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.