RespectAbility Entertainment Professionals Lab 2024
Stephen Nolly
Stephen Nolly is a biracial, Japanese/Jewish Air Force brat who cut his teeth in New York’s theater scene. After graduating from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, he was a resident artist at TriBeCa’s Flea Theater (Drama Desk, OBIE Award). After his start in downtown theater, Nolly found that the film & television world was lacking the diversity of stories that he wanted to tell – and he realized he was the only person suited to tell them.
Nolly is a Finalist for the Paramount Writers Mentorship and the Warner Brothers Writers’ Workshop Finalist. He was accepted into Soho House Script House Lab (with Barry Jenkins and Lulu Wang), received the CA Individual Artist Fellowship, won the Thriller Genre in the ISA Fast Track Fellowship, and been included on The Naughty List, and The Originals Bureau. His scripts have advanced at the Austin Film Festival, Sundance Episodic & Feature Labs, Slamdance, PAGE, and most recently been a Finalist for Film Pipeline, WeScreenplay Diverse Voices, and the Circle of Confusion Discovery Fellowship.
Nolly enjoys high-concept, socially conscious stories, is an amateur locksmith, dabbles in horology (watchmaking), writing musical theater, was a competitive international ballroom dancer, and a member of Mensa.
Learn More
After an extensive search and interview process, 25 individuals were invited to participate in the Virtual Cohort of RespectAbility’s 2024 Entertainment Lab taking place May 7 – September 24, 2024. This 5-month Lab aims to develop and elevate the talent pipeline of disabled entertainment professionals working behind-the-scenes in television, film, and streaming, while connecting them with industry professionals and creatives. Participants include people with physical, cognitive, sensory, mental health, and other disabilities ranging in age from people in their 20’s through their 60’s. The Lab is a recipient of The Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award.
