Diversity and Inclusion Statement

We understand that being truly inclusive as an organization requires more than words. It requires actionable steps. In order to affirm our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we, the Board and Staff of Mesa Encore Theatre, make the following commitments to action:

• We commit to engage in inclusive casting. If a role does not require a person to be of a specific race or ethnicity, we will actively consider all races and ethnicities for that role.

• Audition announcements will include statements reinforcing our commitment to inclusion and indicate that we will be using color conscious casting.

• We will seek to produce works by and about underrepresented people.

• Our backstage and creative teams will be inclusive; we will develop education programs that create educational opportunities and a pipeline for underrepresented people to learn about theater technology and production.

• We acknowledge that change begins at the top of our organization; we are committed to diversifying our board and other positions of power within the organization to ensure that we are representative and all voices are heard.

• In order to move towards being an actively anti-racist organization, the board and staff will engage in annual training around topics of inclusion and diversity.

• All production teams will be instructed on MET’s inclusion policies and held accountable for upholding the ideals of anti-racism.