Theatre Student Talia Escobedo Receives Cody Renard Richard Scholarship
Theatre Management & Producing student Talia Escobedo has been awarded a Cody Renard Richard Scholarship. The scholarship, founded by Adjunct Assistant Professor Cody Renard Richard, seeks to uplift and support the next generation of theatre leaders of color. It is run in partnership with the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BAC), a foundation focused on dismantling systemic racism through the power of storytelling.
The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship strives to encourage BIPOC students to pursue degrees in theatrical management and non-performance artistic fields, like stage management, design, directing, and playwriting. The program works to connect its scholars with emerging and established theatre leaders of color, providing the honored students with the support and mentorship needed to thrive in the theatre industry. The 2023 cohort will receive scholarships for the spring 2023 semester, and the students will attend a special New York City-based learning experience—during which they will explore Broadway and the New York theatre scene—over the summer. The scholarship also includes seven work sessions with Richard and BAC.
Talia Escobedo is a Jewish-Mexican-American producer. She is passionate about producing the stories of immigrants and those with hyphenated identities much like herself. Currently, she is the Associate Producer of The Workshop, a fellowship program for students who identify as Jews of Color. Her theatrical experiences span across the commercial and not-for-profit sectors in the U.S., Mexico, Israel, and London. Talia was formerly the General Management Intern at Thompson Turner Productions, where she worked on shows such as Leopoldstadt and Book of Mormon. Prior to Thompson Turner, Talia was a General Management Intern at 101 Productions. In that role, she worked on Dear Evan Hansen, Sam Gold’s Macbeth, Plaza Suite, and others. She has completed multiple internships at the La Jolla Playhouse in the Education & Outreach department.
Cody Renard Richard is a Tony Award-winning producer, advocate, educator, and professional stage manager with a career that spans many genres (including Broadway, television, Cirque Du Soleil and opera). On Broadway, he has worked as a full time and substitute stage manager on 16 productions, including the recent revival of Into the Woods. Other Broadway: Freestyle Love Supreme (x2), Pass Over, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Lion King, Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, Kinky Boots, If/Then, After Midnight, Motown the Musical, Ghost the Musical, Cyrano de Bergerac and Lysistrata Jones. TV: 2021 & 2019 Tony Awards, 2020 & 2019 MTV VMAs, Annie Live!, Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, Hairspray Live!, The Wiz Live!, Cirque du Soleil: OVO, Wintuk. Off Broadway/NY: Porgy and Bess (Metropolitan Opera – Assistant Stage Director), Candide at Carnegie Hall, 7 productions with NY City Center Encores!, The Public Theater, Atlantic Theater Company, 2nd Stage, Transport Group, Pearl Theatre Company. Richard co-produced the Tony Award-winning production of A Strange Loop on Broadway and for the National Tour of the Tony Award winning production of Moulin Rouge. He has been featured by Variety Magazine as one of their 2020 Broadway Players to Watch, Out Magazine as a 2020 OUT100 honoree, and in Forbes. He was also honored as a part of the Kennedy Center's Next 50 list in 2022.