ALLY
Dear People, Who are Of Color, Women, LGBT, Muslims, Mexicans, Immigrants, Individually Abled I Conspired Against You. I Am an Accomplice to the New Rule. I Am the Ink on the Executive Order. I’m Sorry. I’m Sorry as I know I’m Sorry won’t Help. I’m Sorry. My Flaws Streamline as it took Fascist Rise to Realize The Reality My fellow beings have Lived- Continue to Live. I, like you, ignored the Inherent state of Oppression. But if you’re dwindling, still, in the, ‘I can’t believ
HOW TO BE A GOOD ALLY: Thoughts from the Chicago Theater Community
Good allies. We all need them. We don't all know how to be them. But now is the time to learn. We asked a few eloquent Chicago artists who graciously offered their definition and thoughts. These words come from people who are angry, terrified, sad, frustrated and who want change. Please consider these words with an open heart - our community will benefit tremendously from it. I have to start by laying bare the in-between space I inhabit with regard to privilege. I was bo
HOW TO BE A GOOD ALLY: Thoughts from the Chicago Theater Community
Good allies. We all need them. We don't all know how to be them. But now is the time to learn. We asked a few eloquent Chicago artists who graciously offered their definition and thoughts. These words come from people who are angry, terrified, sad, frustrated and who want change. Please consider these words with an open heart - our community will benefit tremendously from it. For most of 2016, I was producing a series of shows in a D.I.Y space in Chicago’s Logan Square n
HOW TO BE AN ALLY: Thoughts from the Chicago Theater Community
Good allies. We all need them. We don't all know how to be them. But now is the time to learn. We asked a few eloquent Chicago artists who graciously offered their definition and thoughts. These words come from people who are angry, terrified, sad, frustrated and who want change. Please consider these words with an open heart - our community will benefit tremendously from it. These are my thoughts as a Latinx/Genderqueer/Gender Non-Conforming/Non-Binary Trans actor/artis
HOW TO BE AN ALLY: Thoughts from the Chicago Theater Community
Good allies. We all need them. We don't all know how to be them. But now is the time to learn. We asked a few eloquent Chicago artists who graciously offered their definition and thoughts. These words come from people who are angry, terrified, sad, frustrated and who want change. Please consider these words with an open heart - our community will benefit tremendously from it. What do I need my allies to do? Quit or resign from your current position and recommend that an
The Diversity Test (or Why Does the Black Character Get Screwed First?)
There is an ongoing conversation in the entertainment industry about diversity, inclusion and representation: the lack thereof, the abuses, the confusion and perpetuation of the problem as well as the strides towards diversification. As a Black writer and actress it is my mission to tell stories that reflect the world I live in which is diverse, nuanced and female driven. It is my passion to challenge old concepts or structures that uphold the status quo and keep the industry
MOVING FORWARD TOGETHER: Time to Change the Narrative
This week The Chicago Inclusion Project was honored by the Actors Equity Association with the Kathryn V. Lamkey Award at SPIRIT: A Celebration of Diversity, alongside such incredible organizations as 3Arts (a nonprofit organization that advocates for Chicago’s women artists, artists of color, and artists with disabilities who work in the performing, teaching, and visual arts) and The St. Louis Black Repertory Theatre (providing platforms for acting and interpretation of theat
Still in a COLOR BIND?
In 2006 Novid Parsi and Christopher Piatt of Timeout Chicago published an article asking "why this community lacks diversity, and find out what it will take to change." Ten years later, Kris Vire published a follow up article asking a new generation of artists the same questions, since as a community we seem to be a bit stuck. We were curious to find out what the artists originally interviewed in 2006 were up to and their thoughts on our industry now... Lisa Tejero is a regu
The Other Side of the Table
Hello, friends! Welcome to The Other Side of the Table, a place where members of our casting team (and occasional special guests!) share tidbits, insights and experiences related to the wonderful world of casting, and our process in particular. Our casting team consists of Emjoy Gavino, Charlie Hano, and Stephanie Diaz, and we couldn’t be more honored to serve the Chicago theatre community! Please remember that casting directors are as varied and individual as actors, so the
