Pittsburgh Theatre Community to Host Town Hall on Author's Rights, Equitable Casting

The Dramatists Guild in partnership with the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Theatre Arts, Bricolage Production Company, the Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Indiana University of Pennsylvania Department of Theater and Dance, and established performers, writers, and directors will host a Town Hall to address the issues of author's rights and equitable casting. The Town Hall is a call-to-action and a response to recent events nationally and locally.

Local artists and activists have vocally opposed productions of Nilo Cruz's Anna in the Tropics at Little Lake Theater Company, Kent University's production of Katori Hall's The Mountaintop and Clarion University's production of Lloyd Suh's Jesus in India. All of these productions defied authorial intent and used color-blind casting as a method of whitewashing.

Sol Crespo speaks to her personal experience: "When I see white actors in roles that were meant for people of color it makes me feel like I don't matter. Like I am invisible. Like my voice doesn't need to be heard. We are tired of being erased from our own stories."

Doug Wright, current president of the Dramatists Guild also addressed the recent events, "Directors who wish to dramatically reimagine material can choose from work in the public domain. But when a play is still under copyright, directors must seek permission if they are going to make changes to the play, including casting a character outside his or her obvious race, gender or implicit characteristics. To do so without meaningful consultation with the writer is both a moral and a legal breach."

At the Town Hall we will invite participants to actively work together to share perspectives, examine the effects of best casting practices, acknowledge the challenges that exist and provide tools and resources to address barriers. We invite all theater companies, writers, actors, artistic directors, freelance directors, casting directors, designers, stage managers, educators, programmers, funders, and theater enthusiasts to participate. The event will include apanel, facilitated by Diep Tran, journalist and associate editor at American Theatre Magazine, interactive break-out sessions led by Reginald Douglas, City Theatre Artistic Producer, and a chance to come together to share our tools and resources.

Panelists include:

• Adil Mansoor, theater artist/director, Hatch Arts Collective and Dreams of Hope

• Gab Cody, playwright, Dramatists Guild Regional Representative

• Monteze Freeland, actor/director/playwright, founder and artistic director of The LAB Project

• Siovhan Christensen, actor/teaching artist, Program Manager at The Heinz Endowments,

• Sol Crespo, theater artist, Creative Partner at Flux Theatre Ensemble (NY); Ensemble Member with PregonesTheater/Puerto Rican Traveling Theater (NY)

The event will be held on December 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. at University of Pittsburgh, Charity Randall Theatre. Refreshments will be provided. This event is free and open to the public. RSVP to www.pittsburghartscouncil.org/events-and-workshops-etc/gpacevents/event/475.

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