Beyond Diversity: Casting & Cultural Appropriation in the American Theatre
Channel: HowlRound Theatre Commons
Date: 10/06/2017

Theatre Communications Group presents the 2017 TCG National Conference: Full Circle (ASL-interpreted) livestreaming on the global, commons-based peer-produced HowlRound TV network at howlround.tv Thursday, June 8 to Saturday, June 10. Share your thoughts and media with hashtags #tcg17 and #howlround in all social media platforms. Follow @TCG and @HowlRound in Twitter for updates.

From June 8-10, the 2017 TCG National Conference: Full Circle will welcome 1,000+ theatre practitioners from across the globe to Portland, OR, for peer connection, professional development, and inspiring thought-leaders from within and beyond the field. We’ll build on the success of the 2016 DC Conference by strengthening core programming like our Skills-Building Workshops and At the Intersections arc, as well as conduct bold new experiments like last year’s visits to Capitol Hill.

Full Circle will also draw inspiration from our host city of Portland’s central role in the “Maker” culture—a network of artisans and hackers dismantling industrialized systems through a return to a more local, human scale. In a region renowned for its commitment to sustainable ecosystems, could our most local and human of art forms be a natural partner in these movements?

This will also be our first major gathering after a contentious election process that featured profoundly different visions of our country’s past, present, and future. As storytellers and community-builders, how can we bridge the divisions of our country and world? How can we create ‘virtuous circles;’ feedback loops where our vision for a better world for and because of theatre reinforce each other?


Thursday, June 8, 2017 

In the wake of recent casting practices from regional theaters around the country, whitewashing stories by and for people of color remains a long and historic concern in casting stories featuring people of color. Who should take responsibility? What role does the does each practitioner play in cultural appropriation? The producing institution?

Join us for this AT THE INTERSECTIONS town hall/workshop community gathering to better understand the process of producing and casting plays of color; the consequences and effects of cultural and racial appropriation; and create action towards making change in the greater American theatre landscape around race, representation and equity in casting practices.

Help us caption & translate this video!

http://amara.org/v/7gor/