Virtual Salon #23: A Call to Action: Student led initiatives for racial equity and justice in theater departments across the USA
Image Description:
Bold graphic text with information about the event above two photographs. Just visible in the upper right is a large outdoor student demonstration, many figures marching, fists in the air holding signs that read “Black Live Matter” and “Enough is Enough” in front of full green trees, campus buildings peeking through the foliage. In the lower right corner a student holds a megaphone and reads out of a notebook with floral print to a group of students holding protest signs.
This is a time of reckoning for theatremakers. Calls for action are reverberating off every corner of the field. Some of the loudest calls are coming from students demanding change at their own educational institutions, challenging those in power to be held accountable for the systems of racism and oppression embedded in their structure and culture, which have directly impacted countless students who have passed through these programs. How do we as a community better support the needs of the next generation of theatre artists?
Join Wingspace for a roundtable discussion with representatives from University of Utah BIPOC Artists for Awareness, University of California San Diego, Northwestern, Ithaca College Theatre Arts BIPOC, and CSUF Theatre Artists Union for Student Equity and Diversity about actions for change and the future of storytelling. Moderated by Rodrigo Hernandez Martinez and Kate Freer.
Thursday, March 18th, 8-10pm EST via Zoom and Facebook Live
Wingspace is committed to inclusivity and we are dedicated to increasing accessibility for all our events. If you have questions or concerns centered around access or accommodations we strongly welcome you to please reach out to us via DM or email: salons@wingspace.com
Rani Shori is currently a senior at CSU Fullerton and is set to graduate in the Summer with her bachelor’s degree in theater arts. While in school, Rani was nationally recognized by KCACTF as a distinguished actor for her work in Luis Alfaro’s, Oedipus El Rey. She is the co-founder of the Theater Artists Union for Student Equity and Diversity, a student-run activist group aimed at promoting inclusivity and accountability within theater institutions.
Elizabeth Barrett is a Video and Scenic Designer currently based in San Diego, CA. They are pursuing their MFA in Scenic Design at the University of California San Diego. They have a wide range of experience working in many facets of theater alongside their design work. They enjoy designing new works and dance and are always looking for an opportunity to grow as a designer. They are also a student member of UCSD's EDI Workgroup for the 2020/2021 year.
David Arevalo is a Texas born, Chicago based, Mexican costume designer, maker and artist. He is compelled to help tell stories that focus on the lives, experiences, and histories of communities that have found themselves underserved and underrepresented within the American artistic canon. The transformation and elevation of ideas, objects, and expectations is central to his practice. Credits at Northwestern include Costume Designer for Eurydice and Machinal. Outside of NU: Assistant Costume Designer for Hartford Stage's production of Quixote Nuevo, 2019, Costume Designer for Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park (Pinocchio, Rapunzel), 2018, and Associate Costume Designer for Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra's 2017 production of Pelléas et Mélisande. He holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently an MFA candidate in Northwestern University’s Stage Design program. www.darevalo.com
Natalia Quintero-Riestra is a second-year MFA Acting student at the University of California: San Diego and graduated with a BFA in Acting from Florida International University. She was born and raised in Miami, FL and credits her passion and joyful personality to her Cuban, Colombian, and Spanish roots. With over 5 years of team leadership experience and a strong commitment to advocacy, Natalia founded a student-led Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion workgroup in her graduate program and is now co-leading with Elizabeth Barrett. She also teamed up with fellow graduate students to create a theatre company which centers work that destroys the concept of monoliths and breaks stereotypes through radically authentic and specific storytelling.
Danny Borba is a junior student in the Actor Training Program at the University of Utah. Past acting credits include Henry and the French King in Henry V and Aeolus in The Odyssey (University of Utah), Jack Palmer in The Boys Next Door and Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone (Orem High School) and has recently been working on the TV show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Danny is of Mexican and Argentine descent and is proud to be a Latino actor. He thanks his family and friends for their ongoing support and love.