Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EDIB) at Shotgun Players
The Shotgun Players EDIB Committee includes members of staff, company, board, and other community artists. Our 2023 committee members are Patrick Dooley, Susannah Martin, Chard Nelson, Cathleen Riddley, Katja Rivera, Mary Ann Rogers, and Louel Señores. During monthly meetings, the EDIB Committee advises the organization by proposing, evaluating, and upholding processes, policies, and initiatives that further these values across our organization. The EDIB Committee works closely with the staff and outside consulting firms to further our commitment to anti-racism and the rejection of white supremacy.
The Shotgun Players also has a dedicated Board EDIB Committee tasked with recruiting new board members and advancing EDIB values in their communication and decision making practices.
Ingrained board culture and ways of working can be hard for new members with different backgrounds and experiences to embrace. Inviting new board members is not just about creating a seat at the table. It's also about our ability to evolve in order to connect and learn from the insights offered by different members of our community. In 2023, we made the decision that the Board's EDIB Committee would take leadership of Shotgun's Board cultivation activities, including recruitment, onboarding, engagement, and belonging.
Read our values statement.
Staff and Artist Survey
On September 3, 2020, Shotgun Players launched its first Inclusivity Survey of all staff and artists who had worked with Shotgun over the preceding two years via Poprouser, a BIPOC-owned and operated EDIB HR firm with no ties to the Bay Area theatre. We work with an outside firm so we could ensure anonymity and bring an impartial partner to the process. These surveys, now conducted biannually, give us helpful data and feedback that will be used to set future EDIB goals. These surveys will continue every six months.
How do the Shotgun Players make bold, relevant, affordable theatre?
- We foster a spirit of ambition, innovation, risk-taking, and reflection in our creative and administrative tasks
- We continually look for new ways to make all our engagements inclusive and accessible
- We cultivate relationships built on trust and accountablility with our collaborators and audiences.
Our EDIB Initiatives
Accessibility
We create a theatre experience that is inclusive of patrons and artists of all abilities. Specific accessibility initiatives this year include assisted listening devices, audio description, Haptic tours, and WCAG AAA web accessibility.
Nonviolent Communication
We provide staff and company training in NVC, so we can offer a safe environment for communication and address assumptions that cause harm in our interactions.
Diversity in Both Stories and Storytellers
We commit to “shift the spotlight” so we can showcase the excellent work of marginalized communities and to prioritize intersectional identities and stories in our productions.
Our EDIB Initiatives
Discounted Tickets & Memberships
We make the theatre we produce accessible to anyone, regardless of their economic status. We offer many opportunities for discounted tickets including: a full week of pay-what-you-can performances at the beginning of each production and discounted tickets for working artists, people 25 and anyone in the community who expresses a need.
The Make a Difference (M.A.D.) Program
The MAD Program provides opportunities for emerging and early career theatre artists and audiences to enjoy and engage with the transformative power of live theatre creation and performance. The core of the program is $10 tix for folks 25 and under, paid fellowships on our mainstage productions, and work trade in exchange for rehearsal space at Studios. Visit our M.A.D. page for more information about the program.
Accessible Facilities & Policies
The Ashby Stage is equipped with a wheelchair-accessible entrance and seats available for every performance. Patrons may also request special accommodations if they have hearing, sight, mobility, guide dog, or other access needs. Visit our accessibility page for more information about the accessibility of our facilities.
Gender-Inclusive Restrooms
Every restroom at the Ashby Stage and in our rehearsal studios is all-gender. Why did we do this? We want to make our facilities accessible to people of all gender identities. Signage outside the door identifies the facilities in each restroom.
