UM School of Theatre & Dance to Participate in This Week's National GHOSTLIGHT PROJECT

At 5:30 p.m. on JANUARY 19, 2017, UM Theatre & Dance will join other theaters, ensembles and companies, high-school and university theater programs as we gather across the country to light a light and make a pledge to stand for and protect the values of inclusion, participation, and compassion for everyone-regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

The Ghostlight Project will bring together over 500 participating organizations in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. From Broadway to high-school auditoriums, members of the theater community will gather from coast to coast on January 19, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in each time zone to light a light and make a pledge. Inspired by the theatrical tradition of keeping a "ghost light" on in a darkened theater, we create light for the challenging times ahead.

The ASUM Student Clubs, Student Reps, and faculty/staff of the School of Theatre & Dance invite the Missoula community to come celebrate and pledge individual and School commitments to social justice in the coming years. Participants will be meeting outside the main doors lobby of the PAR/TV Center on the UM campus at 5:15 p.m., just across from the Adams Center. We will continue into the building and the Masquer Theater together. We ask that people bring a light to turn on during our ceremony ... preferably a flashlight or head lamp. We ask that people do not bring candles. Everyone is encouraged to bring a Thermos of a hot family-friendly drink and an extra mug to share with a new friend.

More info about the event can be found at www.facebook.com/events/1201375753231381.

From Saheem Ali, Director and member of the Ghostlight Project Steering Committee: "The act of expressing something out loud has significance. [It] demonstrates solidarity and a firmness of belief. Our most solemn ceremonies-weddings, graduations, ordinations-are by design public and communal because they demand witnesses. By standing outside the privacy afforded by one's four walls and declaring something in full voice, one asks to be held accountable for the stance being taken."

For more information, visit www.theghostlightproject.com.