Stage Directions: During this pause in our working lives, The Stage Managers’ Association has focused its energies on creating initiatives to better serve the entire theater community. The Stage Managers’ Association (SMA) is pleased to announce that they are partnering with the Black Theatre Caucus to raise the visibility and knowledge into the community of excellent Black Stage Managers.
3 comments:
I think it’s wonderful that a major organization is making an effort to recognize the people of color that are working as a part of it. From what I have seen, much of the theater industry has historically leaned towards preferring white people when it comes to hiring. It still does to this day, but one can't deny the progress that has been made through the decades. Recognizing the work black people have put in through this project is a great place to start. Sure an argument could be made that this won’t make a difference in the long run, but the premise of offering financial support, more so, financial support that could kickstart a career or keep another one stable, is massive in my opinion. In a field where so much of the future is decided on who you know and the impression, they have on you, opening a door for someone could change everything.
As an aspiring stage manager, I feel like the things that the Stage Managers Association are doing are taking a step in the right direction. Amplifying BIPOC voices is something that we should all strive to do, so partnering with the Black Theatre Caucus. There is a major lack of diversity in the theater community and especially on Broadway, so their plan to aid black stage managers and give them two-year professional memberships is a great start. Bigger companies and unions, like the Actors Equity Association, should do something similar or even post more about their BIPOC active members. Even something as simple as acknowledging the efforts they put in helps raise awareness for the work that people of color do and how important it truly is. I think the fact that you can nominate people in your own life that deserve it is also really sweet and makes even the smallest of differences.
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