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PUBLICATIONS
Hold, Please: Addressing Urgency and Other White Supremacist Standards in Stage Management
Oct 15, 2020 — HowlRound — Co-Author
"But when urgency is the driving force, it doesn’t actually make our work better, it only serves to squander thoughtful decision-making and cultivate environments where oppression and abuse thrive."
Now a part of "Off Headset: Essays on Stage Management Work, Life, and Career"
available for purchase at Routledge.com
Aug 2021 — USITT: Theatre Design & Technology Magazine — Co-Author
Commissioned by USITT, "Hold Please: Act 2" continues the conversation started in the original article on how Stage Managers can hold ourselves and the organizations we work with accountable for creating more equitable theatre environments.
Sep 23, 2020 — American Theatre — Interviewee
"There’s a stigma around talking about ‘identity’ in the workplace—particularly for TGNC people...But this erases the specific needs and realities of an entire population, and I hope by discussing these issues openly, as they pertain to myself, it will normalize these discussions...This culture change cannot rest on one person’s shoulders, particularly if they are already in a vulnerable position based on their identity.”
Beyond the Bathrooms: Cultivating Meaningful Trans Inclusion in Theatrical Spaces
Jul 28, 2019 — HowlRound — Co-Author
"...the world is constantly changing, and language will never stop changing with it as people’s needs shift. It’s tough, but it is up to each of us to make a conscious effort to ensure the words we put into the world reflect our beliefs...Correct language usage is more than just memorization, it is about respect and empathy."
Drawing a Line: Addressing Sexual Harassment in our Theatre Communities
Jul 17, 2019 — HowlRound — Co-Author
"Boilerplate harassment policies simply aren’t effective when [theatrical] work sometimes requires individuals to change clothes, touch or kiss, and discuss sexual content with their coworkers...We also needed a system of accountability and recourse to remedy harm."
ACADEMIA LINKS: Hold Please Article, Hold Please Textbook, Hold Please 2, Beyond the Bathrooms
PANELS & EVENTS
Emerging Theatre Leaders: Addressing the Needs of Boston’s Cultural Landscape
Jul 15, 2020 — SpeakEasy Stage (digital) — Panel Speaker
Exploding Gender: Creating Space for Gender Diverse Theatre
Feb 28, 2020 — Southeastern Theatre Conference — EDI Special Series, Workshop Co-Host
Field Work: The Current Moment
November 2020 — Company One (digital) — Panel Speaker
GENDER INCLUSION TRAININGS & CONSULTING
I co-lead the Gender Explosion Initiative for developing resources and training to improve gender inclusion for trans and non-binary theater-makers. Through Gender Explosion I have run training sessions for Broadway productions, regional theaters, universities, and the Annual SETC Convention. I have also consulted on productions for transgender inclusion in casting, marketing, season selection, and auxiliary programming.
TRAINING:
Gender Explosion trainings are divided into two parts, GE101—Binary Basics and GE201—Beyond Binaries. GE101 is a self-paced module to give participants a shared vocabulary and understanding of foundational topics, allowing thoughtful and nuanced conversation on trans inclusion during the in-person 201 session.
GE101—Binary Basics includes a packet of digital resources in a variety of formats, including written materials, podcast episodes, short videos, and more. The topics covered include a brief introduction to trans histories, issues facing trans people in the US today, basic LGBTQ+ and gender-related terminology, an outline of sex vs. gender, and using pronouns. GE101 can also be done in-person rather than self-paced. Completing GE101 is required to attend GE201.
GE201—Beyond Binaries is the second level of workshops, a 3-hour facilitated training that digs deeper into trans inclusion topics and specifically how they relate to theater practices. Our core 201 curriculum can be adjusted based on attendees and show-specific needs. The core curriculum includes:
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Neopronouns and non-static/rolling pronouns
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Practicing correcting misgendering and being corrected
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Gender and Theatre basics
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Facilities and physical spaces (bathrooms, changing spaces, etc)
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Touring (legislation, working with local staff, logistics for trans artists)
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Costumes, hair, and makeup
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Interacting with patrons (front of house, box office, etc)
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Marketing (press releases, corrections in publications, marketing language, and tokenism)
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Hiring and casting
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Working with trans people
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Accountability
Reach out if you're interested in booking a training workshop or consultation!
RESOURCES:
Below are guides on seven achievable actions theatre-makers can take right now to support your transgender and non-binary coworkers, how to use pronouns in the workplace, and key LGBTQ+ terminology. My guide to integrating pronoun usage into the theatrical workplace has been read by over a quarter-million people across the globe on Facebook alone.
Written alongside M Sloth Levine and a working group of trans artists across New England, this essay on HowlRound discusses the current state of trans and non-binary inclusion in the theatrical sector, and ways theatremakers can dismantle stigmas against trans people and continue creating an inclusive theatre scene.
"It is up to every single one of us to effect change to make the theatre community more inclusive..."
HARASSMENT PREVENTION, INTIMACY & CONSENT
Through StageSource, I also help facilitate the Line Drawn Initiative, dedicated to developing programs and resources specifically for the New England performing arts community to prevent and deal with all forms of harassment, and to create safe working spaces for all.
Below are the Line Drawn Community Standards—a working document I developed with the input and guidance of Meg Stone at IMPACT Boston, the StageSource staff, the Line Drawn Cohort, and the New England Theatre community at large. They are a unified set of 10 standards, created with the aim to be adopted by all New England theatre companies as a foundation to build safe workspace and universal protections for theatre workers.
Written alongside Dawn M. Simmons and Jen Lewis, this essay on HowlRound unpacks the findings of the Line Drawn initiative's initial summits, and where we believe progress needs to happen to truly address harassment in the theatre industry.
"Boilerplate harassment policies simply aren't effective when the work sometimes requires individuals to change clothes, touch or kiss, and discuss sexual content with their coworkers."
ANTI-RACISM, ACCESSIBILITY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Created alongside six other Stage Managers across the United States, "Hold, Please" and "Hold, Please: Act 2" explore some of the places white supremacist culture plays out in the field of Stage Management—with a focus on urgency, quantity over quality, perfectionism, objectivity, and power-hoarding.
As part of StageSource's Anti-Racism Initiative, I worked with the staff to develop a guide for anyone to use who is looking to move beyond words into impactful anti-racist action & system creation within an organization.
I created an introduction to utilizing alternative text (Alt-Text) online, in emails, and in social media, to ensure that media is accessible for visually impaired users. This guide was later shared as part of StageSource's A11Y Initiative.
During my day job at ActBlue, I am a member of the Bargaining Team organizing the unionization of a staff of 200+ employees and negotiating our first Collective Bargaining Agreement with ActBlue's management.
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