STATEMENTS OF DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

2016

​

Sterling Playmakers is committed to cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment for our volunteers, audiences, and the entire community. We embrace our differences and respect the unique contributions of each individual. We will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, pregnancy, childbirth or related conditions, religion, creed, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status or any other protected status as established by law.

​

2020

​

Sterling Playmakers stands against racism and racial injustice. We strongly condemn the brutality that took the lives of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. We want to affirm our support for our Black members and the Black community, who are part of OUR community. 

 

Our motto states that we are community theatre for the entire community. While we have become more diverse over the years, we recognize that we can do better when it comes to creating more opportunities for performers of all colors to feel welcome in our organization. We believe that when you know better, you should do better. We have moved forward in taking several concrete steps to do better for the Sterling community.

 

At our June 2020 Board of Directors meeting, we reaffirmed our commitment to being a theatre group for all. As a part of our dedication to being more inclusive, we have created a subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion to focus on moving our organization forward and giving our minority members a stronger forum to have their voices heard. This subcommittee had their first meeting on June 4, 2020 and looks forward to subsequent meetings to address concerns around equity and diversity within our organization.

 

We are committed to telling diverse stories. We know that we disappointed many of our members and audience when the closure of performance spaces caused postponement of two shows, both of which had completed months of preparation, removed Ragtime The Musical from our 2021 slate of shows. Therefore, we are excited to announce that our Board of Directors has committed to presenting Ragtime in 2022 as the capstone of our 26th season. This Tony Award-winning musical covers important racial and social topics, and has lead roles created for actors of color. This is the first step of many that we will be taking to reaffirm our commitment to telling stories that represent all parts of the American experience.

 

We look forward to serving the community in a commitment to social justice and standing in racial solidarity with all who are taking part in this important work.