Break Out Session — Breaking the Binary—A Symposium on Building Trans : Gender Non Conforming : Non

Breaking the Binary is a half-day symposium focused on building trans*/ gender-non-conforming/ non-binary inclusive theatre, co-presented by Berkeley Repertory Theatre and California Shakespeare Theater—livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network howlround.tv Monday, May 16 at 3pm PDT to 7:30pm PDT (San Francisco) / 5pm CDT to 9:30pm CDT (Chicago) / 6pm EDT to 10:30pm EDT (New York) / 22:00 GMT - 02:30 GMT.

Follow the conversation on social media via the hashtag #breakingthebinary2016 and follow @howlroundtv.

The three-part event consists of a panel, a breakout session, and staged readings of clips from three trans* identified playwrights of color—Ty Defoe, Nick Hadikwa Mwaluko, and Ariel Zetina.

Breaking the Binary was conceived, organized, and will be hosted by Lisa Evans and SK Kerastas who recognize a strong need for education around this issue in our field—even amongst theatre professionals working from a social justice base. This past year alone there were multiple instances of well-intentioned theaters around the county receiving backlash from trans* communities for their handlings of productions with trans* material. Building on a national movement for equity in our work, SK and Lisa want to provide some holistic support to theatre organizations and artists making this kind of work.

The goals of Breaking the Binary are to:

Provide context and dialogue on this issue from a cross-section of perspectives in our field.
Provide resources and support for everyone in the room to make intentional trans* inclusive work.
Showcase trans* identified theatre artists of color.
We are cultivating attendance from large and small bay area theatre organizations, independent artists, trans* identified theatre professionals, theatre administrators of all types, and theatre leaders. The event will livestream through HowlRound and be available for future viewing.

In-person Event Invitation—

Quotes:
“The symposium is a direct response to a need for education around this identity issue in the theatre field on national and local levels,” says Lisa Evans, associate director of artistic engagement for Cal Shakes. “Part of this conversation about inclusivity involves acknowledging our local arts ecosystem here in the Bay Area where there’s a vibrant queer and trans arts community that has been largely separate from the regional theatre. As much as this is an opportunity for theatre organizations to gain skills and have conversations about practices to be more inclusive, it’s also an opportunity to highlight the work of local trans* artists. And to learn from some of the practices that are happening in these Bay Area communities.”

“This work around trans* inclusivity — the conversations, the support, the elevating of artists — sits within a larger context of equity work happening nationally in our field,” says SK Kerastas, Visting Artistic Associate for Berkeley Rep. “We are particularly excited about the livestream because of the open access it creates for this conversation and this information. We hope folks in other cities will be inspired by this work, take action, and build on this momentum.”

ways to address some of these barriers;

just generally, trans leadership and
recentering trans narratives,

so: not tokenizing people;

allowing people to have the opportunity
to both tell their own stories

but produce and direct and design
for their own stories

and within that is also not allowing,
not assuming

that a play by a trans playwright
or a play about a trans experience

has to be about people's trauma
with their gender;

that there is much more
nuance and diversity in experience.

Ok. Coming off. That'll be great.

The other thing that was talked about
in terms of institutional is actually

(should have been on this one;

this is what happens when you try
and hold and write at the same time)

Casting policy:

so an example that got brought up
with Shakespeare Santa Cruz

and, like, an intentional effort
of being, like,

we're going to cast fifty

-- acknowledging there isn't necessarily,
like, a policy right now in terms of

trans- or gender non-conforming
or non-binary folks --

but a policy that does exist
is a commitment to cast

fifty percent women,
fifty percent people of color

and what we talked about for strategies
are what are strategies

that people are already doing for equity

that could be then targeted towards
or engaged towards other populations.

Within that was also training staff

to prepare with the co...
to engage with the content.

So, not just the artists
that are going to be on stage

but your marketing folks,
your box office folks,

anybody that's going to have
to talk about the work

or engage with the public about the work.

And then another thing
within the kind of...

is engaging trans- arts organizations.

So both, like, reaching out

in terms of performers
and designers and directors

but also advocating for them

so they get the resources they need
to do their own work.

So it's a very...like,
so it's a reciprocal relationship

and not just being, like,

"Hey give us your performers
and we're not going to do anything back"

and really developing
a thriving arts ecosystem

that supports more trans- artists.

And within that is paying trans actors
more than you pay non-trans actors.

So one of the examples, like,

if you have one trans- role
every four years

you can afford to pay somebody
a little bit more.

So that's what we had.

Cool.

You want help holding your giant whiteboard?

One more.

You should have a mic over there as well.
or we can share.

So we had thirty minutes to
have a really complicated conversation

and this board sort of reflects
the journey of that in that space.

So we actually are not going to
go through each of the individual things,

and we're going to ask for folks
to come up here

and engage with this, you know,
as you're in the space today.

The main things that Jack and I
wanted to say

-- please feel free to jump in, Jack --

errh, you know, we talked...

most of this work that we talked about
is for allies.

It's allies -- work that allies need to do.

We talked a lot about the internal work
that we need from leadership

and then we talked a lot about

more like external, systemic,
cultural changes as well

and a lot of that is represent...
(blank audio)

this is for all the, how, you know,
(blank audio)

to have a lot more time
to talk about these things

and create a plan of action.

It was good. It was really good and
I'm not sure how to summarize.

It was good...
I'm just going to speak from the heart.

We need more spaces like this.

I've never, like SK said,
seen so many trans-identified folks

in the arts or in theater
in the room together.

That alone...

even the way we began was, like,

we could spend the whole 30 minutes
just on the first part of the workshop,

which is "Welcome";

welcoming each other,
that we could be in that space.

There were so many things

that we could have shared
and needed to

and just that alone,

that we got to see each other
and look at each other,

and rush, and not have enough time.

This messiness is our reality

and the very embodied, manifested love

that we've all come to share together.

So I know that didn't, like,

conceptually summarize that but...

It needed to be said. Beautiful. Great.

So then we have one more share out
from you all, is that true?

Institutional.

We can just put it up.

Yeah, I think for time reasons.

OK.

We're putting it up for people to respond.

Great, so it's me and Jack.

Great.

So I think I would love
to just say thank you all

for participating in these conversations

and really engaging with this work...

super grateful
for every single person

that is in the room
and is at things.

Say that again.

Oh, sure.

We're about to break out into some...

We'll take a half an hour break to
have some wine and some food

and folks that are coming
just for the staged readings

are going to join us as well

and it might be a nice time
just take a breather.

I don't know about you all
but this turtleneck is making me hot.

but, Lisa has some you know, programs,
some evaluations to pass out.

If you have a second please fill one out.

This is definitely one of
Cal Shakes civic dialogues,

and we're super grateful for their support

and with that I just encourage you all
to keep the conversations going.

We have half an hour
and we'll meet back here at six

to see some art
some really cool art

by some trans- playwrights of color

and we'll leave it at that.

Thanks so much.
Cheers.

If you don't want to put your name on this

that's one thing I forgot to say now,

but if you can put what city you are from
that would be super helpful.

Shows the people who give us money
what they paid for.