We call on the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League to assemble a task force with the mandate to implement Diversity and Inclusion standards for the Broadway and Off-Broadway “Tony” and “Obie” Awards. 

In the United States, the recent horrific, senseless deaths of Black men and women at the hands of Police, have ignited a long overdue discussion. Truths are being honored about the systemic issues surrounding equity, diversity, and lack of racial justice in all areas and aspects of American life. The American Theatre Wing by its own declaration, “has spent a century using theatre to advance human experience, empathy and cultural growth like never before.” It is time for the Wing, along with the League, to use their monetary influence, commercial visibility and cultural-shaping power to uphold these values with action. 

Studies show this initiative is already happening overseas and in our own backyards. In 2016 the British Film Institute (BIF) developed and implemented inclusion standards to expand and improve diversity on screen-and off. Using these standards in 2019, BIF and the British Academy of Film, Television and Arts (BAFTA) became the “first film awards organization to introduce diversity criteria.” Then, in 2020 the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science (AMPAS) announced a partnership with BAFTA to create their own task force with a mandate to develop and introduce standards for their organization, as well as their “Oscars” award program. 

Adopting standards by BIF, BAFTA and AMPAS as exemplar models, along with the implementation of tracking data, we can successfully see improvements regarding to; 

-On-Stage/Off-stage Representation, Themes and Narratives

-Creative Leadership and Project Teams 

-Industry Access & Opportunities 

-Audience development. 

We call on the Wing, along with the League,, via their Award programs, grants, and initiatives to truly reflect the diversity of this theatre community and country of whom we seek to celebrate and elevate. We recommend assembling a task force of industry leaders and outside consultants to research, develop, and implement these representation standards to provide justice, equity, and fairness to these highly coveted awards.

We, the very artists who proudly work and create and We, the audiences who lovingly consume, have begun the personal and grassroots efforts to create change that is necessary in this field and industry. Theatre becomes commercially visible and viable to the American Public with a majority of your influence. We ask that You, the gatekeepers, of the very SYSTEM in which we operate, recognize your power and duty to join us in this change.

https://variety.com/2020/film/global/bafta-oscars-ampas-diversity-standards-bfi-1234633024/​

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bafta-ampas-eyeing-global-set-diversity-standards-awards-eligibility-1298206​

http://www.bafta.org/media-centre/press-releases/new-diversity-requirement-film-awards​

https://www.bfi.org.uk/sites/bfi.org.uk/files/downloads/bfi-diversity-standards-criteria-2019-07-23.pdf​

https://americantheatrewing.org/about/