values, the state of the field, and the next generation of theatre leadership. RLC is a part of TCG’s multi-year, six-point Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Initiative to transform the theatre field into a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse community. Learn more about the Rising Leaders of Color program here, and the EDI Initiative here.
“The Howard Gilman Foundation is excited to support TCG’s Rising Leaders of Color program,” said Laura Aden Packer, the Foundation’s executive director. “The participants in this program represent the future of the American theatre, and TCG is making sure that they have all the necessary tools to carry the field forward.”
"We are thrilled to introduce the participants in the fourth round of the Rising Leaders of Color program.” said Emilya Cachapero, director of artistic & international programs. “These ten exceptionally talented leaders represent a shift in the ecology of theatre. Their commitment to equitable practices in their work will undoubtedly ripple through the field, inspiring dialogue around difference and justice. We wholeheartedly believe that these are some of the voices that will add perspective and richness to these conversations - advancing diversity and inclusion in communities across the country.”
After two successful years with Portland-based writer TJ Acena and St.Louis-based writer Rosalind Early, the RLC’s theatre criticism and journalism track continues with Cristina Pla-Guzman, an arts educator and theatre journalist working in Miami. Designed to help widen and deepen the talent pool of voices documenting, reflecting, and challenging the field, the RLC journalism track has already diversified the coverage in American Theatre, as both Acena and Early have become trusted go-to correspondents among the magazine’s national roster of freelance writers. “TJ and Rosalind have added immeasurably to our coverage and content over the past few years, and we look forward to working with Cristina,” said Rob Weinert-Kendt, the magazine’s editor-in-chief.
RLC builds on the learnings and momentum of the Young Leaders of Color Program (YLC) and the SPARK Leadership Programs. From 2008-2013, YLC brought 79 leaders of color to TCG National Conferences. RLC expands and re-envisions that community as part of an ongoing national network of leaders of color. From 2014-15, the SPARK Leadership Program assembled a cohort of ten leaders of color for a focused, year-long professional development curriculum. Through RLC and SPARK, TCG will support a variety of professional development and networking programs to meet the diverse needs of theatre leaders of color at various stages of their career. Learn more about SPARK here and YLC here.
To learn more about the program, please visit: https://www.tcg.org/Grants/GrantsAtAGlance/RisingLeadersofColor/Description.aspx
Knight Foundation is a national foundation with strong local roots. The foundation invests in journalism, in the arts, and in the success of cities where brothers John S. and James L. Knight once published newspapers. Its goal is to foster informed and engaged communities, which it believes are essential for a healthy democracy. Learn more at kf.org.
Howard Gilman believed in the power of the arts to transform lives. The Howard Gilman Foundation honors his legacy by supporting the most robust, innovative, and promising performing arts organizations in New York City. www.howardgilmanfoundation.org
The Hearst Foundations are national philanthropic resources for organizations and institutions working in the fields of Education, Health, Culture and Social Service. The goal of the Foundations is to ensure that people of all backgrounds have the opportunity to build healthy, productive and inspiring lives. The charitable goals of the Foundations reflect the philanthropic interests of William Randolph Hearst.
Theatre Communications Group (TCG) exists to strengthen, nurture, and promote professional theatre in the U.S. and globally. Since its founding in 1961, TCG’s constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to over 700 Member Theatres and affiliate organizations and nearly 10,000 Individual Members. Through its Core Values of Activism, Artistry, Diversity, and Global Citizenship, TCG advances a better world for theatre and a better world because of theatre. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through research, communications, and events, including the annual TCG National Conference, one of the largest nationwide gatherings of theatre people; awards grants and scholarships, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and through the Global Theater Initiative, TCG's partnership with the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute. TCG is North America’s largest independent trade publisher of dramatic literature, with 17 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its Member Theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field, and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre.www.tcg.org.
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