University of Utah Theatre Department Cancels SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD Over Diversity Concerns

The University of Utah Department of Theatre has cancelled its public performance of Songs For a New World due to concerns of diversity and representation.

The decision was made for the company to take responsibility and corrective action, and to support and amplify justice, equity, diversity, inclusivity, anti-racism, and representation.

The production, with music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, was set to be the company's final show in its 2020-21 season.

The department made the following announcement:

Although multiple factors led to this decision, one central issue is clear: during our selection and production process, we failed to address essential issues of representation and identity presented by the script.

Our decision to cancel has immediate and lasting implications, both for the company of SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD and for our department as a whole. As we work to address these concerns and seek remedies wherever possible, we will continue to demonstrate our commitment to ongoing, measurable action in pursuit of the following goals:

To take responsibility and corrective action for our failures, past and present, to welcome and give prominence to people and stories from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups

To support and amplify justice, equity, diversity, inclusivity, anti-racism, and representation-both in and out of the classroom, as well as on- and offstage

To demonstrate our commitment to self-education and becoming steadfast accomplices to people from BIPOC, marginalized, and immigrant communities

To embrace these pursuits as part of a holistic approach to student and community well-being

We will continue to provide more information as it becomes available; meanwhile, we are devoting our resources to building additional means for accountability, transparency, and communication.

Read the full announcement at https://theatre.utah.edu/songs-for-a-new-world.

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