“I was passed over for a role in favor of another actress, a typical experience I’ve had as a working actor. Only the circumstances of this specific role and show were different; I am a Latina actress, and the role I was passed over for was Mimi Marquez in Rent; the actress I lost out to was white.”

“That is a question that is frequently asked by many people who aren’t generally involved in theatre, and even by some people who are. In recent years, the involvement of a dramaturg has become far more common in theaters across the world.”

I want to ask you a couple of questions. And I want you to be honest when thinking about the answers.

1. Do you have registered sex offenders involved within your theatre community?

If your answer is no, my next question is: Are you sure? 

If your answer is yes, my final question is: Have you checked on that?

“Stage Etiquette (accepted behavior during the auditions, rehearsal, and run of production) is one of those great topics for theatre professionals that isn’t discussed enough.”

“‘Chess’ will stay with me for a while. It won me over. Game. Set. Match.”

“Understanding why sexual predators may target theatre settings is crucial in preventing abuse and ensuring a safe space for all participants. Here are some key factors that contribute to the vulnerability of theatre environments to grooming and exploitation by predators.”

“Early on, I decided to set clear rules and boundaries that were available to all campers and my full-time theatre students during the school year. This paid off hugely in helping me when the time came to deal with disruptive behavior.”

“We shouldn’t be cut right away because you think it takes us one minute more to get into a costume, or you might have to slow down choreography a tad bit more because you think we’ll be out of breath. Big people have some serious talent out there that, unfortunately, goes unnoticed because of their size.”

I rarely hear anything more ignorant than, “All the techies do is push buttons and get annoyed with us.” It’s so wrong and just plain horrible.

“It does the industry no good to provide opportunities for people with disabilities if theatre companies do not embrace the access needs of performers throughout the entire audition, rehearsal, and performance processes. It does not matter how many people are invited into the room if the room is completely inhospitable to them once they are there.”

“This is not a sad ending. I transitioned my love for acting to production. I worked as a technician, designer, director, stage manager, and eventually, a writer with multiple experiences under my belt. Writing to you about why I quit acting.

It’s a happy ending.”

“As someone who is on the asexual spectrum, it is a little disheartening that this performing medium that I love so much doesn’t seem to have a character I can relate to on that level.”