The Broadway Green Alliance Reveals College Green Captain Award Winner for Achievement in Sustainable Theatre

The Broadway Green Alliance has announced Juliette Maners as the winner of its annual College Green Captain Award. A recent graduate of Rider University, Maners spearheaded the college's green theatre initiatives and founded a student leadership structure to drive change on campus. This included organizing talkbacks on environmental topics, implementing a battery recycling program, and creating post-show sustainability surveys.

The 2025 runners-up for the award are Khristián Méndez Aguirre at the University of Texas at Austin and Zainab Shah at the University of Scranton.

The BGA's College Green Captain Program empowers environmentally conscious students and faculty to lead sustainable initiatives within their college theatre departments. Participants, known as College Green Captains, receive free resources and personalized coaching from the BGA to help them produce and design theatre in ways that reduce environmental impact and inspire meaningful climate action.

The College Green Captain Award recognizes students who demonstrate outstanding leadership in implementing innovative and lasting sustainability initiatives. Past honorees have championed efforts such as implementing energy-efficient lighting, expanding recycling and composting programs, and transitioning to digital scripts. This year's award includes a virtual meet-and-greet with a Broadway Green Captain, giving recipients the chance to connect with industry leaders and explore pathways for continuing their sustainability work in the professional theatre world.

“I am so thrilled to have found the BGA and had the opportunity to bring the College Green Captain Program to Rider University,” shares Maners. “I am honored to receive this recognition of my efforts to make theatre greener in my program, and I hope it encourages my fellow students to keep working hard and grow our impact.”

“I am excited that there are initiatives like the Broadway Green Alliance Green Captain program that empower people like me to pursue their artistry/research with the confidence that it connects profession with training,” shares Méndez Aguirre. “It helps us imagine what a sustainable, environmentally just theater practice might look like in the present and in all theater spaces."

“Thank you to the Broadway Green Alliance for giving me the tools and opportunities to showcase just how much we care for the environment” adds Shah. “I hope to take the knowledge I have learned as Green Captain as I enter the professional world.”

“We're honored to recognize the 2025 College Green Captain Award recipient, Juliette Maners, along with runners-up Khristián Méndez Aguirre and Zainab Shah, for their outstanding leadership,” said BGA Director Molly Braverman. “Their creativity and commitment inspire all of us working at the intersection of theatre and sustainability, and this award highlights the everyday activism of the entire College Green Captain community as they transform theatre departments on campuses across the country.”

To learn more about the College Green Captain program, the annual award, and other Broadway Green Alliance programs, visit BroadwayGreen.com.