fbpx Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion | HowlRound Theatre Commons

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Latest

Meet Amleta
Video
Meet Amleta
Join us for a livestream discussion with Amleta founder, Monica Faggiani
Friday 3 May 2024
Building “New” Audiences
Essay
Building “New” Audiences
by Ravi Jain , Miriam Fernandes
10 April 2024
The New Black Fest
Video
The New Black Fest
A festival curated by Keith Josef Adkins on Unapologetic Humanity and Unapologetic Accountability at the Segal Center
Monday 22 April 2024
New York
Gender Euphoria teaser image.
Gender Euphoria, Episode 3: Building Black Queer Worlds Onstage and Behind the Scenes
Podcast

Gender Euphoria, Episode 3: Building Black Queer Worlds Onstage and Behind the Scenes

With Azure D. Osborne-Lee

28 February 2022

Gender Euphoria, the Podcast, host Nicolas Shannon Savard sits down with playwright Azure D. Osborne-Lee to talk about their play, Crooked Parts; building Black queer worlds onstage; and the mentorship, community-building, and production practices that go into bringing those worlds to life.

Gender Euphoria teaser image.
Gender Euphoria, Episode 2: The Case for QTPOC Slice-of-Life Drama
Podcast

Gender Euphoria, Episode 2: The Case for QTPOC Slice-of-Life Drama

With Dillon Yruegas

23 February 2022

Gender Euphoria, the podcast, host Nicolas Shannon Savard sits down with playwright and performer, Dillon Yruegas to talk about two productions of his play The Brunch Crowd. They talk about what a slice-of-life, kitchen sink play full of trans of color characters looks like and what kind of intervention that makes in the theatrical landscape. They dive into the importance of trans joy and queer friendship and its absence on stage. Finally, Dillon reflects on how expansive approaches to casting trans and non-binary characters and how identity-based casting might open up dialogue and create space for a much wider range of faces and experiences to be seen on stage.

Gender Euphoria teaser image.
Gender Euphoria, Episode 1 Part 2: Transgender Legibility: Have We Really Reached the Transgender Tipping Point?
Podcast

Gender Euphoria, Episode 1 Part 2: Transgender Legibility: Have We Really Reached the Transgender Tipping Point?

With Joshua Bastian Cole

16 February 2022

Nicolas Shannon Savard and Joshua Bastian Cole continue their conversation about transgender representation. They critique Time magazine’s 2014 declaration of the “transgender tipping point” of cultural visibility and explore the ways in which Hollywood’s handling of trans narratives bleeds over into the theatre, politics, and daily life for trans and gender nonconforming people.

event poster for # Deaf Woke with Khyiana Tate.
#DeafWoke with Khyiana Tate
Video

#DeafWoke with Khyiana Tate

#DeafWoke is a Virtual Consciousness-raising, Engaging Online Talk Show, Led by Black and Native American Deaf Host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Saturday 12 February 2022
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Khyiana Tate livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Saturday 12 February 2022 at 10 a.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 12 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 1 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

event poster for deaf woke with Queen Foreverrr.
#DeafWoke with Queen Foreverrr
Video

#DeafWoke with Queen Foreverrr

#DeafWoke is a Virtual Consciousness-raising, Engaging Online Talk Show, Led by Black and Native American Deaf Host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Friday 11 February 2022
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Queen Foreverrr, Sheena Lyles livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Friday 11 February at 5 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 7 p.m. CST (Chicago, UTC -6) / 8 p.m. EST (New York, UTC -5).

Gender Euphoria teaser image.
Gender Euphoria, Episode 1 Part 1: Transgender Legibility beyond the Tropes
Podcast

Gender Euphoria, Episode 1 Part 1: Transgender Legibility beyond the Tropes

With Joshua Bastian Cole

9 February 2022

In episode 1 (part 1) of Gender Euphoria, the podcast, host Nicolas Shannon Savard sits down with Joshua Bastian Cole to talk about popular tropes in transgender representation, gender legibility on stage, and the implications of each for trans and nonbinary theatremakers.

