NextStage July: Moving Forward

Well folks, this is it: the final month of NextStage programming for the summer. We’ve learned so much over these past months and it’s finally happening: theatres are re-opening, auditions are being posted, shops are being restocked, and creative teams are being reassembled.  There’s a brave world waiting for us to re-enter. So, what’s next? How do we take all that we’ve learned and apply it to the next phase of our artistic journey?

Thursday, July 22^nd at 7:30pm

Jay Woods: Antiracism in Your Individual Practice

The conversation of antiracism within our industry exists on both sides and is not just reserved for organizations. In this community-driven class come share space with Jay Woods to learn how independent artists* across disciplines can activate their personal artistic practice through the lens of antiracism. Jay will also guide us to understand how artists can feel equipped to be in conversation and action with organizations regarding antiracism. How can an individual’s practice of antiracism become a tool for organizational accountability and growth? Join the conversation and learn with us!

*We encourage all independent artists to attend no matter your primary focus or discipline. Designers, technicians, stage manager, orchestra members, teaching artists, actors, dancers, writers, this is open to all who regularly engage with organizations.

REGISTER FOR July 22

Thursday, July 29^th from 9:30am-11:30am (please note new time and length)

Creating a Culture of Care: Caregiver Support in the Room 

REGISTER FOR July 29

The topic of caregiver support often creates a wide range of responses. From fear of the liability, cost, and impact to the need for sustainability, community, and inclusion. How do we begin? How do we sustain? How do we maintain and grow?

And for independent artists and room leaders: How can I part of the solution?

The answer to including support for caregivers lies in how our workplace and creative philosophy engages with the concept of care. In this way, we find that the support systems relevant to caregiver support not only affect everyone, but they support everyone in the system as well.

With Parent Artist Advocacy League’s (PAAL) original Compassion Training curriculum, take a journey through the concept of care as a right for everyone and discover how possible support can be. By introducing the three tenets of determination and three areas of support you will learn that the next steps are available to any organization and leader right now. Join us in this class as we learn how elevate the standard of care.

For more information on PAAL visit: https://www.paaltheatre.com/

REGISTER FOR July 29

BIOS

Jay Woods: Miss Jay is a Seattle based artist-activist currently serving as the Co-Artistic Director of Sound Theatre and founder of Seattle Theatre Leaders. Jay has taught and directed internationally at institutions such as Village Theatre, ACT Theatre, Duke, Carnegie Mellon, bringing her Anti-Racism, community building, trauma informed practice in everything she does. Jay holds an MA in Directing from Edinburgh Napier University.

Rachel Spencer Hewitt: Rachel is an equity actor with an MFA in Acting from the Yale School of Drama. During her time at the Yale School of Drama, she received the Pierre-André Salim Award. Rachel’s professional acting repertoire includes Broadway ( King Charles III ), Off-Broadway ( The Seagull directed by Max Stafford Clark, the New York premiere of A Civil War Christmas by Paula Vogel and directed by Tina Landau, and Peter and the Starcatcher at New York Theatre Workshop), extensive regional work (Shakespeare Theatre Company, Hartford Stage, Yale Repertory Theatre, Bay Street Theatre with director Michael Wilson, and more), international theatre, feature films, and more. Rachel is also the founder of Parent Artist Advocacy League for the Performing Arts (PAAL). She was one of the project leaders on the first-of-its-kind Radical Parent-Inclusion Project for the production of MOTHERS off-Broadway at The Playwrights Realm with Producer Roberta Pereira. Rachel has participated in national think tanks, on panels, and facilitated workshops on parenting in the arts at multiple gatherings, including the national TCG conferences, BroadwayCon, Latinx Theatre Commons Annual Convening, and StateraArts’ annual conference on gender equity in the arts. Rachel’s professional acting work and contact can be found at RachelSpencerHewitt.com and her advocacy organization at PAALtheatre.com

Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) is a national advocacy organization serving as a resource hub, community, and solutions generator for caregivers in the performing arts and media and the institutions who support them. PAAL created the first all-gender, all-discipline national PAAL Childcare Grants for individuals and institutions. PAAL hosted the first national summit on parent and caregiver support in December 2019 in partnership with The Public Theater, co-hosted by A.R.T./New York, and featuring guest keynotes Emily Mann of the McCarter Theatre Center and Director Mary Hodges (assistant director, Slave Play). With over a dozen local chapter throughout the country and growing, PAAL has also engaged with active solutions-generation, including partnering with Women’s Theatre Festival Philadelphia on the first Motherhood Reading Festival and The Playwrights Realm on the Radical Parent Inclusion Project (RPI), creating a comprehensive support structure for parents and caregivers for an entire off-Broadway production process, and with American Theatre Magazine for their April 2020 issue dedicated to parents and caregivers in the theatre. PAAL continues to provide digital training, consulting, and creating affinity spaces for caregivers in the performing arts and media, including open sessions for everyone, spaces for BIPOC mothers, Black mothers, and more at

PAALtheatre.com/events-and-connection

Miss a class? Classes will be recorded and posted on the NextStage Archive, so you can view as you are able. The only portion not recorded is the Q&A.