Chicago, IL— Victory Gardens Theater and Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists ( ALTA ) Chicago, along with Chicago Inclusion Project, Congo Square, Teatro Vista, Silk Road Rising, and La Cooperativa of Latina/o Theatre Artists ( La Co-Op ) will host The Color Game: whitewashing Latinx stories onAugust 9, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. at Victory Gardens Theater. The Color Game serves as a follow up to Victory Gardens' previous town hall, Casting Notice, which took place in April of 2016 and focused on the issues of diversity and inclusion in casting. The Color Game will include a panel discussion on casting for roles of color, and the consequences and effects of cultural and racial appropriation. Following the panel discussion will be small breakout groups focused on creating best practices to support future casting for directors, playwrights, actors, casting directors, producers, artistic directors, theatre critics, audiences, educational institutions, training centers and scholars. Victory Gardens Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.
"Our hope is that from this event, a cohort of Chicago artists and leaders will form a working committee to suggest best practices to the field and to provide resources to help our theater community become a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment," comments Chay Yew, Artistic Director at Victory Gardens Theater.
In the wake of recent casting choices from several Chicago theaters casting non-Latinx actors in Latinx narratives and stories, how would this contribute to the further silence and invisibility of culture and community? What roles do the actor, playwright, director, and producer play in this? This town hall community gathering will help us to better understand the process of producing and casting all plays and roles of color; the consequences and effects of cultural and racial appropriation; and create action towards making change in the greater Chicago theater community around race, representation and equity in casting practices.
Panelists for The Color Game include Lavina Jadhwani ( director/casting director ) and Tommy Rivera-Vega ( actor ), and Ike Holter ( Playwright ). The panel will be moderated by Marcela Munoz ( Artistic Director - Aguijon ).
The Color Game: whitewashing Latinx stories is free and open to the public.
About Victory Gardens Theater
Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals. Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis ZaÄŤek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.
Victory Gardens Theater is a leader in developing and producing new theater work and cultivating an inclusive Chicago theater community. Victory Gardens' core strengths are nurturing and producing dynamic and inspiring new plays, reflecting the diversity of our city's and nation's culture through engaging diverse communities, and in partnership with Chicago Public Schools, bringing art and culture to our city's active student population.
Since its founding in 1974, the company has produced more world premieres than any other Chicago theater, a commitment recognized nationally when Victory Gardens received the 2001 Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre. Located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood, Victory Gardens Biograph Theater includes the ZaÄŤek-McVay Theater, a state-of-the-art 259-seat mainstage and the 109-seat studio theater on the second floor, named the Richard Christiansen Theater.
Victory Gardens Ensemble Playwrights include Luis Alfaro, Philip Dawkins, Marcus Gardley, Ike Holter, Samuel D. Hunter, Naomi Iizuka, Tanya Saracho and Laura Schellhardt. Each playwright has a seven-year residency at Victory Gardens Theater.
The Playwrights Ensemble Alumni includes Claudia Allen, Lonnie Carter, Steve Carter, Gloria Bond Clunie, Dean Corrin, Nilo Cruz, Joel Drake Johnson, John Logan, Nicholas Patricca, Douglas Post, James Sherman, Charles Smith, Jeffrey Sweet and Kristine Thatcher.
For more information about Victory Gardens, visit www.victorygardens.org . Follow us on Facebook at Facebook.com/victorygardens, Twitter @VictoryGardens and Instagram at instagram.com/victorygardenstheater/
Victory Gardens Theater receives major funding from The Wallace Foundation, Alphawood Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, The Shubert Foundation, The REAM Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Allstate Insurance, Polk Bros. Foundation, Crown Family Philanthropies, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, The William and Orli Staley Foundation, and The National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is provided by: Abbot Downing & Wells Fargo, Alliance Bernstein, The Charles H. and Bertha L. Boothroyd Foundation, Exelon, The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, John R. Halligan Charitable Fund, Illinois Tool Works, Italian Village Restaurants, Mayer Brown LLP, The McVay Foundation, LLP, The Prince Charitable Trusts, The Saints, Charles & M.R. Shapiro Foundation, Southwest Airlines, The Harold and Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust, Whole Foods Market, and Wrightwood Neighbors Conservation Association.