Gender Euphoria teaser image.
Introduction to Gender Euphoria
Podcast

Introduction to Gender Euphoria

2 February 2022

Welcome to Gender Euphoria, the podcast! In this episode, host and producer Nicolas Savard explains the origin story of this new podcast and what (and who) we should expect to hear from this season.

Two people wearing costumes and holding signs that say "Bush" and "World".
Creating Puppet Solidarities
Essay

Creating Puppet Solidarities

24 January 2022

Sarah Plummer kicks off the puppet series by introducing the series contributors and exploring the way their work highlights puppetry’s capacity to form solidarities among humans and nonhumans.

a puppet of frederick douglass sits on a bench reading a newspaper.
The Ellen Van Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium
Video

The Ellen Van Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium

Bringing together practicing Festival artists with scholars to consider the intersection of puppetry with other disciplines and ideas

Saturday 22 and Saturday 29 January 2022
Chicago, Illinois

The 2022 Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival and The School of the Art Institute Chicago presented The Ellen Van Volkenburg Puppetry Symposium livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer produced HowlRound TV network on Saturday 22 January and Saturday 29 January 2022.

Several people dancing together in a room.
Thinking Through Racism: Nigerian Theatre’s Response
Essay

Thinking Through Racism: Nigerian Theatre’s Response

11 January 2022

Eseovwe Emakunu sits down with theatre practitioner Israel Wekpe to discuss how he and other Nigerian theatre artists use theatre to address racism and discrimination.

From the Ground Up Podcast image featuring Michael Rohd.
Civic-Minded and Morally-Guided Practices
Podcast

Civic-Minded and Morally-Guided Practices

5 January 2022

The job of the facilitator, the logic of shared leadership, and how it all translates to directing a process. Michael Rohd stands at the forefront of ensemble-based practices equipped with questions about how we create the future that we want to be working in socially, civically, and artistically. Join us as we unpack and define what’s next.

Two actors on the set of The Elephant Man.
Naming the Trope: A Deep Dive into the Harmful Uses of Disability Stereotypes in the American Theatre
Essay

Naming the Trope: A Deep Dive into the Harmful Uses of Disability Stereotypes in the American Theatre

3 January 2022

From the “Gentleman Freak” to the “Rage-Filled Recluse,” simplistic tropes limit popular representation of disabled individuals. Ben Ranaan explains these tropes and advocates for more complex portrayals of disability in theatre and other media.

From The Ground Up Title.
Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Resident Ensemble Theatre: UNIVERSES
Podcast

Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Resident Ensemble Theatre: UNIVERSES

22 December 2021

Alison Carey, formerly of Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp and Steven Sapp, co-founders and artistic directors of UNIVERSES, discuss putting ensemble producers inside a major producing entity and the capacity necessary for things to fall into place.

A man and woman sitting next to each other, smiling at one another.
Oh, Snap!
Essay

Oh, Snap!

Sean San José and Margo Hall in Conversation

20 December 2021

Sean San José, artistic director of Magic Theatre, and Margo Hall, artistic director of the Lorraine Hansberry theatre discuss stepping into their positions as artistic directors and reflect on their work together as two of the co-founders of Campo Santo Theatre.

A man in a suit and glasses standing and smiling behind two figures.
You Want Me to Balance What?
Essay

You Want Me to Balance What?

Why the Argument That Fiscal Sustainability is More Important Than Investing in Racial Justice Needs to Go Away

16 December 2021

Ryan Ferrebee discusses the disadvantages of theatres attempting to balance fiscal responsibility with anti-racism work from his perspective as a white fundraising professional.

A woman facing her back to three men and another woman.
The Mother of All Emotions
Essay

The Mother of All Emotions

7 December 2021

Playwright, author, screenwriter, and actor Betty Shamieh discusses her experience navigating the complexities of new motherhood as a woman in the theatre industry.

event poster for deaf woke with jermaine williams.
#DeafWoke with Jermaine Williams
Video

#DeafWoke with Jermaine Williams

#DeafWoke is a Virtual Consciousness-raising, Engaging Online Talk Show, Led by Black and Native American Deaf Host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 2 December 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Jermaine Williams livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday 2 December 2021 at 4 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -6) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -5).

