New Jersey Theatre Alliance Announces Career Accelerator Program Fellows

New Jersey Theatre Alliance has announced their inaugural cohort of Career Accelerator Fellows.

Inaugural cohort of Career Accelerator Fellows

Fellows Amoria Burks, Jamie Goodwin, and Dez Wesley will participate in a 6-month paid experience comprising placements with professional theatres and the Alliance itself to learn about theatre management in real-world contexts.

“New Jersey Theatre Alliance created this program because we know that there are many incredible early-career theatre makers of color not yet connected to the professional theatre community in New Jersey,” said Erica Nagel, Deputy Director of the Alliance.

“We were thrilled with the response in this inaugural year, and it was very challenging to narrow down to just three fellows. The Alliance envisions a flourishing and equitable future for the arts in our state and region, and we know that Amoria, Dez, and Jamie wll be part of creating that future as leaders in our field.”

The three Career Accelerator Fellows were chosen from a pool of 35 highly-qualified applicants.

Amoria Burks is a senior Theatre Studies major at Montclair State from Teaneck, NJ pursuing a career in entertainment.

Burks will be working with Luna Stage (West Orange), New Jersey Theatre Alliance, and Yendor Theatre Company (Newark).

Jamie Goodwin is a 2022 Princeton graduate, majoring in philosophy and theater, her passion has always been for ideas and art-making.

Goodwin will be working with Mile Square Theater (Hoboken), McCarter Theatre Center (Princeton), and New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

Dez Wesley is a Creative Project Development major with a minor in Disability Studies at Stockton University, and is expected to graduate in May 2023.Dez will be working with New Jersey Theatre Alliance, Eagle Theatre (Hammonton), and Two River Theater (Red Bank).

Equity and inclusion

In addition to learning in the field, the paid fellows will participate in professional development seminars, one-on-one mentoring meetings, and check-ins with the Theatre Alliance staff. This program is part of the Alliance’s ongoing commitment to moving the theatre field toward a more just, equitable, accessible, and anti-racist future.