Co-founded by Hadestown's T. Oliver Reid, Tony winner Warren Adams, and Reginald “Reggie” Van Lee, Black Theatre Coalition announced TaNisha Fordham as the American Express Directing Fellowship recipient.
Fordham is a producer, director, writer, performer, and educator. Her experience includes co-producing the Oscar Award-nominated movie My Nephew Emmett and directing the documentary Queen. She currently serves as associate director on Broadway's Company revival and the assistant director of the new musical SuperHero. Fordham is set to produce Newark's second annual Theater in the Park this summer with her latest production, TaNisha Fordham The EGOT.
The inaugural fellowship provides a $50,000 salary and the opportunity to help develop a Broadway production. Fellows will work alongside industry leaders and learn about theatre-making from experts in executive, creative, and administrative areas.
"With this award, we hope to uplift Black voices and creators in theatre and provide them with the much-needed resources to bring their stories to life," said Anike Wariebi, vice president of events, entertainment, and retail partnerships at American Express. "As a long supporter of the arts, we’ve partnered with The Black Theatre Coalition to help bridge the gap between traditionally marginalized groups within the industry."
The Coalition currently has more than 30 fellows working in the industry, including Taylor Courtney, Devon Miller, David Norwood, Carrli Cooper, Brandon Kelly, Nia Blizzard, John Bronston, Adam Hyndman, Tyra Wilson, Amy Marie Haven, Jourdan Miller, Amina Alexander, Jordan Booker Medley, Lori Tishfield, Crystal Monee Hall, Danielle Covington, Brandi Knox, Michael Leon Thomas, Jorge Pluas, Kevin McAllister, Matthew Johnson Harris, and Aaron Ward.
For more information, visit BlackTheatreCoalition.com.
