The Gamm Theatre Names Three Fellows for Season 42
Mariana Villa Jaramillo, Miguel Soto-Sanchez, and Elijah Lopes join the program under facilitator Joey Del Santo.
The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) welcomes three new fellows to its 2026-27 Gamm Fellowship Program. The theater's sixth cohort of emerging artists of color includes Mariana Villa Jaramillo, Miguel Soto-Sanchez, and Elijah Lopes. Recent graduates of Rhode Island College, the Community College of Rhode Island, and the University of Rhode Island, respectively, the fellows will be active participants in the theater’s Season 42 artistic and education programs as they hone their professional skills and sharpen their personal and career goals.
The Gamm Fellowship Program is a partnership between the non-profit theater and Rhode Island’s public institutions of higher education. Fellows are paid a stipend to participate in a 10-month immersive experience. Over the course of the season, fellows will engage in select areas of creative, administrative, and educational theater making. Additionally, each fellow is paired with an advanced career mentor who will provide guidance about making a living in the theater industry.
Joey Del Santo, The Gamm's director of education and community programs, serves as the program's facilitator.
'This year’s cohort of Gamm Fellows comprises students from diverse backgrounds, theatrical disciplines, and interests within the field. I'm delighted to help guide them through this fast-paced and exciting period of their lives. The program already has proven to be a launchpad for professional theater careers and I'm confident it will be the same for these talented individuals,” Del Santo said. 'We are so grateful for the support of the Otto H. York Foundation whose generosity and belief in this program continues to help make possible a truly unique and practical experience for young artists with the passion, drive, and work ethic to pursue a career in theater.”
ABOUT THE FELLOWS
Mariana Villa Jaramillo is a native of Medellin, Colombia and lives in Pawtucket. She graduated from Rhode Island College (‘26) with a B.A. in theater performance. Mariana has appeared in a many theater productions. Some favorites include La Broa’ (Trinity Rep), The Comedy of Errors, and Marian: Or the True Tale of Robin Hood. She is interested in directing and was recognized by the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) as the Region 1 national finalist for the Stage Directors and Choreographers Directing Initiative.
Mariana's mentor is Karen Carpenter. A theater educator and director, Karen is head of the Drama Department at Jaqueline M. Walsh School for the Arts. She is also an actor (Hangmen, Admissions at The Gamm).
Miguel Soto-Sanchez was born in Puerto Rico and raised in Warwick. He is a graduate of the Community College of Rhode Island (’24) and holds an associates degree in Fine Arts. Miguel has performed with the CCRI Players as Charles Guiteau in Assassins, Warden in One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, and Jimmy in Let the Right One In. Miguel is excited to hone his craft as an actor and understand the collaborative workings of a professional theater.
Miguel's mentor is Steve Kidd, an English and drama teacher, and a director, at Providence's Moses Brown School. Steve is a frequent Gamm actor (Amadeus, Hangmen) as well as a director (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at The Gamm).
Elijah Lopes grew up in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. He has a B.F.A. in theater from the University of Rhode Island ('25). While at URI, he appeared in Machinal as Richard Roe and performed as Kyle in a class showcase of Exit, Pursued by a Bear. His interests extend beyond the stage to film, voice acting, and creating original character-driven work. Elijah is passionate about continuing to develop his range as a performer during his fellowship.
Elijah's mentor is Anthony Goes, an actor (Between Riverside and Crazy, True West at The Gamm) and an adjunct theater professor at both CCRI and RIC.
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