San Diego Repertory Theatre Named Jubilee Cultural Architect

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) announced today that the theatre has been named one ofThe Jubilee's Cultural Architects. This designation honors the work done by San Diego REP to feature historically marginalized voices and perspectives and celebrates the theatre's work to unite, uplift, encourage and enrich the community.

The Jubilee is a national movement envisioning a theatrical landscape that celebrates the entirety of who we are as a country. For the 2020-21 season, the Jubilee committee-which includes Jamie Gahlon, Co-Founder and Director of Howlround and Joy Meads, Co-Founder of theKilroys, among others-has invited every theatre in the United States of America to produce works by underrepresented voices including, but not limited to: women; people of color; Native American, Indigenous and First Nations artists; artists of varied physical and cognitive ability; and LGBTQ, non-binary, or gender non-conforming artists.The goal is to initiate a 50-year forward action towards diversity in theatre that includes thevoices, perspectives and stories that have not been featured on our stages.

"For over 40 years, San Diego Repertory Theatre has produced intimate, provocative, inclusive theatre. Our goal is to foster an interconnected community through vivid works that nourish progressive political and social values and celebrate the multiple voices of our region," says Artistic Director Sam Woodhouse. "We are proud to report that, over the last decade, 56 percent of the plays we have produced have been generated by women and/or people of color. In addition, our artistic team and our reading selection committee have both expanded to become more inclusive."

In an effort to support The Jubilee's vision of a diverse, inclusive and intersectional 2020-21 season and beyond, San Diego REP is announcing details of their own initiative, including:

• Updating the theatre's mission statement to reflect evolving values, replacing "exotic" with "inclusive," to read: "San Diego Repertory Theatre produces intimate, provocative, inclusive theatre. We promote an interconnected community through vivid works that nourish progressive political and social values and celebrate the multiple voices of our region. San Diego Repertory Theatre feeds the curious soul."
• Broadening the definition of diversity by seeking plays by writers who have been underrepresented on the San Diego REP stage including plays from: Native American, Indigenous and First Nations artists; Filipino playwrights; military/veteran writers; playwrights of varied physical and cognitive ability; and LGBTQ, non-binary or gender non-conforming playwrights.
• Expanding the diversity of stories that are explored onstage to showcase a range of experience and perspective within a given group or culture.
• Increasing diversity in casting, fellowship/internship programming, and overall hiring by widening our recruitment efforts, updating job descriptions, clarifying the application process and expanding the collection and reporting of metrics to increase transparency.
• Growing audiences to include those underrepresented communities noted above through partnership building, engagement offerings and targeted comp tickets.
• Building EDI into weekly meetings and holding quarterly discussions with staff on equity and diversity moderated by EDI leaders and continuing to offer the Lyceum theatre as a safe space for hosting conversations about timely issues within our community.

The JUBILEE is a yearlong, nationwide theatre festival featuring work generated by those who have traditionally been excluded - including but not limited to artists of color, Native American and Indigenous and First Nations artists, women, non-binary and gender non-conforming artists, LGBTQIA2+ artists, Deaf artists, and artists with disabilities. The Jubilee's work is centered around one concern: theatre in the United States can do better. The result is this challenge to the theatre community to take responsibility for its contribution to nationwide inequity and address it through a year of innovative programming.

San Diego Repertory Theatre (San Diego REP) produces intimate, provocative and inclusive theatre. Founded in 1976, San Diego Repertory Theatre is downtown San Diego's resident theatre, promoting an interconnected community through vivid works that nourish progressive political and social values and celebrates the multiple voices of our region. The company produces and hosts over 550 events and performances year-round on its three stages at the Lyceum Theatre. Since moving to the Lyceum, The REP has produced 45 main stage productions by Latino playwrights, and more than 40 world premieres. The company has received more than 200 awards for artistic excellence from the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle, Patté Theatre Awards, NAACP, Backstage West, Dramalogue and StageSceneLA. In 2005, the San Diego Theatre Critics Circle presented The REP with the Craig Noel Award "For 30 Years of Artistic Dedication to Downtown and Diversity." San Diego Repertory Theatre feeds the curious soul. To learn more about San Diego Repertory Theatre, to purchase tickets, or make a donation, visit www.sdrep.org. Join us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@SanDiegoREP).

Photo credit Daren Scott

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