Broadway Advocacy Coalition Announces New Additions To Leadership

The Broadway Advocacy Coalition has announced Chesray Dolpha will join the organization as the new Artistic Director. Dolpha has worked with some of NYC's top arts education institutions including Theater Development Fund, St. Ann's Warehouse and The Dream Center in Harlem. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Taskforce on Equity and Inclusion for the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable and previously participated in BAC's Theater of Change course at Columbia University.

Zhailon Levingston, who has previously served as BAC's Creative Director, has been promoted to Director of Industry Initiatives and is the Associate Director of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical on Broadway. In this new role, Levingston will be responsible for spearheading the organization's work within the theater industry. This includes its "Reimagining Equitable Productions" Workshops and connecting theater artists to BAC's advocacy work within the criminal justice space.

Britton Smith will continue in his role as President and Co-Founder of BAC.

"In my 4 years of service at The Broadway Advocacy Coalition, I've witnessed an incredible transformation of this organization from a Facebook post to a notably respected organization of real impact - and have been transformed myself by the work," said Britton Smith. "I am excited to celebrate Zhailon and Chesray's leadership and vision and am proud to forever champion on for BAC, its founders and its mission. I'll continue to support them and the organization in my role as President."

Dolpha and Levingston began serving in their new roles as of February 22nd.

"I'm thrilled to be joining the Broadway Advocacy Coalition team, the work they've done is inspiring and the work we'll do is exciting," said Chesray Dolpha. "I couldn't be happier with how the stars have aligned!"

"Working with BAC has been a joy of mine since my first year in New York 5 years ago and to now be in a position whereby I get to pull from everything I've learned year by year and dreaming up emergent ways to move us forward feels like the most perfect intersection for me to be working in," said Zhailon Levingston.

BAC is an arts-based advocacy organization dedicated to creating equitable spaces and building the capacity of individuals and organizations to dismantle racism. Their recent work includes gathering a virtual crowd of over 11,000 participants for the three-day forum Broadway for Black Lives Matter, launching the Cody Renard Richard Scholarship program and the Artivism Fellowship program, along with the inaugural Broadway Vs and continuing their partnership with Columbia Law School through their full semester course, The Theater of Change: Reimagining Justice Through Abolition.

CHESRAY DOLPHA (Artistic Director) Based in Harlem, Chesray's work focuses on the intersection of creative storytelling and transformative arts and cultural initiatives that seek to humanize and center black joy. She has worked with some of New York City's top art education institutions, such as the Theater Development Fund, St. Ann's Warehouse and The Dream Center in Harlem. Currently, Chesray serves as Co-chair of the Taskforce on Equity and Inclusion for the New York City Arts In Education Roundtable. Most recently, Chesray served as Director of Theatre at Harlem School of the Arts. Before that she served as a full time Program Director with Urban Arts Partnership in New York City where she led federally funded art programming in a portfolio of 23 public schools in Brooklyn. She has also worked in maximum correctional facilities in New York State with Rehabilitation Through The Arts as their program manager and Curriculum specialist. Chesray also worked for the International Theatre Project as their Global Director and Producer where they devised and toured original theatre in South Africa.

As a woman of color who is both queer and an immigrant, Chesray's commitment to social justice and the liberation of Black communities fuels her joy of storytelling. Chesray founded Kreatif Studio Consulting Agency to weave together her experiences and expertise as an arts administrator, educator and artistic director. To counteract oppression, she firmly believes in the centuring of joy, laughter, and storytelling.

Chesray holds a B.A. in Community Psychology and Sociology and an Honours in Social Development and Policy from the University of Western Cape, South Africa and a M.P.A. in Public & Nonprofit Management & Policy from New York University.

Zhailon Levingston (Director of Industry Initiatives) Zhailon Levingston is a Louisiana raised storyteller director and activist. At Broadway Advocacy Coalition, he co-created and teaches the Theatre of Change course at Columbia University. He is a Music Mentor Fellow and has done work with Idina Menzel's A Broader Way Foundation.

Directing credits include Neptune At Dixon Place and The Brooklyn Museum, The Years that Went Wrong At The Lark and MCC The Exonerated at Columbia Law School. Chariot Part 2 at Soho Rep for The Movement Theatre Company Mother of Pearl at Laguardia Performing Arts Center. He is the Associate Director of Primer for a Failed Super Power with Tony Award Winner Rachel Chavkin and Runaways at The Public with Sam Pinkleton. Most recently he directed Chicken and Biscuits at Queens Theatre. Zhailon is the Resident Director at Tina: The Tina Turner Musical on Broadway.