Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access
Policy
Wasatch Theatre Company rejects the trend toward dismissing the importance of DEI/IDEA programs in developing a more empathetic, more accountable society and world.
We recognize that the history of theatre often reflects the larger society of exclusion. We hope to actively work against this. Being anti-racist is active, not passive. If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.
Across the country, female-identifying playwrights are produced less frequently than their male-identifying counterparts. Individuals who identify as transgender are struggling to find themselves and their experiences positively reflected. In fact, there has been a barrage of legislation against the transgender community during the most recent legislative session. There are fewer Artists of Color on and behind Utah stages. Theatre companies are typically led by mostly White boards and leadership. And yet, the majority of individuals who enter our Utah theatres as audience members identify as liberal or progressive.
What would it mean if we really meant it? What would our theatre community and society ijn general look like if we actually walked the talk?
Wasatch Theatre Company is not immune to any of these inequities. But we are committed to actively reflecting on and working on them. Call us woke. To us, it is not about liberal or conservative. It is about our collective responsibility to be more human in all the work that we do.
We will strive to program with an emphasis on centering typically-marginalized stories. This includes the playwrights that we feature. We will strive to honor the voices of those typically-marginalized individuals and groups in Board representation, selection of plays, selection of directors and other artists, casting, marketing, and outreach. While we do not assume to encompass all identities, we will focus on race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and all of their intersectionalities.
As part of this statement, we will focus on universal design. Universal design started in architecture but has grown to other industries as a way to think about the ways we do our work and meet diverse needs initially. What do our programming priorities look like if we are designing them to meet the needs of diverse participants and audiences?
Wasatch Theatre Company also believes in using our IDEA stance to contribute to theatre’s future. We will look to underrepresented communities for their involvement in an effort to lay the groundwork for a more diverse, inclusive, and accessible theatre future.
We recognize that the history of theatre often reflects the larger society of exclusion. We hope to actively work against this. Being anti-racist is active, not passive. If we are not part of the solution, we are part of the problem.
Across the country, female-identifying playwrights are produced less frequently than their male-identifying counterparts. Individuals who identify as transgender are struggling to find themselves and their experiences positively reflected. In fact, there has been a barrage of legislation against the transgender community during the most recent legislative session. There are fewer Artists of Color on and behind Utah stages. Theatre companies are typically led by mostly White boards and leadership. And yet, the majority of individuals who enter our Utah theatres as audience members identify as liberal or progressive.
What would it mean if we really meant it? What would our theatre community and society ijn general look like if we actually walked the talk?
Wasatch Theatre Company is not immune to any of these inequities. But we are committed to actively reflecting on and working on them. Call us woke. To us, it is not about liberal or conservative. It is about our collective responsibility to be more human in all the work that we do.
We will strive to program with an emphasis on centering typically-marginalized stories. This includes the playwrights that we feature. We will strive to honor the voices of those typically-marginalized individuals and groups in Board representation, selection of plays, selection of directors and other artists, casting, marketing, and outreach. While we do not assume to encompass all identities, we will focus on race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, and all of their intersectionalities.
As part of this statement, we will focus on universal design. Universal design started in architecture but has grown to other industries as a way to think about the ways we do our work and meet diverse needs initially. What do our programming priorities look like if we are designing them to meet the needs of diverse participants and audiences?
Wasatch Theatre Company also believes in using our IDEA stance to contribute to theatre’s future. We will look to underrepresented communities for their involvement in an effort to lay the groundwork for a more diverse, inclusive, and accessible theatre future.