UPDATE: Restroom Signs Just Part Of Public Theater's Gender Diversity Program

As reported yesterday by BroadwayWorld, a photo pasted on Facebook by Jujamcyn Theaters President Jordan Roth pointed out how the management of New York's Public Theater has made it clear where they stand on the issue of gender diversity, especially as it applies to issues involving the use of public restrooms and locker room facilities.

Yesterday, a federal lawsuit was filed against North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory and other state officials over the state's new law that requires transgender individuals to use public facilities based on the gender designated on their birth certificates, not the gender they identify as.

But on February 23rd, The Public began previews of its musical, SOUTHERN COMFORT, by Julianne Wick Davis and Dan Collins. Based on Kate Davis' 2001 Sundance Award-winning documentary, SOUTHERN COMFORT tells the true story of a group of transgender friends in Georgia. The company contains two transgender cast members, Donnie Cianciotto and Aneesh Sheth.

Shortly before previews began, The Public placed these signs in front of its restrooms.

"We created the signs in conversation with our Gender Identity consultant," says Shanta Thake, Director of The Public's Joe's Pub and Head of The Public's Diversity Steering Committee. "We know that it's incredibly important to address restroom needs for our audiences of all gender identities and are working towards a more permanent solution for audience members who wish to access an all gender restroom without staff assistance."

"The language we have in place reflects the laws around bathroom use in New York City that Mayor de Blasio has been pushing into the forefront of the conversation actively over the past few months and is intended to create safety and dignity for all of our audience members. We are so pleased the signage has been so well received by our audiences and the community."

Other steps taken by The Public include the removal of gender binary language from contracts, costume labeling and audience addresses. There has been an all-staff training on gender identity and follow-up training for all audience-facing staff led by The Ackerman Institute's Gender and Family Project staff.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public Theateris the only theater in New York that produces Shakespeare, the classics, musicals, contemporary and experimental pieces in equal measure. The Public continues the work of its visionary founder, Joe Papp, by acting as an advocate for the theater as an essential cultural force, and leading and framing dialogue on some of the most important issues of our day. Creating theater for one of the largest and most diverse audience bases in New York City for nearly 60 years, today the company engages audiences in a variety of venues-including its landmark downtown home at Astor Place, which houses five theaters and Joe's Pub; the Delacorte Theater in Central Park, home to its beloved, free Shakespeare in the Park; and the Mobile Unit, which tours Shakespearean productions for underserved audiences throughout New York City's five boroughs. The Public's wide range of programming includes Free Shakespeare in the Park, the bedrock of the company's dedication to making theater accessible to all, new and experimental stagings at The Public at Astor Place, and a range of artist and audience development initiatives including its Public Forum series, which brings together theater artists and professionals from a variety of disciplines for discussions that shed light on social issues explored in Public productions. Visit publictheater.org.