By: Jared Evan
Meritocracy continues to be extirpated by a very vocal and aggressive contingent of “woke” neophytes; the latest target: Broadway.
A group of emboldened Broadway performers headed by stage veteran LaChanze have laid out a litany of demands for the entire industry.
The New Deal for Broadway emerged following a summit of industry leaders organized by Black Theatre United earlier this year. It outlines reforms that are short-term — to be implemented prior to Broadway’s reopening this fall — and long-term over the next few years, AP reported.
Their demands envelop the entire Broadway industry, and they all revolve around race.
AP reported:
Black Theatre United was formed in response to the wave of national unrest over racial injustice that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in 2020. It has hosted town halls on activism, bolstered census participation and developed mentorship programs for aspiring young Black theater artists. In addition to LaChanze, its founding members include Audra McDonald, Billy Porter, Norm Lewis and Vanessa Williams.
“Just as we are all committed to create safe environments free from discrimination, sexual harassment and bullying, we are committed to create environments that are equitable, diverse, inclusive, accessible and in which everyone has a sense of belonging,” the document states.
Shaking in fear from the possibility of angry “woke” hoards descending upon the Great White Way with clenched fist raised in air; quickly the entire industry capitulated, groveling to their new masters. Many of these demands stifle creative freedom by creating a checklist of demands. This is reminiscent of the new requirements of a film to be nominated or an Oscar, it’s all about the skin pigmentation of cast and crew.
Directors and authors have agreed to insist on diversity riders — to include members of underrepresented communities — in all new contracts they work on and “will never assemble an all-white creative team on a production again.” Producers have agreed to widen the talent pool to more diverse candidates, A.P explained.
While these demands are not the new “law of the land” for Broadway producers, the activists who are armed with a vocabulary of “woke newspeak”, will by lying in the wings with a watchful eye. Any sign of overt “whiteness” will most likely be met with organized, protests and boycotts, as this entire movement was influenced by BLM and George Floyd’s death.
A.P reports: one thing the groups all agree to is that they will each adopt “an EDIAB policy” — which stands for equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and belonging — and post it on websites, theater lobbies and audition rooms, making it clear to everyone before rehearsals begin and mandate its training. But what that exact policy will be is still to be determined by each group.
