Alliance announces our new National Vision, Inc. BIPOC Stage Management Fellow

UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON GRADUATE NAMED THE NEXT ALLIANCE THEATRE NATIONAL VISION, INC. BIPOC STAGE MANAGEMENT FELLOW 

KACIE PIMENTEL IS A RECENT GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON AND HAS WORKED WITH STUDIO THEATRE IN WASHINGTON, D.C., CHAUTAUQUA THEATRE COMPANY, AND SEA WORLD

 
ATLANTA, August 9, 2022 — The Alliance Theatre is pleased to announce that Kacie Pimentel has been chosen as the National Vision, Inc. BIPOC Stage Management Fellow for the 2022/23 Season. A graduate of the University of Houston, Pimentel will relocate to Atlanta and begin her fellowship in August. 

Pimentel received her BFA in Theatre Stage Management. She has recently finished the SM apprenticeship at Studio Theatre where she worked on The Hot Wing King, John Proctor is the Villain, and White Noise. She has also previously worked in stage management at Casa Mañana Theatre, Chautauqua Theatre Company, and Sea World San Antonio.

“I am unbelievably excited to expand my horizons at the renowned Alliance Theatre,” Pimentel says. “Joining the stage management team at Alliance is an honor and will be a great leap forward at this early point of my career.”

As the National Vision, Inc. BIPOC Stage Management Fellow, Pimentel will work as a contributing member of the stage management department at the Alliance Theatre. She will work as the stage manager or assistant stage manager, primarily on the Coca-Cola Stage, for productions including the holiday favorite A Christmas Carol, as well as a co-production with another regional theatre and a commercially enhanced, world premiere musical with a Broadway-experienced creative team. Additionally, she will be afforded the opportunity to develop a network of mentors inside and outside the Alliance while building a resume of top-of-field work experience. 
 
“I am so excited to be a part of what this institution produces,” Pimentel continued. “And most of all, I can’t wait to learn from the wonderful artists and people at Alliance Theatre.”
 
ABOUT THE NATIONAL VISION, INC. BIPOC STAGE MANAGEMENT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM 
 
The stage manager is the actor’s advocate, show’s guardian, and production’s liaison for all aspects of the production. They ensure the director’s vision is realized while creating a safe working environment for all. Too often, the stage manager is a white person even on a production where most of the cast and creative team are Black, Indigenous, or persons of color (BIPOC). After a year of intentionally listening to the needs of our BIPOC artist community, a through line surfaced: “I wish there were more stage managers sitting at the table who looked like me.” We must correct this imbalance not only at the Alliance Theatre but as an industry if we want our productions and staff to reflect the communities we serve. The Alliance is linking arms with stage management graduate programs, creating a pipeline of full-time work for emerging BIPOC stage managers to diversify the field through the BIPOC Stage Management Fellowship Program. 

To apply, candidates must 1) identify as a BIPOC theatre maker, 2) be an MFA in Stage Management student in their final year or have graduated from an MFA in Stage Management program in the past 3 years, and 3) be willing to relocate to Atlanta, Georgia for the fellowship. A diverse panel of professional stage managers and theatre leaders select the final candidate, and the panelists also serve as a resource to the Fellow during their time in residence. 

To learn more, visit our website at www.alliancetheatre.org/content/national-vision-bipoc-stage-management-….

DIGITAL ASSETS are available for download here:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/kk6c9kris7in4329pl22c/h?dl=0&rlkey=0zjst…;

Support for this program is provided by National Vision, Inc., the second largest optical retail company by sales in the United States. National Vision is based in Duluth, Georgia, and has more than 1,300 stores in 44 states and Puerto Rico. By sponsoring the 2022/23 BIPOC Stage Management Fellowship Program, National Vision is advancing its philanthropic impact to support inclusion while celebrating visibility and representation in the arts in its corporate hometown.

To learn more about National Vision, Inc., visit their website at www.nationalvision.com.