JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion)
Artist Fellowship Program
Main Street Theater’s JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) Artist Fellowship Program is a paid artistic leadership development program for early-career artists of color. Applicants submit a resume and portfolio. The selected fellows will be assigned to a production either with the MainStage or Theater for Youth programs in their area of interest (Directing, Design, or Stage Management) while being given access to additional professional development opportunities within the Main Street Theater organization.
2024 – 2025 JEDI Artist Fellows
Amaél Angel (he/him) (Directing Fellow, Kim’s Convenience) is a multi-hyphenate artist (Actor/Director/Dancer/Creator) and teacher interested in cultivating innovative forms of storytelling that accurately represents diverse communities of color. Angel recently graduated from Pitzer College with a BA in Theatre Arts and Spanish Studies, and is a proud first generation Mexican-American, and fellow Houstonian! His work centers collective storytelling, original works, theatre for social justice, and the complex experience of QTBIPOC and Latine communities in relation to physical movement and multimedia.
Recent work of his includes: Pomona College: (Creator/Performer) METANOIA; Climate Change Theatre Action Festival 2023: (Director) You Are Not Alone; EUSA 2023 Short Film Festival: (Co-Director) DUELO; and Spotlight Musical Theatre (Director) HOME: A BIPOC Musical Showcase.
Nadya A. Mercado (she/they) (Directing Fellow, Elephant & Piggie “We Are in a Play!”) is a loud and proud Latinx actress and director. They have portrayed roles such as Nina/Golden Thunder in Airness, Marilyn Monroe in Cursum Perficio, Lina in Cry It Out, and more. She has directed Mr. Wolf by Rajiv Joseph, Brave Navigator by David Valdez Greenwood, Assistant Directed Beauty and The Beast, and more. She is committed to breaking cycles and giving more power and voice to those whose stories must be heard. They hope to continue to grow as a person and artist and learn as much as they possibly can for as long as they can.