Launched in September 2020 by Cody Renard Richard in partnership with Broadway Advocacy Coalition, this year’s Scholarship continues to build a bridge into the industry for emerging theatrical leaders of color.
NEW YORK, NY – Applications for The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program are now open. The program seeks to uplift and support the next generation of Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) theatre-makers working behind the scenes.
The third cycle of The CRR Scholarship Program will award 10 recipients a financial grant and will offer the cohort various online work sessions connected to leadership, community building, social justice, and mentorship. This cycle will conclude with an all expenses paid trip to New York City to meet with mentors, attend panels with leading industry professionals and interact with the Broadway scene in person.
“It’s an incredible honor to be able to continue offering this scholarship program to more students.” says Richard. “I’m in awe of the talent and drive from our previous cohort and am very much looking forward to providing space for this new cohort to thrive.”
“It brings me great joy to support year three of the CRR Scholarship”, said Broadway Advocacy Coalition’s Co-Director of Programming Dria Brown. “What we have learned over the course of these three years is the value of being in community with the future leaders of our industry. I look forward to deepening our commitment to creating a space where the scholars can continue to develop their capacity in being activated change agents and envision alongside the experts in our industry what radically reimagining this industry looks like.”
Over the last two years, the program has accepted 25 students and awarded $140,000 amongst them. Scholars from the program are now working across the industry on Broadway in shows like Hamilton and Disney’s Aladdin, on tour with Jagged Little Pill and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and across the country in regional theaters like Utah Shakespeare Festival and La Jolla Playhouse. Past mentors and speakers include Saheem Ali, Jocelyn Bioh, Zhailon Levingston, Nicole Brewer, Nicole Johnson, Schele Williams, Clint Ramos, Brian Moreland and other prominent leaders from the theatre industry.
“The CRR Scholarship program exceeded my expectations! I didn’t expect to create an entire community with the other scholars and the teams of the CRR program and BAC”, says Natalia Dubon, a 2021-2022 recipient. “It was so refreshing to know we were TRULY being mentored and uplifted by everyone we met, not just listening to another person lecture us.”
Submissions are currently being accepted through Sunday, December 4th at 11:59pm EST. Applicants will be selected and informed by January 2023. Eligible applicants will need to submit a one-minute video essay describing why they are the ideal candidate for the program, along with their current transcript and two letters of recommendation.
This year’s scholarship is made possible by the generous support of The Seller Lehrer Family Foundation, Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids, Jujamcyn Theaters, the Tiger Baron Foundation, Tommy Kail, and Junkyard Dog Productions.To donate or inquire about sponsorship opportunities, please visit CRRscholarship.com or email scholarship@codyrenard.com.
For additional information, please visit CRRscholarship.com or @CRRScholarship on Instagram
# # #
ABOUT CRR SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program strives to:
- Encourage more Black, Asian, Latinx, Indigenous, and other students of color to pursue degrees in the theatrical management and non-performance artistic fields, such as Stage Management, Technical Theatre, Theatre Design, Playwriting, Directing or Theatre Management.
- Cultivate and provide a space for this next generation of leaders, while welcoming their unique and necessary future contributions to the theatrical world.
- Connect our scholars with other emerging and established community leaders of color to ensure they have the support and mentorship to thrive in the industry.
- Create a community of scholars who will learn and grow together throughout their various educational journeys and understand how they can play a role in building a more vibrant and equitable industry.
ABOUT CODY RENARD RICHARD
Cody Renard Richard is a Tony Award winning Producer, Advocate, Educator, and professional Stage Manager with a career that spans many genres including Broadway, Television, Cirque Du Soleil and Opera. On Broadway, he has worked as a full time and substitute Stage Manager on 15 productions, and is currently the Production Supervisor for Into the Woods on Broadway. Other favorite production credits include: 2021 & 2019 Tony Awards, 2020 & 2019 MTV VMAs, Annie Live!, Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, Hairspray Live!, The Wiz Live!, Cirque du Soleil’s OVO & Wintuk, Porgy and Bess (Metropolitan Opera – Assistant Stage Director), Candide at Carnegie Hall and 8 productions with NY City Center Encores! As a producer, Cody is currently a co-producer for the Tony Award Winning production of A Strange Loop on Broadway and for the National Tour of the Tony Award winning production of Moulin Rouge. In addition to his production credits, he is an adjunct faculty at Columbia University. As an advocate for change and equity, Cody has appeared live on CNN and has been interviewed on WNBC. Cody has been featured by Variety Magazine as one of their 2020 Broadway Players to Watch, Out Magazine as a 2020 OUT100 honoree and was honored as a part of the Kennedy Center’s Next 50 list in 2022. He launched The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program in partnership with Broadway Advocacy Coalition in Sept of 2020 and holds a BFA in Stage Management from Webster Conservatory. He is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Directors Guild of America. @codyrenard
ABOUT BROADWAY ADVOCACY COALITION
Founded in 2016 by members of the Broadway community as a direct response to the nation’s pandemic of racism and police brutality, the Broadway Advocacy Coalition is a multidisciplinary organization which unites artists, legal experts and community leaders to create lasting impact on policy issues from criminal justice reform to education equity to immigration.In 2021, BAC received a Special Tony Award for providing an unparalleled platform for marginalized members of the theatre community and tools to help the theatre industry move toward a more equitable future. Via its partnership with the Center for Institutional and Social Change at Columbia Law School, BAC has collaborated with institutions across New York City, including the New York City Council, Bronx Defenders, and the Brooklyn District Attorney’s office. To learn more about their work, and to get involved, visit their website at https://www.bwayadvocacycoalition.org/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
