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.

Born and raised in Houston, Texas, Cody grew up on a ranch and competed with his family in Rodeo events before trading his cowboy boots in for a career in theatre. 

Throughout the years, Cody has been fortunate enough to work in various live entertainment mediums and has stage managed 16 Broadway productions. Career highlights include the Broadway productions of Pass Over (which was the first new play to welcome an audience to Broadway after the historic Coronavirus shutdown), Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods (Production Stage Manager) and Hamilton (Assistant Stage Manager), as well as being one of the DGA Stage Managers for the 2019 and ‘20/’21 Tony Awards and MTV Video Music Awards (2019, ‘20). Cody has also worked on live televised musicals for NBC (Annie Live!, Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, Hairspray Live! & The Wiz Live!), various productions with Cirque du Soleil, Porgy and Bess at the Metropolitan Opera, Candide at Carnegie Hall and countless shows in Regional and Off-Broadway houses. 

As a producer, Cody received Tony Awards for Co-Producing the Pulitzer Prize Winning production of A Strange Loop (2022) and the revival of Parade (2023). He also helped bring in the Broadway production of Thoughts of a Colored Man in 2021.

On top of his production credits, he is currently an adjunct faculty member at Columbia University. He has also served as Adjunct Professor of Stage Management at New York University and Fordham University.

As an advocate for change and equity, Cody has appeared live on CNN and has been interviewed on WNBC. He has actively worked with numerous organizations including Broadway Advocacy Coalition where he founded The Cody Renard Richard Scholarship Program for aspiring BIPOC theatre makers. Cody also sits on the Board of Trustees for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

Cody was named one of Variety Magazine’s 2020 Broadway Players to Watch, making him the first stage manager to receive this honor. He has been honored by Out Magazine when he made the 2020 Out100 list and by Native Son when he received the 2021 Native Son Next Award. He has 3 DGA (Director’s Guild Association) Award nominations and is the recipient of the 2020 Webster University’s Young Alumni Award.

Cody holds a BFA in Stage Management from Webster Conservatory, where he graduated with departmental honors. He has a passion for paying it forward and providing space for students and early career professionals. His favorite color is red, he loves a onesie, he can recite the entirety of The Little Rascals movie and he still doesn’t know how to swim. His favorite musicals are Evita and Dreamgirls. 

“Being a stage manager of color, I want the next generation to know that they can do this. Especially when they come from a small town like I did. When I was younger, I had no idea that the life I live now was possible. As I’ve gotten older and been able to do things I want to do, I want more people to experience that. That’s why I want younger stage managers — even people who aren’t stage managers — to know that whatever you want to do, you can find a way to do it. Never stop dreaming, find joy in your journey and always spread joy daily.” - Cody Renard Richard for Dramatics Magazine

“Black Joy is freedom of expression, peace of mind, and laughter. It is big and loud, but also gentle and quiet. It is living my best life, even in situations that weren’t built for me to succeed. It is uplifting. It is motivating. It’s me.” - Cody Renard Richard for TodayTix