Black Theatre United Releases Detailed New Deal for Broadway
As curtains comes back up, the founding members of Black Theatre United (BTU) have announced the release of their historic New Deal For Broadway, which establishes industry-wide standards and reforms around Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Belonging (EDIAB) with a focus on Black individuals in theater. Developed from March through August 2021 during the organization's previously announced summit, this document outlines both short-term reforms to be implemented prior to Broadway’s reopening this fall as well as long-term reforms to be implemented in the next one to three years.
"The Broadway that opens in September 2021 will not be the same Broadway that closed in March 2020. For far too long, Black artists, theater makers and technicians in all areas of our industry have been subjected to systemic and interpersonal racism that has harmed their lives and careers and diminished us all," reads the New Deal's introduction. "This document memorializes our commitments—to our industry, to each other and to ourselves—arising from that summit process. We know that we must do better, and we commit to leaning into change."
The detailed, 18-page guide opens with a glossary of key terms followed by a series of joint commitments as well as commitments of theater owners, producers, unions and creatives. The plans include a new industry-wide digital EDIAB training program, customized to the theater industry, to be launched no later than August 2022.
Just a few key takeaways include minimum wage for interns and the abolishment of unpaid internships to ensure that people from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds have an opportunity to succeed on Broadway; the appointment of a racial sensitivity coach for shows that raise racial sensitivities; directors and authors will never assemble an all-white creative team on a production again, regardless of a show's subject matter; The Shubert Organization, The Nederlander Organization and Jujamcyn Theatres will each have at least one of their theaters named after a Black artist. (Jujamcyn Theatres already has the August Wilson Theatre, where Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu's Pass Over is playing through October 10.)
“Black Theatre United was proud to host this remarkable and historic collaboration. It is an important first step to reopening our industry with a bright spotlight focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging for Black professionals in the arts," the founding members of BTU said in a joint statement. "We are grateful to all those who have worked diligently with us for the last six months and to all those who committed to the principles of this document by signing their names to it."
The New Deal's signatories can be viewed in the document. Organizational signatories include Actors' Equity Association, Broadway Across America, Broadway.com, Disney Theatrical Group, John Gore Organization, Lincoln Center Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, Roundabout Theatre Company, The Broadway League and more. The New Deal states that any leader in the commercial theater industry who is not currently a signatory to the document but who agrees to its commitments may request to be added as a signatory by writing to Black Theatre United at newdeal@blacktheatreunited.com.
BTU’s founding group of actors, directors, musicians, writers, technicians, producers and stage management includes Lisa Dawn Cave, Darius de Haas, Carin Ford, Capathia Jenkins, LaChanze, Kenny Leon, Norm Lewis, Audra McDonald, Michael McElroy, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Wendell Pierce, Billy Porter, Anna Deavere Smith, Allyson Tucker, Tamara Tunie, Lillias White, NaTasha Yvette Williams, Schele Williams and Vanessa Williams.