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.

The...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

so, 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 and 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 -

are, 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

this is for all the, how, you know,

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 what I forgot to take out.

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.