Recent demands for racial justice in our society and for equity in the American theater called out the systemic racism in predominantly white institutions like The New Group.

We know that America is a country constructed on principles of white supremacy and anti-blackness, and that these shameful tenets are embedded throughout our theater community and the culture at large. We acknowledge that this culture has often included practices that exclude and exploit Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) individuals. We pledge our commitment to anti–racism and embedding equity within our organization.

Over the past year, The New Group’s staff and Board have engaged in trainings and discussions on allyship, anti–racism, bias, and equity, interrogated our current practices and policies and identified ways we must change. Working toward our return to the rehearsal room and live performance this fall, we are designing and will be enacting policies that aim to transform our organization, broaden our community and both deepen and make more equitable our professional, artistic and personal relationships.

We are just at the beginning of this process. As these policies and actions are formalized, we will share them in this space, so that we may hold ourselves accountable and be held accountable for them. We will post a progress report on these actions. Through these ongoing changes and actions, we aim to foster a culture of respect, transparency, continuous learning, integrity, honesty – and a welcoming community for all.