STATEMENT IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES MATTER

June 22, 2020

The Middlebury College Department of Theatre unequivocally asserts that BLACK LIVES MATTER. The recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Tony McDade, among many others, are a horrific flashpoint bringing global focus to systemic racism and the state-sanctioned murder of Black people. We embrace the imperative for an intentional and ongoing effort to dismantle institutional racism and hold ourselves accountable in that pursuit.

We thank our students and alumni for stepping forward, in a moment when we did not, to demand this public statement of solidarity and a plan of action that addresses the systemic flaws of our practice. Today we commit to becoming intentional partners in the necessary transformation toward an anti-racist society through our individual and collective actions, pedagogy, and theatre-making.

Theatre, like many artistic disciplines, historically privileges the narratives, bodies, voices, and aesthetics of the dominant culture. As theatre makers and scholars, we recognize that we have perpetuated racism by centering whiteness and marginalizing BIPOC experiences. We must challenge our perceptions, re-dedicate our efforts, and bring these practices to an end.

The Department of Theatre is in the early stages of the work to decolonize our curriculum and infuse diversity into our production practices. These efforts have been too few, too individualized, and too easily sidetracked when we met with obstacles. We know we have fallen short, and for this we apologize to our students, and especially to BIPOC students, who have felt our mistakes most painfully.

We now commit ourselves as a united department to discontinue harmful practices and to create work that expresses the fullness of the human experience.

To that end:

We will create a standing Committee on Anti-Racism and Decolonization comprised of students, staff, and faculty.

All faculty and staff commit to annual and ongoing Implicit Bias, Equity, and Diversity training, including training particular to our discipline.

We will examine and revise all syllabi with the intention of decolonizing our curriculum as a department.

We recognize that our past production seasons have not prioritized BIPOC voices. We will build seasons that feature and elevate BIPOC experiences, playwrights, and actors.

We will transform our season selection process to include students and the Committee on Anti-Racism and Decolonization.

We acknowledge that race, gender, ability, and sexuality impact how individuals approach a role and are seen in that role. We will continue to educate ourselves and will adhere to best practices in casting. We commit to anti-racist casting and will continually interrogate and revise our casting processes.

We will engage in thoughtful dialogue in order to achieve responsible visual representation of our work. Students will be asked for consent before their images can be used in promotional materials.

This list is not exhaustive. The work ahead will require courage, diligence, and above all, ongoing collaboration among faculty, staff, and students.

We are eager to do better.

Michole Biancosino
Mirjam Brett
Jim Dougherty
Alex Draper
Mark Evancho
Cheryl Faraone
Robin Foster Cole
Claudio Medeiros
Allison Rimmer
Olga Sanchez Saltveit
Courtney Smith
Mira Veikley
Carol Wood
Dana Yeaton

Resources

The BIPOC Project: https://www.thebipocproject.org/
“Implicit Bias and Microaggression Awareness” SafeColleges course (needs a valid ID to access) https://middlebury.safecolleges.com/courses/details/F3783AA6-7634-11E8-BA72-18A4CB7F7112

“Resources for Racial Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” League of Resident Theatres (LORT) http://lort.org/edi-resources

“Color-Conscious Casting: Three Questions to Ask” by Lavina Jadhwani (21 December 2014) https://howlround.com/color-conscious-casting
“‘But Do We Have the Actors for That?’: Some Principles of Practice for Staging Latinx Plays in a University Theatre Context” by Brian Herrera (March 2017) https://muse.jhu.edu/article/653164/pdf
“A Message from TAPS Chair, Dr. Patricia Ybarra” on Coalitional Casting https://www.brown.edu/academics/theatre-arts-performance-studies/news/2015-12/message-taps-chair-dr-patricia-ybarra
“Diversity in the Discipline” The Standing Conference of University Drama Departments (SCUDD) https://scudd.org.uk/activities-campaigns/diversity-in-the-discipline/
“Universities Can And Should Do Much More To Address Systemic Racism” by ’Funmi Olonisakin (12 June 2020) (needs registration to access) https://www.timeshighereducation.com/opinion/universities-can-and-should-do-much-more-address-systemic-racism
About the Jubilee https://jointhejubilee.org
“What If: The JUBILEE’s Vision of Unity and Action” (24 October 2018) https://howlround.com/what-if
Whiteness: https://nmaahc.si.edu/learn/talking-about-race/topics/whiteness
What is White Supremacy: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/the-language-of-white-supremacy/542148/
Academics for Black Survival and Wellness, a weeklong course on anti-Black racism awareness started 6/19/2020, but other resources and videos on their page available, too: https://www.academics4blacklives.com

“Cultural Appropriation and the Arts”, James O. Young, 2010

Rehearsal Spaces

Please note: Due to the Pandemic, Sunderland basement is currently closed for rehearsals. Please either rehearse in the outdoors or sign up for Room 232 in the MAC.

Please check for availability in the calendar below.

Starting Monday 8:30 am, space can be reserved for the current week including the weekend. E-mail Mirjam (mbrett@middlebury.edu) before 3:00 pm on Thursday.

For Friday – Sunday rehearsal needs that have not been scheduled in advance, please use the sign-up sheets posted on the bulletin board next to Rm 232. The sheets go up Thursday afternoon.

You may sign up for one hour at a time.

Please show up on time and vacate the room on time, leaving enough time clean-up at the end of your session. It is expected that you leave the room in good condition and return furniture to the walls. Please wipe all surfaces you touched.

Facilities

The Middlebury Theatre Department has two main performance spaces: the Seeler Studio Theatre in the Center for the Arts, and Wright Memorial Theatre. Theatre students also make frequent use of the Hepburn Zoo Theatre, a small student-run black-box theatre funded by Student Activities. Read more below, or download ground plans or light plots. (Mac files require Stuffit Expander version 5, available free from Aladdin Systems; PC files require WinZip or other unzipping utility.)

The Seeler Studio Theatre

The Seeler Studio Theatre is a modern black-box theatre with flexible seating for up to 165 audience members, a full catwalk system, and a fully-equipped shop adjacent to it. The lighting system is an ETC Expression board connected to 372 2.4 Kw dimmers.

View a 3D panorama of the Studio Theatre (requires QuickTime).

View the Studio Theatre's Lighting Instrument Inventory

Wright Memorial Theatre

Wright Memorial Theatre is a 350-seat proscenium theatre with a full fly system, lighting grid, and removable fore stage. It is adjacent to a fully equipped scene shop. The lighting system is an ETC Expression3 board capable of controlling moving lights connected to 191 2.4 Kw dimmers.

View the Wright Theatre's Lighting Instrument Inventory

Download a ground plan of Wright Theatre in VectorWorks 8 (for Mac) or DXF v.12 (for Mac or for PC) format.