Essential Theatre, Inc is the longest running theater company dedicated to supporting the work of Georgia playwrights. As such, we strive to accurately reflect the diversity and richness of the State of Georgia and have created the following action plan to clearly articulate our long-standing commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion and to outline new goals to more successfully affect meaningful change in all aspects of our organization: artistic programming, staff, board, and audience, as part of our commitment to being a platform for diverse voices and creating a space for the hard and necessary conversations.

Artistic Programming

The Artistic Director will oversee and evaluate the Artistic Programming EDI Action Plan. The goals include but are not limited to:

• Produce and present plays that are written by playwrights who reflect the diversity of the State of Georgia.
• Ensure non-traditional and color-conscious casting in all productions.
• Guarantee diversity of teaching artists
• Actively cultivate diverse people for artistic company, specifically directors
• Be conscious of whose story it is to tell and ensure that those storytellers are an integral part of the process

Staff

The Managing Director will oversee and evaluate the Staff EDI Action Plan. The goals include but are not limited to:

• Create targeted hiring outreach efforts to ensure that people of diverse backgrounds are aware of and apply to open positions.
• Maintain or exceed current levels of diversity in future hiring
• Executive staff to regularly participate in EDI training

Board of Directors

As a team, the board will oversee and evaluate the Board EDI Action Plan as a regular part of our monthly board meetings. The goals include but are not limited to:

• Maintain or exceed current levels of board diversity
• Establish guidelines for finding qualified, interested, engaged board members of diverse and traditionally underrepresented backgrounds
• Board of Directors commits to regularly participate in EDI training

Audience

The Managing Director and Marketing Director will oversee and evaluate the Audience EDI Action Plan. The goals include but are not limited to:

• Highlight diverse artists in our marketing and outreach programs.
• Exhaust all efforts to connect with diverse audience in both our performance and educational programming.

Moreover

Essential Theatre, Inc commits in all of these relationships to:

• Intentionality – include an EDI plan in every marketing, hiring, etc plan
• Ensure marginalized communities and individuals are aware of our accessible offerings and EDI commitments
• Celebrate and lift up the diverse artists who contribute their talents to Essential’s tradition and legacy
• Ensure a safe space, and an environment that is both nurturing and stimulating, and provide all folks with the safety net, resources, and support that they need to succeed in their role with Essential