rescripted.org: After the recent “Times Up, Metropolis” letter was sent out, many people called/emailed me, asking/accusing me of writing it. I did not write that letter. I did read it and recognized much truth in the stories it holds. Although the author remains anonymous due to fear of retaliation or repercussion, I admire their courage to speak their truth, as well as the brave countless others who have come forward to support #MeToo, #NotInOurHouse and other movements that break the silence against injustice, and empower change.
5 comments:
This letter was kind of haunting. The repeated anecdotes beginning with “I was there when…” show how difficult and terrifying witnessing workplace abuse is, and how hard it can be to speak up. What really got to me was the paternalistic patronizing of actors and trade workers at the metropolis. It seems like many of the incidents include the Executive Director berating or stepping on female-identifying people, showing a culture of harassment. The emails switching production staff on the drop of a hat also got to me. As young theatre artists, we are constantly warned about how production will try to take advantage of staff members. Not honoring contracts, poor scheduling (spacing without a set), and requesting extra labor from workers is a part of the disrespect that young theatre artists are so scared of. I hope that the expository writing around the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre changes things within that company and makes the Chicago theatre community a safer place.
I agree with the description of this letter being 'haunting'. I think that with every line my eyes grew wider. I was shaking with rage at this Executive Director by the end of it. I think that the section of the why now is one of the most important parts of this letter because it encourages change to our way of thinking about abuse in theatre. It's imperative that we not accuse others of 'not speaking out sooner' because the consequences of speaking out can be absolutely detrimental to one's career, no matter where the fault lies. It's important that we encourage our coworkers and friends to speak out against any injustices that they have faced whenever they feel ready to do so. Whether this is a week after it happens or three years after it happens. One of the main things that came out of the #MeToo movement was the fact that we also need to believe these stories when people are brave enough to share them. We need to support the people who have experienced these injustices and stand beside them in not supporting organizations that are encouraging this.
The above comment belongs to me!
The open letter by Lauren Berman, a long-time director at Metropolis, is, simply put, an act of courage. She openly states that she has felt the fear of being “ostracized” if she were to “to anger the powers that be”. Even at an academic institution, this fear when it comes to rocking the boat and challenging the status quo haunts me as well. The repetition of ‘I was in the room’ documents what has happened and what is often witnessed by many. Berman states that she takes full responsibility for giving up and “caving into the fear that kept me in place and made me feel paralyzed”. But, this is the time for change. She repeats, “This is the time”, and this is true. The current status quo is dangerous, abusive, and unsustainable. Theatre is a healing and joyful practice, and given the cognitive dissonance with the idea of theatre and the reality of the theatre industry, I again stress the fact that something has to change. We have to overcome the fear of being ostracized and work towards a better future.
Haunting is certainly a good word for this article. I was struck by the bravery of Lauren Berman, “I’m not afraid anyone” will stick with me for weeks to come. The title of this article caught my attention because I intend to move to Chicago post-graduation and wanted to get some insight into the field. I wish I could say I was more surprised that there is corruption like this in theatre, but I am not. The thing that stands out to me is that we have found ourselves as an industry in a place where these things can be called out publicly and supported. Executive Directors CAN be held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, some of these offenses mentioned in the open letter I too have seen in the field. To me, I will take away the lesson of having multiple people in the room when confronting someone in a position of power about existing issues.
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