RIC Alum Earns Gamm Theatre Fellowship

As one of three recipients of the 2023 Gamm Theatre Fellowship, Jared Nobrega ’22 anticipates that his theatrical knowledge will grow exponentially.

The fellowship, established by the Gamm Theatre in 2021 for emerging artists of color, is a 10-month program developed in partnership with Rhode Island’s public institutions of higher education. It’s designed to provide an immersive experience and establish mentoring relationships between aspiring and established theater professionals.

Nobrega, who is of Brazilian descent, will be paired with an advanced career mentor who will provide guidance about making a living in the theater industry. Additionally, he will perform in some of the productions at the Gamm Theatre, a regionally recognized, award-winning company.

Nobrega learned about the fellowship from administrators at the Gamm, where he’s been working for the last six months as a teaching artist. In this position, he travels to Rhode Island elementary and middle schools to engage students in after-school theater programs.

A native of Somerset, Massachusetts, Nobrega, 23, graduated from RIC with a bachelor’s degree in theater performance. While at RIC, he performed in numerous theatrical productions before moving on to directing a play in his senior year.

“Directing was eye-opening for me,” he says. “It allowed me the chance to learn about myself. I was able to step back from being an actor to being more of a collaborator.”

RIC Professor of Theater Bill Wilson calls Nobrega “an exceptionally talented actor, director, writer and teaching artist.”

“He was one of our go-to actors at RIC, appearing in and directing many memorable plays on campus, where he was a leader in our department,” Wilson says. “He’s now become a sought-after actor and teaching artist in Rhode Island.”

Wilson adds that before Nobrega attended RIC, he performed for Case High School’s state championship-winning theater company in Swansea, Massachusetts.

“It was evident then that Jared was someone special,” Wilson recalls. “I’m confident in his future success.”

After the fellowship ends, Nobrega says he may consider heading back to college to earn a master’s degree in theater directing or delve into film. Most of all, he wants to prove that he’s cut out for the theater business.

“I’m the first in my family to go into theater,” he says. “I’m living by the phrase that a friend passed along to me: ‘Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.’ If I continue to do that, I have a feeling I’m going to be successful.”