The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre Reveals 2025-26 Season Fellows

The Sandra Feinstein-Gamm Theatre (The Gamm) is welcoming three new fellows to its 2025-26 Gamm Fellowship Program. The theater's fifth cohort of emerging artists of color includes Nayeli Vazquez, Max Hayden, and Iggy Makor. 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 41 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 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 Gamm's 2025-26 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. It is a testament to the program's success that all 12 former Gamm fellows are now working, performing, or pursuing additional training in the field.

"We are excited to be marking the growth of our Gamm Fellowship Program with this new cohort of talented individuals ready to take on the challenges of theater making,” said Gamm Executive Director Jason Cabral. “As a graduate of RIC's theater program, I'm proud to lead an organization that is paving the way for young people who are passionate about and committed to the arts as a career choice. Thanks to the generous ongoing support of the Otto H. York Foundation, the fellowship's hands-on experience has proven invaluable for alumni who have developed the skills, confidence, and resilience needed to launch their careers in this demanding yet joyful industry.”

ABOUT THE FELLOWS

Nayeli Vazquez of Central Falls graduated from Rhode Island College (‘25) with a B.A. in theater performance. Nayeli is passionate about theater, film, and television, and loves to work collaboratively to bring meaningful stories to life. Among her favorite roles to date is Marianne in The Revolutionists by Lauren Gunderson, a character that deepened her connection to bold, thought-provoking story telling. As a Gamm fellow, Nayeli is excited to grow as an artist and connect with a dynamic creative community. Nayeli's mentor is Steve Kidd, an acting and directing teacher at Moses Brown School, as well as a Gamm actor (Amadeus, Hangmen) and director (The Effect, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).

Max Hayden was born and raised in Warwick and is a graduate of the Community College of Rhode Island ('25). With the CCRI Players, he performed a wide range of roles, including McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest; Charlie in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown; John Wilkes Booth in Assassins; and Antipholus of Syracuse in The Comedy of Errors. At The Wilbury Theatre Group, he played Romeo in I'm at Your Window. Max was named a 2025 finalist at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. His mentor is Rodney Witherspoon II, an actor (Angels in America, It's a Wonderful Life at The Gamm), writer, director, and teaching artist, and a graduate of Brown/Trinity Rep's M.F.A. program.

Igdaliah “Iggy” Makor was born in Minnesota and raised in Pawtucket. He is a graduate of the University of Rhode Island ('24), where he majored in sports medicine and communications. After taking an acting class, he fell in love with the art form. A self-described all-around entertainer and content creator, he enjoys acting, directing and filmmaking. He played Mr. Sauce in URI's production of Marie Antoinette and has acted in several short films. Iggy'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.

Rhode Island Awards - Live Stats

Best Musical - Top 3

1. SWEENEY TODD (East End Theatre and Performing Arts)

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2. THE WIZARD OF OZ (Stadium Theatre)

12.5% of votes

3. THE LITTLE MERMAID (Stadium Theatre)

10.9% of votes

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