OnStage Playhouse Believes in Equity for All
• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion • Access for all • Land Acknowledgement •
EQUALITY
OnStage Playhouse recognizes that low-income communities, and especially communities of color, are often most affected by large-scale crises like pandemics. If we, as a vital part of the Chula Vista and the South Bay community, are to contribute to a more fair and just world, we need to amplify the voices, ideas, and solutions of people from the most vulnerable communities.
To do this successfully, diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice must be core values of our organization.
The mission of OnStage Playhouse is to provide audiences with engaging yet challenging, thought-provoking theater that also informs us about diverse cultures and demonstrates how theater, by examining and sharing the experiences of people with diverse backgrounds can lead to solutions and change. However, many of the sectors that our work touches have historically excluded marginalized groups, particularly people of color.
As part of our commitment to being a thought leader in the theater world and the social justice movement, we also commit to advancing racial justice in our work.
OnStage Playhouse strives to create more accepting and diverse entertainment for all people across race, class, gender, geography, and other differences. To do this OnStage Playhouse seeks to:
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Attract and retain actors, directors, producers, board members, and business partners from diverse backgrounds.
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Create and maintain an inclusive space at our theater.
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Produce more works by playwrights of color.
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Guide our producers to consider inclusivity at every step of the creative process, from casting decisions, to the language of the marketing material we use.
We acknowledge that incorporating diversity, equity, and inclusion into our practices is an ongoing learning process. We consider this document subject to change, and we welcome and encourage feedback.
ACCESS FOR ALL
OnStage Playhouse (OSP) believes in equal opportunity and is committed to providing a barrier-free environment that allows all people to maintain their independence and dignity. We believe that everyone should have equal access to employment, as well as to our productions and programs, and that our diverse community should be reflected in all that we do. The limitations imposed upon us by budget constraints and building design mean we cannot provide all the services we would like at this time, but we are continuing to work on methods to better serve patrons with all manner of disabilities and special needs. As an organization, we respect and uphold the requirements set forth under The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and its associated regulations and strive to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in a timely and effective manner.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
As a step toward honoring the truth and achieving healing and reconciliation, our organization commits to open all public events and gatherings with a statement acknowledging the traditional Native lands on which we stand. Such statements become truly meaningful when coupled with authentic relationships and sustained commitment. We therefore commit to move beyond words into programs and actions that fully embody a commitment to Indigenous rights and cultural equity.
OnStage Playhouse (OSP) is situated on lands and waterways that have known human activity for thousands of years. We are privileged today to be able to enjoy the benefits of this land, which supports all that we do. The original caretakers of this territory have always known how to benefit from the land and water, and still ensure that future generations will have what they need to live. The territory that OSP stands upon is the ancestral homeland of the Kumeyaay Nation, Village of Chiap, whose people have lived in the San Diego region and here in what is known as Chula Vista, for thousands of years. The playhouse extends its respect and gratitude to the Kumeyaay peoples who have lived here since time immemorial.