NEW YORK CITY: The founding members of Black Theatre United (BTU) have announced their historic New Deal for Broadway, meant to establish industry-wide standards and reforms around equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging (EDIAB), with a focus on Black individuals in theatre. Black Theatre United’s New Deal for Broadway outlines short-term reforms meant for implementation prior to Broadway’s reopening this fall, and long-term reforms for the next one to three years. The document pushes for changes in regards to artistic culture, policies and cultural training, pipeline initiatives, audience development, and community engagement. You can download Black Theatre United’s entire New Deal for Broadway document here.
“Black Theatre United was proud to host this remarkable and historic collaboration,” said BTU’s founders in a joint statement. “It is an important first step to reopening our industry with a bright spotlight focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and belonging for Black professionals in the arts…We are grateful to all those who have worked diligently with us for the last six months and to all those who committed to the principles of this document by signing their names to it. Special thanks to our collaborators Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow from the Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at NYU School of Law for their facilitation, EDIAB training for all participants, and drafting of the New Deal.”
Led by NYU Law School’s Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging director Kenji Yoshino and facilitated by BTU founding members, attendees included representatives from the Broadway League (Charlotte St. Martin), Shubert Organization (Bob Wankel & Julio Peterson), Nederlander Organization (Nick Scandalios, Anthony LaTorella & Christina Selby), Jujamcyn Theaters (Jordan Roth & Hal Goldberg), Disney Theatrical Productions (Thomas Schumacher & Anne Quart), Circle in the Square (Paul Libin), Lincoln Center Theatre (Andre Bishop & Adam Siegel), Roundabout Theatre Company (Todd Haimes & Steve Dow), Second Stage (Carole Rothman & Khady Kamara), Manhattan Theatre Club (Lynne Meadow), John Gore Organization/Broadway Across America (Lauren Reid), ASU Gammage (Colleen Jennings- Roggensack), the Telsey Office (Bernie Telsey), Tara Rubin Casting (Tara Rubin), X Casting (Victor Vazquez), Stewart/Whitley (Benton Whitley), Actors’ Equity Association (Mary McColl, Kate Shindle & E. Faye Butler), Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (Laura Penn), Local One IATSE (Eileen Macdonald, Bobby Score, Richard F. Rogers & Wilber Graham), Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Local 798, IATSE (Daniel Dashman & Angela Johnson), American Federation of Musicians Local 802 (Pete Donovan); producers Maggie Brohn, Stephen Byrd, Kristin Caskey, Liz Curtis, Sue Frost, Alia Jones-Harvey, Tom Kirdahy, Brian Moreland, Ron Simons and David Stone; directors Mark Brokaw, Rachel Chavkin, Lear DeBessonet, Michael Greif, Jerry Mitchell, Lonny Price, and Charles Randolph-Wright; choreographers Christopher Gattelli, Denis Jones, and Sergio Trujillo; designers David Brian Brown and Cookie Jordan; composers Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Tom Kitt, Robert Lopez, Zane Mark, and Jeanine Tesori; playwrights Lynn Nottage and Doug Wright; and music directors Mary-Mitchell Campbell, Alex Lacamoire, and Stephen Oremus.
BTU’s founding group of actors, directors, musicians, writers, technicians, producers and stage management includes Lisa Dawn Cave, Darius de Haas, Carin Ford, Capathia Jenkins, LaChanze, Kenny Leon, Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, Michael McElroy, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Wendell Pierce, Billy Porter, Anna Deavere Smith, Allyson Tucker, Tamara Tunie, Lillias White, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Schele Williams, and Vanessa Williams.
