Georgia's Serenbe Playhouse Suspends Operations Amidst Racism Allegations

Serenbe Playhouse of Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia has just announced that it will suspend operations to "redesign the culture." This news comes amidst allegations of racism exhibited by members of the staff.

An official statement from Executive Director Jennifer Bauer-Lyons reads:

Dear Black, Indigenous, and Artists of Color -

As promised, we want to communicate with you the action steps that we have taken thus far, and the steps that we plan to take to redesign the culture at the Serenbe Playhouse.

The Board of Directors of the Serenbe Institute for Art, Culture, & the Environment, the parent company of the Serenbe Playhouse, has suspended all operations, laid off the current staff, and will begin the work to rebuild a new, equitable, welcoming, and diverse playhouse. This decision was not reached lightly. However, we realize that the only way we can redesign the culture that has been established over the past 12 years is to reconstruct the DNA from the ground up. This process will be overseen by Travis Townsend, who is a member of the Institute Executive Committee. Travis is an attorney with many years of experience working with the National Urban League and other institutions to correct internal inequities.

While we do not have a full action plan developed at this time, here is what we are currently working on in response to what we have heard from you so far:
1) We are working to develop the platform for listening sessions to gather more of your stories.
2) We are working with diversity, equity, and inclusion practitioner Tiffany Russell on ally education and equitable hiring practices, as well as creating the culture that supports all voices at the table.
3) We are working with the Playhouse Board of Directors to make the necessary changes to have a Board and an organization that is reflective of the community at large.
4) We will be assessing and rebuilding the Apprentice program so that every artist who participates is provided with equitable living and working conditions, and fair treatment.
We know that there is additional work to be done before we can reopen the Serenbe Playhouse.

While we remain committed to moving swiftly, we want to ensure that the culture change directly address your experiences.

We look forward to sharing more details with you as we move forward with this process.

If you have any questions, please contact Jennifer Bauer-Lyons, Executive Director of the Serenbe Institute for Art, Culture, & the Environment at jennifer@serenbeinstitute.com or 770.463.1110 ext. 8402.

Jennifer Bauer-Lyons, Executive Director