JEDI Artist Fellowship Program

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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.

APPLICATIONS FOR 2025 – 2026 ARE NOW OPEN.

PLEASE SEE BELOW.

Application Information & Important Dates

Application Deadline | Rolling
Candidate Interviews | Rolling
Fellowship Date Range | September 2025 – August 2026 Candidates will be selected for one production on either the MainStage or Theater for Youth during the 2025/2026 season.

See full application below.

Eligibility

  • Identifies as Black, Indigenous, or a Person of Color
  • Resides in Houston or the surrounding area
  • Applicant’s experience must indicate their intention to pursue a professional career in directing, stage management or design for the theater.
  • Directing fellows will attend auditions, production meetings, rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and Opening Night of their designated production.
  • Stage Management fellows will attend auditions, production meetings, rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and all performances of their designated production.
  • Design fellows will attend production meetings and assist their design mentor as needed, both on and off site, and be present for all technical rehearsals.
  • Min. age: 22

Compensation

  • $1,500 stipend is provided to each Fellow

Benefits 

  • Professional development and networking opportunities
  • Complimentary tickets to Main Street Theater productions
  • Mentorship opportunities at Main Street Theater and in the Houston theater community

For more information or if you have questions about the Fellowship, please contact Rebecca Greene Udden, Executive Artistic Director, at rudden@mainstreettheater.com

Apply:

MST JEDI Fellowship Program Application

Name(Required)
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Do you have reliable transportation?(Required)

REFERENCES:

Input three employment references in the field below (if not already included in your resume or CV) Please include each reference's Name and Contact Information (phone and email)

First Reference
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Second Reference
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Third Reference
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APPLICATION MATERIALS FOR UPLOAD:

  • Letter of Interest, no longer than two (2) pages, that addresses the following:
    • Why are you interested in the Fellowship? What attracts you to this particular Fellowship?
    • What are your goals as an artist? Where do you want to be in a year? How will this Fellowship help you achieve your goals?
    • Tell us about yourself: your experiences, dreams. What do you bring to this cohort of Fellows, mentors, and Main Street Theater staff?
    • Why are you a fit for this particular Fellowship?
    • Have you been mentored, or mentored someone before?
  • Resume or curriculum vitae (CV)
  • Two (2) letters of recommendation from arts professionals
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    Donna Southern Schmidt

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    Above: Donna Southern Schmidt at work on masks.

    Dr. Dana Oldham’s mask (below) came from fabric from our production of Sideways Stories from Wayside School, pictured above.

    Donna Southern Schmidt, a local, professional costume designer who works regularly with us at MST as well as other Houston theaters, has found a way to make good use of her forced hiatus by sewing masks for medical workers. But these are not ordinary masks. She’s using fabric remnants from plays she designed for us in the past.

    We gave Donna the fabric to use for as many masks as she could make. Since March 27, she has made approximately 85 masks and delivered them to LBJ Hospital in Harris County. With the help of her community, all told they have made and donated 320 masks!  Her original goal was 200! The masks are colorful and uplifting, coming from plays like The Wizard of Oz and Sideways Stories from Wayside School. The Oz masks are from the fabric of the Scarecrow and Flying Monkeys’ costumes – not your everyday hospital gear.

    “Donna is a brilliant designer but she is also a community builder, and this is totally something I would expect her to do,” shared MST Founding Artistic Director Rebecca Greene Udden. “We are honored to have a small part in her efforts, and we know the hospital workers are very grateful for all Donna is doing.” Donna is also the Manager of Houston’s Costume Connection, a warehouse collaborative started by Main Street Theater and The Ensemble Theatre for arts groups to share resources and rent costumes for productions.

    The local press has covered Donna’s work extensively:

    Houston Chronicle

    Houston Press

    Houstonia Magazine

    Houston Family Magazine

    Houston Public Media

    Leftover fabric from the Scarecrow’s costume were turned into the masks above.

    Fabric from the Flying Monkeys costumes were used to make the masks above.

    Art Together with MST

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    Our artists are sharing monologues and songs, all via short videos.

    Rice University article featuring Tamara Siler & her performance above

    Videos and activities for our Theater for Youth friends!

    The Cat in the Hat Study Guides

    The Cat in the Hat activity

    More Junie B. Online Activities

    Magic Treehouse Word Search

    Magic Treehouse Habitat Match

    Word Scramble with Frog and Toad

    Frog and Toad’s Mystery Word

    Goodnight Moon matching objects

    Short, online theater classes for children –
    or anyone who wants to have a little fun!

    Our MainStage Part of the Art Series goes online with behind the scenes/ insider looks at productions and more.

    An insider look into what happens when actors “break,” meaning they just can’t help laughing on stage! This is a gem from Joel Sandel from MST’s 1993 production of Tom Stoppard’s Rough Crossing. As actor Mark Roberts said of this moment, “Sometimes the audience wants to see the real human under the mask we wear for them on stage, and I think they thought it was a rare treat. I don’t know that I thought it was a treat at the time, but I certainly do now.”

    A behind the scenes look at what happens in technical rehearsals for a play, specifically MST’s 2015 production of Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson. Shannon Emerick shares her personal experience of the process and illuminates how the director, designers, and actors all truly work together to create the world of a play.

    Well, we were all ready to go with our production of Cry It Out when the world changed. We never got to give you the play, but we can take you on an insider’s tour of the set with designer Adam Thornton and director Rachel Ollagnon! Enjoy!

    So part of live theater is what you do when an actor doesn’t show up for a performance and you have a full house waiting to see the play. Yes, this really happens! (Thankfully not very often!) Here is a legendary story from our history. It’s a classic example of the magic of live theater!

    Sponsor

     

    Season Sponsor

    Season Sponsor

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    COVID 2020 PARENT SUMMER CAMP FAQs

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                COVID 2020 PARENT SUMMER CAMP FAQs        

    • Will Main Street Theater still have camps this summer?

    We are moving forward at this time with all of our scheduled camps at all locations.

    • When will you decide for sure about camps?

    We are closely following city, county, and state guidelines as well as CDC recommendations for our timetables and decision making. The health of our campers, staff, and partner locations are our number one priority. MST is moving forward with expectations for holding all our camps starting in June.

    • What will camps look like when you open?

    We plan to keep our structure of our two week and one week camps. Summer Camp 2020 will follow all recommended health and safety guidelines issued by public officials, including but not limited to:

    • Regular disinfecting and sanitation of camp facilities
    • Hand sanitizer in common areas and classrooms
    • Regular trips to hand washing stations
    • Additional staff to support cleaning, sanitizing, and care of camp health
    • Coordinated curbside drop-off and pickup, limiting camp entrance to essential staff, campers, and authorized personnel
    • Temperature monitoring for all staff and campers upon entrance
    • Are you offering refunds?

    As per the policies, refunds are available for cancellations one month before the first day of the first camp minus a $50.00 admin fee. After one month we can credit for a future class. If, in the end, we have to cancel camp due to the impact of COVID-19, we will be happy to provide you with a refund of camp tuition minus administration and processing fees. In lieu of a refund, we can provide you with a full credit that can be applied toward any future class or camp, pending availability.

    • Is there a chance camps may be online?

    We are examining all possibilities during this time and will keep you informed as soon as we have made concrete decisions. In the meantime, we invite you to play along at home with our Collaborative Classroom videos available now!

    Creating a character

    Creating a playscript

    MORE QUESTIONS?

    Our door is always open. Contact Jonathan Minchew-Gonzalez, Director of Education and Youth Engagement:

    jonathan@mainstreettheater.com