A Commitment from TheatreSquared's Leadership
George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Manuel Ellis. Sean Reed. Tony McDade. Dion Johnson. We say their names. Black lives matter.
Through our words, our actions, and our work, TheatreSquared rejects violence, senseless discrimination, and anti-blackness; grieves with those who experience the pain of oppression; and supports those who shine a light on injustice.
TheatreSquared was founded with a vision to create work that reminds of us of our common humanity and inspires us to do better as people and as a society.
We acknowledge our own responsibility and culpability within a society that is inherently inequitable—and how we ourselves have contributed to this inequity. We commit as a company to being an agent of anti-racism and change. Actions are more meaningful than statements. We commit to:
Publish a public vision and action plan for making manifest anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion in the everyday culture of our company, with concrete deliverables, deadlines, individual ownership—and accountable outcomes. All stakeholders—staff, board, audience, and artists—will be integral to each step of the creation and implementation of this plan.
Purposefully dedicate the organization’s resources—both time and budget—towards inclusivity and diversity on our Board, staff, and stage
Increase artist compensation with pay parity for casts and creative teams across venues—acknowledging that our artists are often our most diverse employees
Launch a paid early-career apprenticeship program with a pathway to permanent employment, with a strong priority for BIPOC candidates
Deliberately partner with community organizations that are striving for equity
Revise our company policies—and judge our strategic decisions—through a lens of anti-racism, and acknowledge when we have failed
As we move forward, we will be guided by the question, “How can a theatre be an agent of social change—helping foster a community that is fundamentally more equitable, with radical access for all?”
Over the coming months and years, we will work to make our home a true community space. We will lift up underrepresented stories in our work on stage as we continue to strive for artistic excellence. We will build an inclusive audience and eliminate barriers to participation. We will instill a culture of respect, anti-racism, collaboration, safety, balance and empathy in a diverse, creative workplace.
We will hold ourselves accountable and ask our community to do the same. We raise our voice in support of change because we can and must do better.
Our statement is a living document, and has been continually expanded since its initial publication on May 31. As we continue to learn and develop action steps, we will announce them publicly here and and on all of our social media channels.