Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

At Village Theatre, we believe in the power of storytelling. It is our responsibility to tell stories onstage that shine a light on everyone’s lived experiences and reflect the world around us. From the shows we select to the artists who bring those shows to life, we are committed to curating a collection of stories that investigate, challenge, and celebrate the very essence of theatre – the human experience.

Using a DEIA lens, we have identified several commitments that guide our organization in the decisions we make regarding what stories we tell, who tells them, and why we choose to tell them.

Commitments

We are intentional about why we choose to tell each story.

• We conduct a formalized script review process with the lens of equity and anti-racism, using both internal and external script readers.
• Although the center of our work continues to be classical musical theater, we commit to regularly producing work by and about people of color and other marginalized individuals in our subscription season.
• Through our new works program, we will continue to develop the next generation of musical theater writers, with a special eye toward underserved and marginalized voices.

We have expanded our work with BIPOC and underrepresented artists.

• KIDSTAGE’s Art Without Boundaries provides an affinity & creation space for BIPOC students.
• Village Theatre practices identity- and ability- conscious casting.
• We commit to hiring designers and technicians from the wide wealth of talented BIPOC designers both in our Puget Sound Region and nationally, on productions that center BIPOC stories, and on productions that do not.

Village Theatre acknowledges that supporting our entire staff behind the scenes is paramount to ensuring equity and accessibility.

We are using a DEIA lens to reevaluate and inform our internal goals and communications, recruitment and hiring practices, and employee training requirements. We will center our goal of building a culture of belonging and professional development by ensuring we are an organization where staff feel they are authentically valued, can find opportunity for growth, and are seen and heard.

Commitments

We are striving to become an organization where people feel authentically valued.

• We mandate Anti-Racism trainings for our staff and teachers
• We are creating accountability systems for our visiting artists and production staff to ensure that we are living up to our values. Visiting artists and production staff will be surveyed during and after each production process, and results will be shared with the DEIA committee, executive leadership, and our Board Leadership.
• We do not hold “10 out of 12” rehearsals.
• We disseminate rehearsal schedules at least 30 days in advance so that artists and crew can schedule caregiver support.
• We provide a comfortable, private space for employees who are nursing.
• We conduct exit interviews to examine current work culture, and to identify and address employee concerns.

We employ intentional recruiting processes to diversify our staff.

• Hiring managers have attended trainings on equity in hiring, active recruitment, and retaining a diverse staff. We seek out and employ subject-matter experts for production needs.

We have reevaluated and implemented our reporting & accountability practices.

• We have hired a full time Human Resources Manager, who reports to our Director of Operations.
• We will be distributing a clear “reporting policy” to all employees, visiting artists, and production staff, to report instances of racism, racial harm, or harassment of any sort.
• We evaluate and amend compensation practices to ensure equity and transparency.
• We compensate all artists for participation in post-show talkbacks and other ancillary events
• We have built a standardized and equitable pay structure for all Mainstage actors, designers, directors and choreographers that will be made transparent for all artists in the coming months.
• We provide compensation for work that goes beyond the scope of an employee’s original contract.
• Teaching artists are compensated for curriculum building time.

Our DEIA Committee meets regularly.

• The committee is comprised of staff from many departments and levels of the organization.
• The committee identifies and addresses DEIA issues and crafts policy recommendations.
• We have worked with an external DEIA consultant to guide this work.

Village Theatre commits to provide a safe and respectful space for all who join us. We welcome patrons, artists, staff, and students of all identities, ages, backgrounds, beliefs, ethnicities, genders, gender expressions, races, sexual orientations, incomes, abilities, and nationalities.

Through increased attention to accessibility and audience engagement, we seek to create opportunities for growth and the creation of a more inclusive, kind, welcoming, and vibrantly realized audience experience.

We welcome you to Village Theatre and we ask that you join us in enacting these values. If you witness or experience behavior inconsistent with these values, please speak to management: email our Director of Operations, Heather Berry, at hberry@villagetheatre.org or call 425-392-1942 ext. 134.

Commitments

We are expanding how we identify, connect, and engage with diverse communities.

• We have identified and eliminated certain barriers to access by creating programs such as:
  • Pay-what-you-will performances.
  • ASL and Captioned performances.
  • Discount codes for community groups & schools.
  • The TeenTix program enables youths ages 13-19 to purchase $5 tickets and gain enrichment through attending arts events.
• We support at-need students with cost-of-living scholarships.