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WE SEE YOU, WHITE AMERICAN THEATRE
WSYWAT
BLACK LIVES MATTER.
This is not a stance. It is not a belief. It is a fact. The lives of Black Americans have inherent value as human beings - it is not a debate and we will not tolerate any suggestion to the contrary. One of the central tenants of Monument's creation is the principle of antiracism and from our inception we have stood in the face of racist production practices, casting, as well as continued pandering to the predatory classes. We stand in full support of the WSYWAT movement. Monument (and American Theatre as a whole) owes an incredible debt to the hundreds of BIPOC artists who dedicated their time and energy to the creation of this inciting document. We will be honoring their courage and vision by creating, maintaining, and adapting a living document of actions to further our endeavors as an inclusive and fiercely antiracist organization.
OUR IMMEDIATE COMMITMENTS
- The promotion of BIPOC voices and art in our narratives, casting, creative teams, and our audiences.
- Continue color conscious casting practices.
- Ensure BIPOC representation in our leadership.
- Promote narratives rooted in other human elements than cultural or racial traumas.
- Maintain transparency in our casting and hiring practices. All cast and creative teams will remain posted on our webpages with photos of our participating artists. We embrace accountability and demand it of our peers.
- Continue to ensure financially accessible theatre to all members of our community. Nobody should ever be turned away from theatre for lack of disposable income.
- Promote post-mortem discussion opportunities for our participating artists.
- Condemn and openly forbid the use of racial slurs in rehearsals and performances unless specified in the script of the play/musical currently being rehearsed. Should the show in-question require the use of racially offensive language or action, a private session should be held (much like intimacy design) with the actor(s) directly impacted by said language or action.
- Incorporate Indigenous Land acknowledgement in show programs and displays.
- Practice and promote transparent fundraising practices.
- Stand with BIPOC actors, directors, designers, playwrights, journalists and writers who publicly address, condemn, or call out racist practices.
OUR FUTURE COMMITMENTS
- Develop intervention and disruption protocols for incidents involving 3rd parties such as audience, venue staff, outside artists, etc.
- Promote BIPOC-led publications and organizations through our social media and newsletter.
- Conduct personalized outreach to community groups and organizations that are relevant to audiences we seek to develop.
- Provide development & training opportunities to BIPOC theatremakers - specifically in playwriting, production, and offstage creative positions.
- Incorporate more equitable tech processes.
- Financial development for the sole purpose of increased financial compensation for our participating artists.
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