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Thursday, February 22, 2018
Database Shows Time to Diversify Theater Leadership is Now
Art Wire | KQED Arts: The U.S. theater world is seeing widespread changes in leadership, and Bay Area theater professionals tracking the development say it’s an opportune time for theater companies to diversify.
3 comments:
Marisa Rinchiuso
said...
These statistics are not shocking, but upsetting. I had the chance to speak with the new executive director of my city's theatre. She is a stellar executive director and she often tells me how rare it is to meet other women in similar roles. To think that there are zero top-level managers that are women of color is sad and definitely needs rectifying. Putting more diverse leaders in charge of producing companies allows for the shows coming from those companies to empower and feature more diverse work. I think our new generation is tired of seeing Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, and Mamma Mia put on over and over again. There is so much good work out in the world. I'm not saying that every theatre needs to convert into a new-works-centric theatre, but there is definitely some opportunity to infuse a season of traditional favorites with smaller, new shows. I hope more large theatres continue to contribute to this database and we see the number of diverse leadership grow.
This is about what I expected. These results, sadly do not surprise me I think its quite clear that there as been very little change in the diversity of real authority in theatre let alone the rest of real American power. It seems to me that like many people of wealth, wealth likes to stay in its own family and class. I wonder if we were to open up this polling out side of theatre would we see any difference? The writer of this article is right when it says the most most important work is coming from the minority groups. The struggles are so prevalent in our culture right now it cant be avoided. Ever since I can remember there are been a fight for equality in this country. There for it does’t surprise me that all the great stories of our generation are coming from these groups. But this finding shows a different story, a countenance of a fight that has been going on for decades. We have always been fighting a battle for equal rights and life, but we are also fighting for equal power and control and true freedom.
I wish I could say that these statistics are surprising to me, but it is so evident that most of the people in power within our industry are more often cis-gendered, straight, white men than anything else. Representation is slowly increasing with minority groups, but still the industry remains dominated. This issue is so prevalent in our society at this time (and to some extent- maybe thats another reason these statistics don’t phase me, because similar ones are coming out everyday proving how unequal the industry we are in is- and not just from a leadership standpoint but as a whole). New work is inspiring, its paving a way, and making a voice for the voices that have not been heard, and those stories can’t be directed and told by people who have no idea what that experience is like. “We have a tendency to talk about diversity like it’s charity, which is false… It’s actually about quality and relevance. The most important work being made right now is being made by women, people of color and non-gender conforming artists.” Stories that are being told now are what people want to hear, what they relate to, and it’s only fair to not treat their stories like charity, but rather the powerful voice that society needs to hear.
3 comments:
These statistics are not shocking, but upsetting. I had the chance to speak with the new executive director of my city's theatre. She is a stellar executive director and she often tells me how rare it is to meet other women in similar roles. To think that there are zero top-level managers that are women of color is sad and definitely needs rectifying. Putting more diverse leaders in charge of producing companies allows for the shows coming from those companies to empower and feature more diverse work. I think our new generation is tired of seeing Oklahoma!, Guys and Dolls, and Mamma Mia put on over and over again. There is so much good work out in the world. I'm not saying that every theatre needs to convert into a new-works-centric theatre, but there is definitely some opportunity to infuse a season of traditional favorites with smaller, new shows. I hope more large theatres continue to contribute to this database and we see the number of diverse leadership grow.
This is about what I expected. These results, sadly do not surprise me I think its quite clear that there as been very little change in the diversity of real authority in theatre let alone the rest of real American power. It seems to me that like many people of wealth, wealth likes to stay in its own family and class. I wonder if we were to open up this polling out side of theatre would we see any difference? The writer of this article is right when it says the most most important work is coming from the minority groups. The struggles are so prevalent in our culture right now it cant be avoided. Ever since I can remember there are been a fight for equality in this country. There for it does’t surprise me that all the great stories of our generation are coming from these groups. But this finding shows a different story, a countenance of a fight that has been going on for decades. We have always been fighting a battle for equal rights and life, but we are also fighting for equal power and control and true freedom.
I wish I could say that these statistics are surprising to me, but it is so evident that most of the people in power within our industry are more often cis-gendered, straight, white men than anything else. Representation is slowly increasing with minority groups, but still the industry remains dominated. This issue is so prevalent in our society at this time (and to some extent- maybe thats another reason these statistics don’t phase me, because similar ones are coming out everyday proving how unequal the industry we are in is- and not just from a leadership standpoint but as a whole). New work is inspiring, its paving a way, and making a voice for the voices that have not been heard, and those stories can’t be directed and told by people who have no idea what that experience is like. “We have a tendency to talk about diversity like it’s charity, which is false… It’s actually about quality and relevance. The most important work being made right now is being made by women, people of color and non-gender conforming artists.” Stories that are being told now are what people want to hear, what they relate to, and it’s only fair to not treat their stories like charity, but rather the powerful voice that society needs to hear.
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