Town Hall for Racial Reckoning
Our community is experiencing a reckoning. The global effects of the pandemic, and now the civil unrest in our communities, are highlighting the disparities between white lives and the lives of People of Color- especially Black people. A seismic shifting of the status quo is threatening to rock the foundation upon which so many theaters in this community have built their legacies. When we are able to make theatre again, we cannot return to “business as usual.” We cannot return to theatre companies that will not acknowledge and respect the voices of the BIPOC community. In an effort to make sure those voices are heard, The Coalition for Racial Equity in Atlanta Theater (CREAT) and Inclusion Diversity Equity in the Arts Atlanta (IDEA ATL) have partnered to host a three-night virtual town hall:
June 29th, 6 pm to 9 pm Town Hall for Racial Reckoning*
June 30th, 6 pm to 9 pm Town Hall for Racial Reckoning*
July 1st, 6 pm to 9 pm Night of Healing for BIPOC Theatre Makers Only
* Theaters have been randomly assigned to one of the two Town Hall Nights. List of theaters and more information can be found below.
Sign up to attend.
If you would like to attend as a speaker, a representative of a theater, or a witness, please fill out this form.
List of Theaters
Monday, June 29th, 2020
(in no particular order)
Out Front Theatre Company
Synchronicity Theatre
Theatrical Outfit
Actor’s Express
Aurora Theatre
Stage Door Players
7 Stages
The Shakespeare Tavern Playhouse
Serenbe Playhouse
Out of Box Theatre
The Tiny Theatre Company
The Legacy Theatre
Catalyst Arts Atlanta
Essential Theatre
Academy Theatre
OnStage Atlanta
The Wallace Buice Theatre Company
PushPush
Working Title Playwrights
Vanguard Repertory Company
Aris Theatre
Center for Puppetry Arts
Marietta Theater Company
Live Arts Theatre
Shakespeare on Draught
Renegade Theatre Ensemble
Tuesday, June 30th, 2020
(in no particular order)
Out of Hand Theater
Horizon Theatre
Alliance Theatre
Atlanta Lyric
City Springs
Dad’s Garage
Georgia Ensemble Theatre
Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company
Lionheart Theatre Company
Vernal & Sere Theatre
Atlanta Theatre Club
Marietta New Theatre in the Square
Impact Theatre
Found Stages
Act3 Productions
New African Grove Theatre Company
Pinch & Ouch
Dominion Entertainment
Theatre du Reve
Havoc Movement Company
Theatre Buford
Elm Street Theatre
The Process Theatre
Theater Emory
CenterStage North Theatre
Springer Opera House
Mission
“We want these listening sessions to begin the process of true change and bring about a theatre community that is truly representative of its ideal as an industry built on diversity, empathy, and acceptance...”
Invite
“A seismic shifting of the status quo is threatening to rock the foundation upon which so many theaters in this community have built their legacies. When we are able to make theatre again, we cannot return to “business as usual.” We cannot return to theatre companies that will not acknowledge and respect the voices of the BIPOC community. In an effort to make sure those voices are heard, The Coalition for Racial Equity in Atlanta Theater (CREAT) and Inclusion Diversity Equity in the Arts Atlanta (IDEA ATL) have partnered to host a virtual town hall...”
Rules of Engagement
“Thank you for joining us in this endeavor. May this be the first step towards healing wounds and building trust. This first step will require vulnerability and openness. Here, you will find information about the event and helpful guidelines…”
Press Release
“How do we move forward? In the wake of the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks, protesters across the country have taken to the streets to demand an end to the war on Black and Brown people and the devaluation of their lives. That war and devaluation have taken many forms, including inequitable opportunities and unsafe work environments within our own theatre community. Before our community can move forward, it needs to reckon with the injustices perpetrated within our theaters…”