As a company, CoF strives to continually push the boundaries of theatre. As a community, we strive to support, protect, and empower those who are underserved. As humanitarians, we believe in the power of theatre to change hearts and minds.
Words matter at this time, but not as much as actions. To that end, Company of Fools is renewing its commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in casting, hiring, commission of work, and production. We are ramping up our efforts in the coming calendar year to hire new Board and advisory members; create and produce work from underrepresented voices; make our productions and workshops more accessible to all; and lead not just conversation but action in making the off-off- and off-Broadway communities more accessible, diverse, equitable, and inclusive. We will strive to highlight all artists, particularly those artists in our community who are: artists of color, including BIPOC, Black, Latinx, and Asian; physically disabled; blind or vision-impaired; Deaf or hearing-impaired; gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, and non-binary; neurodiverse; and artists from all backgrounds and walks of life, particularly artists who are newer to the industry. We are also making six specific and mandatory commitments for the calendar year 2022 as a company, which we have enumerated below.
We encourage you to continue to educate yourselves, have uncomfortable and necessary conversations, and vote for change. We commit to doing the same, and we encourage you to hold us accountable, just as you do yourselves.
Have thoughts? Please feel free to get in touch with us any time if you have questions or suggestions. You can reach us at inclusion@companyoffoolstheatre.com. We can only grow by learning, and we can only learn by listening. Thank you.
OUR SPECIFIC COMMITMENTS FOR THE 2022-2023 SEASON:
Requiring all Board members and company employees to participate in mandatory bias and anti-racism training in the calendar year 2022 (to be repeated annually and as needed) — COMPLETE
The hiring of additional board members in the calendar year 2022 to ensure 50% POC representation and 50% female-identifying & nonbinary representation on our Board — IN PROGRESS
Equitable production hiring, in the form of at least 50% POC artists on any given production, in on- and off-stage roles — SUCCESSFUL & ONGOING
Community and artistic outreach to increase POC & BIPOC representation at our auditions, casting calls, productions, and events — IN PROGRESS
Continuing to pay all artists fairly and equitably — SUCCESSFUL & ONGOING