Applications Now Open for the Fourth Year of the Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program

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 fourth 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. 

 

“I’m incredibly excited to usher in a new cohort into the program,” said Richard. “Each year I’m reminded of how gifted and powerful these students are and I’m very much looking forward to giving these students a platform and space for them to grow and thrive.”

 

Over the last three years, the program has accepted 35 students and awarded $240,000 amongst them. Past scholars have gone on to work across the industry on Broadway in shows like Hamilton, Sweeney Todd 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 Narda Alcorn Saheem Ali, Jocelyn Bioh, Zhailon Levingston, Schele Williams, Clint Ramos and other prominent leaders from the theatre industry. 

 

"The CRR Scholarship Program provided me with a platform to receive techniques and resources that showcase the tangible capabilities of our artistry,” saysSam Allen, a 2022-2023 recipient. “Being able to connect / foster relationships with fellow artists of color who place an emphasis on humanity and accessibility to the form is an experience I’ll hold onto for the rest of my lifetime!" 

 

Submissions are currently being accepted through Sunday, November 26th at 11:59pm EST. Applicants will be selected and informed by January 2024. 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 our sponsors including Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids, the Tiger Baron Foundation, Tommy Kail, Jill Furman, Jenny Steingart, Kevin McCollom 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 for 16 productions and is currently the Production Stage Manager for Sweeney Todd on Broadway. Other favorite SM credits include: Into the Woods, Freestyle Love Supreme, Hamilton, Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, Annie Live!, VMAs, Tony Awards and 7 productions with NY City Center Encores!. As a producer, Cody has Co-Produced the Broadway revival of Parade (Tony Award), A Strange Loop (Tony Award), Thoughts of a Colored Man, as well as the National Tour Moulin Rouge. On top of his production credits, he is currently an adjunct professor at Columbia University after previously serving as adjunct faculty at New York University and Fordham University. He has actively worked with numerous organizations including Broadway Advocacy Coalition where he founded The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program for aspiring BIPOC theatre makers. He is also a founding member of RISE Theatre Directory; a theatrical database geared to uplift underrepresented individuals in the theatre. As an advocate for change and equity, he has appeared live on CNN and has been interviewed on WNBC and NY1. Cody was profiled as the cover story for SWERV Magazine in 2023 and has been featured by Variety Magazine as one of their 2020 Broadway Players to Watch, Out Magazine as a 2020 OUT100 honoree and in Forbes, among other publications. He was recently honored by the Kennedy Center as a part of their Next 50 list and is the recipient of the 2020 Webster University’s Young Alumni Award and the 2020 Native Son Next Award. He holds a BFA in Stage Management from Webster Conservatory and is a member of Actors’ Equity Association and the Directors Guild of America. www.codyrenard.com @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.

 

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