Madi Burt, a rising senior at Wayne State University, is the winner of the BGA’s 2026 College Green Captain Award for her commitment to integrating sustainability into every aspect of theatre-making. A BFA Actor in the Honors College, Madi has combined her experience as a climate activist, zero-waste store manager, and theatre artist to champion greener practices both on and off stage.
Before becoming a College Green Captain, Madi was finding creative ways to reduce waste in productions. During The Wolves, she organized the composting of stage-used orange slices, ensuring food waste was diverted from landfills. She continued these efforts in Drowning Ophelia, incorporating reused household items as props and encouraging sustainable production practices within student-led theatre.
As the Green Captain for Wayne State’s production of The SpongeBob Musical, Madi helped lead a collaborative effort to embed sustainability into the production process while engaging the broader community in climate action.
Her contributions included:
Organizing the reuse of donated paper bags, cans, and bottles for set construction and decoration.
Supporting the use of secondhand and repurposed materials in costumes and scenic elements, including recycled Gatorade bottles, old shower curtains, tires, and bicycles.
Advocating for the exclusive use of rechargeable batteries in microphone packs.
Connecting the production with the Michigan Climate Action Network to host community engagement activities and sustainability education opportunities.
Helping organize a tree-planting event in partnership with the Greening of Detroit to promote environmental stewardship alongside the production.
Supporting Family Day sustainability fairs that connected audiences with local environmental organizations and resources.
In addition to her work as Green Captain, Madi served as a marketing assistant for multiple productions, helping expand community engagement through social media, photography, and digital storytelling. Her ability to bridge climate advocacy and theatre artistry demonstrates the powerful role the performing arts can play in advancing sustainability.
Madi’s work demonstrates how artists can use creativity to inspire environmental stewardship both on and off the stage. Through her leadership, she is helping build a more sustainable future for the next generation of theatre-makers.