Black Theatre United Announces Digital Unconscious Bias Training Program

Black Theatre United has engaged Christina Alexander of Alexander Consulting Group to create a digital Unconscious Bias and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility & Belonging (EDIAB) training program for use by the entire theatrical industry. This digital training resource fulfills a core principle and joint commitment of the historic New Deal For Broadway, a first of its kind document developed by BTU in collaboration with key industry leaders across five working groups: theatre owners, producers, unions, creatives and casting directors. The New Deal For Broadway outlines both short-term and long-term reforms in the areas of artistic culture, policies and cultural training, pipeline initiatives, audience development and community engagement. The Unconscious Bias and EDIAB training program is scheduled to be finalized and released for industry use in Spring 2023 on a date to be announced soon.

In the New Deal for Broadway Section 1, one of the core principals and joint commitments states: "We support the commitment in Section 2A below to establish a new digital EDIAB training program, and will collectively support efforts to roll out that program industrywide."

Section 2A of the New Deal reads: "While many shows and theatres will provide their own training on EDIAB issues in fall 2021, we will also establish a new industry-wide digital EDIAB training program, customized to the theatre industry. This program will be separate from any training on discrimination, sexual harassment, and bullying and will be developed in consultation with Black Theatre United."

Download Black Theatre United's New Deal For Broadway here.

Developed from March through August 2021 in a summit organized by BTU and led by NYU Law School's Center for Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Director Kenji Yoshino and facilitated by BTU Founding Members, attendees of the summit 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 and 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.

The BTU commercial summit was funded by a generous grant from the Ford Foundation. Many thanks to the Tiger Baron Foundation for providing additional funding.

Passionate and committed, 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.

For more information visit www.BlackTheatreUnited.com.