FROZEN Stars Aisha Jackson and Noah J. Ricketts Launch #TheaterInColor

By: Jun. 12, 2020
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Aisha Jackson and Noah J. Ricketts, formerly of Broadway's Frozen, have launched a new hashtag #TheaterInColor.

The initiative encourages artists and theatrical professionals of color to come forward with testimonials describing the racism they have encountered in the theatre industry and to express their hopes for a better future.

Broadway voices who have lent their experiences to the hashtag so far include Jelani Alladin (Frozen, Hercules), Jessie Hooker-Bailey (Waitress, Beautiful), Raymond J. Lee (Groundhog Day), Melody A. Betts (Waitress), Tracee Beazer Barrett (Frozen), and Brittney Johnson (Wicked).

See their testimonials below:

People said that Anna couldn't be Black. Most of those people just had closed minds. But our industry continuously encourages them to keep their minds closed. They do so by giving our white counterparts more opportunities to be front and center than they give us. People of color deserve the same opportunities to take on 3 dimensional characters and LEAD the show. Don't just audition all ethnicities for the role. HIRE ALL ETHNICITIES. See my color. Accept me for it. And hire me because I deserve the job. Show the audience members that we are right too. #TheaterInColor . . . To my POC community, if you want to share your story and your vision for moving forward, click the link in my bio and download the graphics+instructions. Let's raise our voices and stand together.

A post shared by Aisha Jackson (@gifted2sing) on Jun 11, 2020 at 4:12pm PDT

This is my personal experience being a black woman in theater. I've heard the "can you be more urban"s along with the snapping and hip waggin that white directors have said and SHOWN me in auditions. I've also spent whole audition processes wondering if companies are actually considering me or just filling a "quota"- they can tell equity they saw women of all races for this... It's cool we've led shows but a lot of the time they're racially driven plots (where we are breaking our bodies to tell them) and hardly get a scene or two- not to mention the times we are considered to lead the shows but many times when the show is on its way out. I want us to open shows, to share stories that aren't necessarily about our black struggle, to be trusted like so many of my white friends in the industry. This is my personal reality as a black woman in theater. #theaterincolor *** If you are a fellow POC in color download the graphics and instructions to share your own post- link is in my bio!***

A post shared by Jessie Hooker-Bailey (@jessiehookerbailey) on Jun 11, 2020 at 4:20pm PDT

PLEASE READ, SHARE and SHARE YOUR STORY! If you are reading this message, it's because you are a crucial part of history. We are on the brink of changing the way theatrical stories are brought to life. This is an integral moment that will define our experiences for years to come. It is important, now more than ever, to bring to light the injustices we've endured and share our vision for a brighter future. We must do this for ourselves and for the many that will come after us. By daring to be brave and speak up about the racism we've endured, we are holding a mirror to our theatrical community. In my bio you will find resources to share your personal experiences with racism, as well as, your vision for moving forward. Please post these graphics and your experiences using #TheaterInColor in the caption. That way all of our stories can be easily found. We encourage you to send these graphics to as many artists of color as possible. We want to hear from musicians, actors, directors, stage managers, writers and stagehands of color. We want stories to pour in from all departments of our industry because I'm sure we all have experiences to share. Now is the time to raise our voices. The first step is exposing the racism and injustice within our community. Let's stand together, share our stories, and begin to create the change that is so desperately needed in our industry. With love, Aisha Jackson Noah J. Ricketts #theaterincolor

A post shared by Melody A Betts (@melodybettspage) on Jun 11, 2020 at 4:39pm PDT

#Theaterincolor

A post shared by Tracee Beazer Barrett (@traceebeazerbarrett) on Jun 11, 2020 at 4:13pm PDT


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