Adventure Theatre Announces Director Fellowship Recipients

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC) announce the inaugural 2018-2019 Assistant Director Fellowship for People of Color recipients, Angelisa Gillyard (Blueberries for Sal), Carlos Castillo (Fancy Nancy), Monique Midgette (Huckleberry Finn’s Big River), Ayesis Clay (Winnie the Pooh), and Cara Hinh (The Cat in the Hat).

Adventure Theatre MTC (ATMTC) is committed to better reflect the diversity of D.C. region by increasing the number of artists, designers and technicians who are people of color. ATMTC has set a goal of 50 percent people of color in its professional theatre productions for the 2018-2019 season. As part of their strategy to meet this goal, ATMTC has established a new Fellowship program for Assistant Directors.

The Fellowship program is supported with a grant from the Weissberg Foundation’s 2016-2019 Fund for Diversity in Theater.

The Assistant Director Fellowship is a yearlong opportunity where fellows are paired with known, experienced and established D.C. area directors for one professional production in the Adventure Theatre MTC season. Fellows will also have the opportunity to participate in the entirety of ATMTC’s season including rehearsals, first looks, production meetings, workshops, season planning and openings. Finally, fellows receive interaction with other theaters and artistic directors.

“I didn’t have many role models who looked like me growing up,” said Michael Bobbitt, ATMTC Artisitic Director, “I have a dream of inspiring all the future Michael Bobbitt’s of the world and giving them the opportunities to participate in all aspects of theatre.”

ATMTC Managing Director, Leon Seemann, adds “D.C.’s largest demographic is African American and Montgomery County is 65 percent diverse. We need to make sure our industry is serving and reflecting its community.”

Meet the Adventure Theatre MTC 2018-2019 Fellows

Carlos Castillo is a proud ATMTC Academy alumnus who is making his directing debut at ATMTC. He was last seen onstage as Peter Pan in the world premiere of Tinker Bell by Patrick Flynn. Other acting credits include Once at the Arden Theatre Company, Wonderland: Alice’s Rock & Roll Adventure at Imagination Stage, Altar Boyz at the Off Broadstreet Theatre, and Carousel at Olney Theatre Center. Castillo is also a teaching artist at ATMTC. Upcoming: Once at Olney Theatre Center.

Ayesis Clay hails from Ahoskie, NC and is an actress, director, and theatre educator. For 14 years, she served as the Theatre Department Chairperson for the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts at Suitland High School and sat on the Prince George’s County Theatre Advisory Board. Some of her recent acting credits include Mayme in Intimate Apparel (Anacostia Playhouse), Bud Not Buddy (Adventure Theatre), and Miss Leah in Flyin’ West (CVPA-Suitland).  Clay recently premiered her one-woman show, Sculpting Clay or How I Became Mother of Unicorns at the Kennedy Center’s Page to Stage Festival.

Angelisa Gillyard’s D.C. area directing credits include #poolparty at Ally Theatre Company; Three Cheers to Grace, My Bittersweet Journey in Life, and Discovering Alex at Young Playwrights Theatre; Duke Ellington’s Neighborhood at the In Series; afromemory and Black Girl, Black Pearl at the Kennedy Center Page to Stage Festival. Choreography credits include The Most Spectacularly Lamentable Trial of Miz Martha Washington and Clover at Ally Theatre Company; Abduction from the Seraglio at the In Series, Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Arena Players and Once on This Island at Montgomery College. Gillyard is a MFA Directing Candidate at Catholic University.

Cara Hinh is a Director, Educator and Theatre Artist originally from the Midwest. She is currently in her second season as the Education Fellow at Baltimore Center Stage. Her love of theatre is driven by the need to bring the stories of othered bodies to the stage. Most recent credits include assistant directing on King of the Yees at Baltimore Center Stage and Vietgone at Studio Theatre. Directing credits include Sa’idah at the Cincinnati Fringe Festival and Heavy Hors d’oeuvres with Interrobang Theatre Co. She is a graduate of Miami University of Ohio.

Monique Midgette is a produced playwright, and a professional singer/actor/dancer for over twenty five years. She currently owns a performing arts studio in Hyattsville, Md. Midgette’s performing credits include the original Broadway productions of The Civil War, Marie Christine, Seussical the Musical. She toured the U.S. with the Broadway production of The Lion King, and originated lead roles in the casts of the Disney Cruise Line and Hong Kong Disneyland’s Festival of the Lion King. She was most recently featured as Aunt Em/Evilene/and Adaperle in The Wiz at Ford’s theatre. Midgette is currently directing Ain’t Misbehavin at Toby’s Dinner Theatre.

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