Allen Lee Hughes Fellowships

*Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship Program Alumni pictured

The Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship

The Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship restarted with the 2022/23 Season, reestablishing itself as a professional training program for individuals who are interested in contributing to a fuller representation of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals in the arts.

The goal of Arena Stage's fellowship program is to cultivate the next generation of BIPOC theater professionals by providing the highest standard of training through immersion in the art and business of producing theater. Successful candidates are highly motivated individuals who are interested in pursuing a career in the arts.

What We Offer

The program offers personalized training and in-depth, hands-on experience with top-tier professionals in artistic and technical production, arts administration, arts education, and community outreach.

Additionally, all fellows receive:

Mentorship from Arena Stage staff members, including senior staff
Professional development workshops and educational sessions led by Arena Stage staff members and guest artists
Monthly meetings with directors, designers, and senior staff administrators who provide insight into the overall management of the theater
A weekly fellowship stipend of $600. Please note that housing is not provided.
Complimentary tickets to Arena Stage’s productions

Structure of the Fellowship

The fellowship is full time and requires a dedication of 38 weeks.
Fellowships will average 40 hours a week over the course of the fellowship. Depending on department and/or time in the season, some weeks may require more or fewer than 40 hours.
Fellows will have layers of support in their training and professional development:

Supervisor: A staff member in department that is primarily responsible for fellow’s learning experience.
Mentor: The most senior member of their department.
Training Programs Manager: A dedicated advocate and support for the fellow cohort, who also provides social and professional development opportunities for the group

2024/25 Season Fellowship Information

Check back in late November when applications will open for the 2024/25 fellowship.

2023/24 Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellows

Name: Vanessa Dalpiaz

Position: Artistic Development Fellow

Name: Indigo Garcia

Position: Lighting Fellow

Name: Destiny King

Position: Marketing and Media Fellow

Name: Alexandra Lopez

Position: General and Company Management Fellow

Name: Darien Mitchell

Position: Graphic Design Fellow

Name: Jazmyn Ja'Net Roberson

Position: School Programs Fellow

Name: Mina Sollars

Position: Development Fellow

Paige Hernandez - The Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship Program Alum

Jamil Jude - The Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship Program Alum

Otis Ramsey Zöe - The Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellowship Program Alum

FAQs

Upload a cover letter about yourself, your skills and what you want to get out of the fellowship; you should also submit a copy of your resume and the contact information for 2-3 references. Some fellowships require a writing sample as part of the application: Community Programs, Development, General and Company Management, Leadership and Business, Marketing, Media Relations, and School Programs require a writing sample. However, these fellowships do not ask for a writing sample: Artistic Development, Costumes, Graphic Design, and Lighting.

A writing sample should be about 2 pages that you have written that show your writing skills. The sample could be part of an essay, an analysis or research paper, an article, a study guide, a theater review, a press release or a grant proposal. Ideally it should be related to the fellowship you are pursuing. Please do not submit scripts or creative writing samples unless requested.

While a degree could be helpful, no theater or other degree is required to be an Allen Lee Hughes BIPOC Fellow. Our fellowships are crafted for those aiming at a career in professional theater. Please share any skills or experiences you may have that would allow you to succeed as a fellow at Arena Stage in your resume and cover letter. All relevant administrative, creative, educational and work experience will be considered.

No, we have no designated fellow parking. Parking in Southwest D.C. can be hard to find and expensive if you find it. There are some options around the theater, but many people find that their best transportation choice to be the Metro or the bus system. The Green Line serves the Waterfront metro station, which is about a block from the theater. Learn more about Metro here

Please email fellows@arenastage.org if you have additional questions or concerns.

Founding of Allen Lee Hughes Fellowships

In 1990, Arena Stage’s Founder and Artistic Director Zelda Fichandler and Artistic Associate Tazewell Thompson co-founded the theater’s fellowship program for individuals of color as part of Arena Stage’s cultural diversity program. These fellowships would provide the opportunity annually for culturally diverse candidates from around the country to apprentice at Arena Stage to both increase the participation of people of color in the theater field at large and increase diversity within Arena Stage as well.

The training program was named after Arena’s talented Associate Artist/Lighting Designer, Allen Lee Hughes, who started his career at Arena Stage in 1969 as an electrician. It was at Arena that Allen evolved from electrician to designer.

Sources: Allen Lee Hughes Fellowship 10th Anniversary Program, New York Times, Tazewell Thompson

Meet Allen Lee Hughes

Allen Lee Hughes (far left), Fellowship alumni and friends of the program celebrate its 25th anniversary during the 2015/16 Season.

A lighting designer and teacher of lighting design, Allen Lee Hughes has a B.A. from Catholic University and a M.F.A. from New York University. He received the USITT Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design for 2003. He is the recipient of the 1997 Merritt Award for Excellence in Design and Collaboration, two Washington Helen Hayes Awards, and four Tony nominations. Broadway credits include Ohio State Murders, Topdog/Underdog, A Soldier’s Play, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Clybourne Park, Having Our Say, Mule Bone, Once on This Island, K2, Strange Interlude, Accidental Death of an Anarchist, and Quilters. His work has been seen at major theaters throughout the country, including Seattle Rep, New York Shakespeare Festival, Guthrie Theater, Shakespeare Theater, Goodman, and Lincoln Center Theater. His dance designs include works for American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Ballet Tech, Hartford Ballet, and Pilobolus Dance Theatre. Allen teaches at New York University and is very proud to have the Arena Stage fellows program named in his honor.