Broadway Women’s Fund, Broadway’s first impact investment fund, has announced its third annual "Women to Watch on Broadway" list, spotlighting women in leadership roles in the New York theatre industry.
The Broadway Women’s Fund was founded in 2020 by Valerie Novakoff to promote women in leadership positions by investing in Broadway shows that are written, directed, or produced by women. The Women to Watch initiative was inspired by Rachel Chavkin's 2019 Tony acceptance speech, stating that gender parity on Broadway "is not a pipeline issue. It is a failure of imagination by a field whose job is to imagine the way the world could be." By elevating the women on the list, the Women's Fund seeks to encourage Broadway industry members to look outside of their networks when hiring, placing more women in top roles.
Efforts to effect change and reach gender parity are perhaps even more crucial this year. "According to an analysis by the National Women’s Law Center in January 2022, men have completely recouped pandemic employment losses, while 1.1 million fewer women are participating in the labor force than in February 2020. 39,000 women over age 20 joined the workforce this past January, compared to 1 million men," said the Women's Fund in a statement. "As Broadway begins to bounce back, we must make sure women make up for lost ground in order to achieve our goal of gender parity among industry leadership.
The women were selected by members of the Fund's leadership and advisory board, whose complete membership includes Chita Rivera, Rachel Chavkin, and more.
For details about each of the women below, see the expanded list here.
Alyson Ahrns, public relations
Melis Aker, playwright/book writer/composer
Cristina Angeles, director/playwright/producer
Ngozi Anyanwu, playwright/book writer
Julie Boardman, producer/entrepreneur
Adrienne Campbell-Holt, director/choreographer
November Christine, composer/lyricist/book writer
Andrea Daly, composer/lyricist/book writer
Victoria Deiorio, sound designer
Sarah Gancher, book writer/playwright
Erica Hemminger, set designer
Marlo Hunter, director/choreographer
Aja M. Jackson, lighting designer
Nicole Johnson, diversity, equity, & inclusion director
Candis Jones, director
Lawryn Lacroix, producer
Twi McCallum, sound designer
Cynthia Meng, music director
Rebecca J Michelson, photographer/videographer
Madeline Myers, composer/lyricist
Cambra Overend, producer/playwright
Ming Peiffer, playwright
Maya Phillips, theatre critic
Diana Salameh, marketing
Angela Sclafani, composer/lyricist
Melissa Shakun, set designer
Heather Shields, producer/general manager
Yuvika Tolani, producer
Siani Woods, general manager
Jeanette Yew, lighting-projection designer
To see the 2021 "Women to Watch" list, click here.
