I, Sarah Provencal, am guilty of racist practices in my work as a theatre maker and theatre teacher.  I see myself in THIS letter to white American theatre makers.

 

Thank you to all of the BIPOC who wrote this letter, taking on the emotional labor of articulating the oppression they have faced in the American theatre community. 

 

I have allowed my white fragility to interfere with taking anti-racist actions for too long.  I make a commitment to challenge my white privilege. I commit to amplifying the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color theatre makers in my classroom and artistic practice.  For too long, these voices have been ignored and overlooked in favor of texts and methods which are patriarchal and white.  I commit to:

• Listening to the voices of BIPOC and amplifying them whenever I can.

• Practicing hearing words instead of “tone policing” the way they are delivered.

• I will do better at supporting the BIPOC artists in my community by showing up to see their work.  If my schedule does not allow attendance, I will purchase a ticket for someone else to go. 

• White silence is white violence.  I will speak up when I hear or see friends, colleagues, community members upholding white supremacy.  I will put aside the fear of confrontation that is a direct result of my white fragility and step directly into discomfort.  My BIPOC students, friends, and colleagues have suffered trauma.  Some of that could have been prevented if had spoken up.  I will no longer be silent.

 

Actions specific to my work as an educator:

• More than half of the readings (play scripts, theoretical texts) I assign in my classes will be by BIPOC.

• I dedicate myself to learning acting methods created by BIPOC and other non-Western practitioners and integrating these techniques into my performance classes.

• I will take personal responsibility to ensure that all my students have access to the resources needed for success in the class (textbooks, theatre tickets, paper and pencils, etc.)

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