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 believes this happe’- STOP Whirl winding in the state of self inflicted delusions. It’s here, wake from Surreal- It’s really really Real. Either- You Shift and treat your Consciousness; Or Stay Dormant. Like you have. Understa
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 born here in America to parents of different races who were also born here in America. I'm cisgendered, heterosexual, and very light skinned. In fact, people are often surprised to discover I'm Latinx. I'm five foot two. N
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 neighborhood. The series showcased an extremely diverse group of artists and curators. When I started that series, I would have considered anyone a good ally if they used the right language, did some passive advocacy work
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/artist/human... Immediately, this is what comes to mind for me and in my experience, but a good/helpful ally fits the following criteria: 1) If you know me personally & if you know what my pronouns are, you will be sure to
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 under represented individual take your place. Refuse to take work that asks of you to perform a piece that doesn't reflect you in any obvious way (if you are not Latino, don't audition for In the Heights unless there's a
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 stuck. This conversation is at the core of who I am as an artist. First in this ongoing series on diversity and inclusion in the entertainment industry I will examine three popular American plays, make observations, ask
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 theatre from the Black perspective). Due to Inclusion Project business, the entire staff was unable to attend the event. My husband, Chad, graciously spoke on our behalf. Here's a transcript of the speech I wrote... The tru
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 regular of Chicago’s Goodman Theatre, Lookingglass Theatre Company, and Steppenwolf Theatre Company. as well as prestigious regional theaters around the Midwest. She has just completed a beautiful run as the Vivian in Wit wi
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 sentiments contained herein are in no way intended to serve as a catch-all for some kind of universal casting intel; rather, this series will provide a glimpse into the minds, hearts and processes of your faithful Castin
