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In an open letter addressed to "Dear White
American Theatre," the signatories complained of tokenism,
prioritizing white theatre for white audiences, and a failure to
make promised changes in programming or leadership.
The letter follows a national reckoning in the United States
about systemic racism, sparked by the death of African American
George Floyd under the knee of a white police officer last
month. Floyd's funeral, broadcast nationwide, took place on
Tuesday in Houston, Texas, after two weeks of street protests
around the world.
"We have watched you use our BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of
color) faces on your brochures, asking us to politely shuffle at
your galas, talkbacks, panels, board meetings, and donor
dinners, in rooms full of white faces," the letter said.
It was addressed not just to theatre owners and theatre
companies but also to critics, casting directors, agents, labor
unions and university training programs.
"We have watched you exploit us, shame us, diminish us, and
exclude us. We see you," it said, adding that despite holding
anti-racism workshops, few changes are made to theatre programs
or leadership.
"This is a house that will not stand. This ends TODAY," the
letter said.
It was accompanied by a change.org petition demanding reforms in
the theatre that by late Tuesday had been signed by almost
50,000 people.
Others signing included "This is Us" star Sterling K. Brown,
"Pose" star Billy Porter, playwright Lynn Nottage, "Black
Panther" actress Danai Gurira, and "Orange is the New Black"
Emmy winner Uzo Aduba.
(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Tom Brown)
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