PlayMakers Repertory Company, in partnership with the Department of Dramatic Art at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, stands in unequivocal solidarity with members of our Black Community. We mourn the loss of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and add their names to the unconscionable number of those killed because the system of racial injustice remains at work in this country.
Three months ago, we would have invited community into PlayMakers’ home to share in what live theatre does best: allow us to gather, listen to each other’s stories and ask questions. But at this moment in time, aside from the public protests that are bringing many people together, the rage, sadness and grief that is being experienced—especially by the Black community—is being processed while isolated in our individual homes.
Therefore it is more important than ever for us to assert:
We hear you.
We believe you.
We stand with you.
We grieve with you.
We pledge to challenge the beliefs that are entrenched in our society and culture, and work to disrupt how those beliefs manifest in our own personal and professional spaces.
We reassert our ongoing commitment to making PlayMakers and the Department of Dramatic Art safe, inclusive, and equitable places for our Black colleagues—and all of our colleagues of color—to thrive and flourish. Both continuous listening and action are imperative to this endeavor.
As play-makers we must play our part in making this so.
If you’re looking to play your part as well, please see this list of widely-varied resources, curated by PlayMakers and the Department of Dramatic Art at UNC.