Forgive me for a brief statement of the obvious, but in the history of humankind, the Artist has filled many roles. We have been agitators and pacifiers, we have commented on immediate political realities, wrestled with “eternal” questions of philosophy and spirituality, brought the inner life of an individual into the open, and often just tried to make people laugh. Through all of that, we are also individuals, looking through the world through a lens of culture, upbringing, education, and personality.

Whether we are striving to expose the underbelly of the culture at large or simply cracking a joke, a profound responsibility accompanies our work. We not only reflect but also shape culture, often on a near-glacial level where each work of art is akin to a drop of water added to the wall. Our capacity to influence and mold the culture around us is inescapable.

On top of that, as a director, I am concretely and immediately responsible for shaping the culture of each room I lead.

I say all of this because I want to acknowledge that our culture is systemically biased on the basis of class, gender, and race. I have been a direct participant in that system, which has benefited me in both obvious and subtle ways. My voice has been lifted up at the expense of other voices.

I have been working both personally and as a part of an institution to take the time and space to examine my role in our industry and our culture.  As a citizen and an artistic leader, I believe it is incumbent upon me to use whatever position and power I have to protect those colleagues in my care, lift up their voices, and expand our audiences’ experiences and empathy.  

• I am committed to being anti-racist in both practice and product. This is a process, one that will require daily work for the rest of my life.  

• I am committed to expanding the range of voices that I am supporting and consuming. This includes ensuring that my collaborators represent the full range of cultural and racial experiences and that their voices are heard both by their colleagues and our audiences.

• I am committed to listening more to my collaborators and communities. I will hold myself, my colleagues, and our institutions accountable for their past, present, and future actions.  

I am embracing these commitments with joy and gratitude because they are just and moral and because they will make our institutions, our work, and our community stronger.  

The world is a terrifying place, cruel and unfair by both nature and design, but as artists, we have the ability to both dream and share our dreams. I choose to place my hope in that potential, in the dreams of the artists around me and their ability to make the world just a little bit better.