What are Brown Box’s Values?

Brown Box Theatre Project is founded on the core value of arts access. Our tenure has focused on delivering free and affordable professional performing arts programming to audiences who are confronted by geographic or financial barriers that prevent them from attending the theatre. As we grow as an organization in this polarized society, Brown Box Theatre Project is committed to expanding our efforts by tackling all barriers, for audiences and artists, thus creating a more inclusive environment for all.

We have the opportunity to expose people to different kinds of theatre by artists of various races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, and abilities. Furthermore, we have a responsibility to execute theatre that breaks down the reality that theatre is for and by the elite.

We believe in accessibility and radical inclusivity. Within our model and financial capacity, we strive to achieve this goal. In our efforts to combat systemic exclusion and unconscious biases, Brown Box has implemented:

• An Anti-Harassment and Discrimination & Drug/Alcohol Policy
• Stipend Equality Policy– our tiered stipend policy prevents anyone doing the same amount of work from being paid less than a colleague performing comparable tasks no matter their race, ethnicity, gender, ability, or sexual orientation. This applies to all freelance contractors for a production.
• Direct outreach and invitations to artists – specifically to marginalized artists who have not historically been represented on our stage
• Interviews with artists – to learn the obstacles faced by artists when contemplating application for a position at Brown Box
• Flexible and multiple Callback schedules/dates
• Direct outreach to colleges and universities
• Large and Dyslexic friendly fonts for sides and scripts
• Our Intervention & Disruption Protocol outlines the immediate actions to be taken by administrators or leadership of production teams upon witnessing or learning of a harmful moment of any kind. Matters of definitions, general standards, investigation and reporting can be found in our Anti-Harassment and Discrimination policy.

We know we have more work to do. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to see and make theatre; we know that not all our productions reflect this value of our organization, even with these continued efforts. We have taken forward steps and also struggled to achieve inclusivity goals, but we are dedicated to improving. Our current efforts are focused on improving representation of trans and non-binary performers and actors of color in our productions, though we will continue to strive to break down barriers to access for other marginalized communities as well.

Over the last 5 years:

• 25% of roles in Brown Box contemporary productions have been filled by performers who are POC, trans, and/or non-binary artists
• 15% roles in Brown Box Shakespeare productions have been filled by performers who are POC, trans, and/or non-binary artists – only 3% in leading roles

Over the next 5 years, we commit to the following:

• Increasing the hiring of BIPOC designers on our production teams with the goal of exceeding our historical hiring percentages of BIPOC designers each year
• Build relationships with BIPOC designers and technicians in order to increase representation of BIPOC on our creative teams
• We commit to holding interviews with available artists to hire for an additional 2021 project. This project will be written, directed, performed and designed by BIPOC artists. We hope to use a model of work that has been successful in the past to share new voices, meet new artists, and build working relationships with many new people with whom we have not previously worked.

Our outreach efforts have resulted in awareness of the obstacles under our control that our model disproportionately present to artists from marginalized communities, and we will strive to overcome those obstacles in the following ways:

• Play Selection – while Brown Box will continue to produce Shakespeare plays each year, we will uphold strict standards in our pillars to select plays that share the unheard voice. These plays should achieve this goal by offering more opportunity for actors of color and/or be plays written by and starring artists of color. For our Shakespeare productions education or experience with classical text training is not required. Actors auditioning for our Shakespeare productions should prepare one 2-minute Shakespearean monologue of their choice, or they may request sides.
• Touring – Brown Box will continue its efforts to increase stipends for all touring talent so as to decrease the financial strain caused by leaving a day job for an extended period of time

We are working to make all changes which are immediately possible while planning for those improvements which are currently beyond our means. In every way and at every opportunity, we will implement policies and practices that directly combat the obstacles that our model disproportionately present to artists of color and marginalized communities.

We are proud of our efforts and the benefits we provide to communities; we are eager to increase those efforts and benefits as we progress to serve our mission in its fullest capacity.

The Brown Box is open.

For more information about our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, or with any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact our Associate Managing Director, Angela Harrington, at Angela@brownboxtheatre.org