When Nice Isn’t Enough: How Arts Fundraising Can Evolve
Essay

When Nice Isn’t Enough: How Arts Fundraising Can Evolve

2 December 2021

Jackson Cooper calls on fundraising professionals to reinterrogate their institutions’ relationships with wealth and value to forge more equitable development practices.

A photo of Patricia Garza on a graphic for From the Ground Up.
A Roadmap for the Ensemble-Regional Producing Model
Podcast

A Roadmap for the Ensemble-Regional Producing Model

1 December 2021

From the Ground Up returns to the airwaves with Patricia Garza who shares their experience producing hyper-collaborative and ensemble-based theatre at the regional theatre level. Their work at the Network of Ensemble Theaters, Los Angeles Performance Practice, Center Theatre Group, and artEquity provides significant insights into contemporary theatre-making practices and next steps for the industry.

event poster for deaf woke with doctor Liann Obsborne.
#DeafWoke with Dr. Liann Obsborne
Video

#DeafWoke with Dr. Liann Obsborne

#DeafWoke is a Virtual Consciousness-raising, Engaging Online Talk Show, Led by Black and Native American Deaf Host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Tuesday 23 November 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Dr. Liann Obsborne livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Tuesday 23 November 2021 at 5 p.m. PST (San Francisco, UTC -8) / 7 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -6) / 8 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -5).

Glenn Davis, left, and Ken-Matt Martin, right.
Our Versions of Better
Essay

Our Versions of Better

Glenn Davis and Ken-Matt Martin in Conversation

22 November 2021

Glenn Davis, co-artistic director of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, sits down with Ken-Matt Martin, artistic director of Victory Gardens Theater, to talk about shifting relationships with donors, the concept of term limits for leadership, the joys of returning to rehearsal rooms, and their shared experiences as Black men at the helm of Chicago theatres.

5 Actors on stage looking at a TV Screen. Four actors wear schoolgirl uniforms. One actor stands wearing a green blouse one and skirt
To Be a Long Hauler; or, If We Build It We Can Thrive
Essay

To Be a Long Hauler; or, If We Build It We Can Thrive

16 November 2021

Actress and diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant Tania Richard gets candid about her experience having long-haul COVID as a theatremaker and offers tips on how to create more inclusive and equitable rehearsal spaces.

event poster for deaf woke with armani lawrence.
#DeafWoke with Armani Lawrence
Video

#DeafWoke with Armani Lawrence

#DeafWoke is a Virtual Consciousness-raising, Engaging Online Talk Show, Led by Black and Native American Deaf Host Mr. Antoine Hunter PurpleFireCrow

Thursday 4 November 2021
United States

Antoine Hunter presented #DeafWoke with Armani Lawrence livestreaming on the commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday 4 November 2021 at 4 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 6 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 7 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster for academia through a black woman's lens.
Academia Through a Black Woman's Lens
Video

Academia Through a Black Woman's Lens

How can we help ensure the safety of Black women in Academia?

Thursday 28 October 2021
United States

Tonya Pinkins presented Through A Black Woman’s Lens—Academia livestreaming on the global, commons-based, peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Thursday 28 October 2021 at 2 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 4 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 5 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).

event poster with headshots of panelists for dreaming the queer future.
Dreaming the Queer Future
Video

Dreaming the Queer Future

A Conversation with the New Visions Fellowship on the Importance of Transgender and Gender Non-conforming Representation, Hosted by Activist and International Star, Peppermint (she/her)

Tuesday 19 October 2021
United States

The Dramatists Guild presented the online conversation Dreaming the Queer Future livestreaming on the commons-based, peer produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv on Tuesday 19 October at 3 p.m. PDT (San Francisco, UTC -7) / 5 p.m. CDT (Chicago, UTC -5) / 6 p.m. EDT (New York, UTC -4).