Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company, a national leader in the creation of innovative theatre, is launching the second cohort of its transformative fellowship program in partnership and with a lead gift from the Miranda Family Fund, Lin-Manuel Miranda’s family philanthropic fund. Major support is provided by the Wilke Family Foundation, the UPS Foundation, and the Patalano Family (Lou, Jodi, Ali, and Will) with additional support from Kristin Ehrgood and Vadim Nikitine and the Verizon Foundation.
This ambitious workforce development program is designed to provide talented candidates from historically excluded communities, especially those who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or People of Color, with the resources and training necessary to build their careers as arts administrators or theatre practitioners. Each fellowship is structured as a paid year-long department-specific position with benefits (including health insurance), and a housing stipend.
“I am tremendously grateful to our first cohort of Miranda Family Fellows; Autumn Mitchell, Jeremy Pesigan, and Citlali Pizarro.” says Maria Manuela Goyanes, Woolly Mammoth’s Artistic Director. “Their dedication and brilliance astounds me, and I can already see the countless ways that their time has created a lasting impact on the future of Woolly Mammoth. It has been an honor that they chose Woolly to be part of their journeys. Along with our partners the Miranda Family, we are thrilled to nurture and develop the next generation of leaders in the American Theatre.”
Alongside the opportunity to be embedded in the organization, participants also receive ongoing professional development opportunities. This includes access to industry leaders, so they might identify opportunities to explore their specific areas of interest, as well as receive valuable career guidance. In order to deepen their analysis of equity, diversity, inclusion and access, and the role arts organizations can play in furthering movements for social justice, fellows also receive anti-racism and anti-oppression training and access to affinity spaces. There are opportunities to experience DC’s vibrant theatre ecology and network with their peers, both locally and as a part of the larger network of Miranda Family Fellows.
While we ultimately seek to expand these fellowships to all Woolly Mammoth Departments, the second cohort of Miranda Family Fellowships will be available in the Connectivity, New Work, and Development Departments.
The Connectivity Fellow will join Woolly Mammoth’s nationally acclaimed Connectivity department in linking Woolly’s artistic mission with its social and political mission through artistic programs, community engagement, and audience enrichment activities.
The New Work Fellow position will offer the opportunity to be immersed in the artistic team of a major new work theatre. The Fellow is exposed to Woolly’s unique season planning, new work development, and production dramaturgy processes.
The Development Fellow is a newly created position designed for a future leader in arts and nonprofit fundraising and strategic development. The Fellow will be immersed in the fundraising and development department of a nationally recognized and funded innovator in the American theatre.
“The Miranda Family Fund is thrilled to welcome a new cohort of Miranda Family Fellows to Woolly Mammoth, a theatre innovator that remains close to me and my family’s heart,” said Luis A. Miranda, Jr. “With 300 applicants for three positions, the response to our program was astounding, and our inaugural cohort has been extraordinary. The energy and excitement around these Fellowships and our collaboration with Woolly Mammoth further proves our hypothesis that supporting diverse, emerging theatre artists across multiple disciplines is a necessary change for the betterment of the American theatre.”
The duration of each fellowship will be from June 2022 - June 2023. Applications will be accepted through February 13, 2022.
For more details about each fellowship and information on how to apply, please visit: https://www.woollymammoth.net/join-us/fellowships.
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ABOUT WOOLLY
Woolly Mammoth creates badass theatre that highlights the stunning, challenging, and tremendous complexity of our world. For over 40 years, Woolly has maintained a high standard of artistic rigor while simultaneously daring to take risks, innovate, and push beyond perceived boundaries. One of the few remaining theatres in the country to maintain a company of artists, Woolly serves as an essential research and development role within the American theatre. Plays premiered here have gone on to productions at hundreds of theatres all over the world and have had lasting impacts on the field. Co-led by Artistic Director Maria Manuela Goyanes and Managing Director Emika Abe, Woolly is located in Washington, DC, equidistant from the Capitol Building and the White House. This unique location influences Woolly’s investment in actively working towards an equitable, participatory, and creative democracy.
Woolly Mammoth stands upon occupied, unceded territory: the ancestral homeland of the Nacotchtank whose descendants belong to the Piscataway peoples. Furthermore, the foundation of this city, and most of the original buildings in Washington, DC, were funded by the sale of enslaved people of African descent and built by their hands.
ABOUT THE MIRANDA FAMILY FUND
For over 40 years, the Miranda Family has championed community activism. They have created and supported institutions that have served both underserved populations in Upper Manhattan and communities throughout New York City, across the country, and in Puerto Rico. Luis A. Miranda, Jr. and Dr. Luz Towns-Miranda are proud parents to Luz Miranda-Crespo, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Miguel Towns. Now as adults, Luz and Lin
Manuel are married to Luis Crespo and Vanessa Nadal, respectively, with children of their own. They continue to foster the family’s commitment to advocacy for education, the arts, and social justice - along with a sustained focus on relief and rebuilding efforts in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Maria.
