Chicago Theatre Artists Host THE COLOR GAME

Victory Gardens Theater and Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists (ALTA) Chicago, along with Chicago Inclusion Project, Congo Square, Teatro Vista, Silk Road Rising, and La Cooperativa of Latina/o Theatre Artists (La Co-Op) will host The Color Game: whitewashing Latinx stories on August 9, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. at Victory Gardens Theater.

The Color Game serves as a follow up to Victory Gardens' previous town hall, Casting Notice, which took place in April of 2016 and focused on the issues of diversity and inclusion in casting. The Color Game will include a panel discussion on casting for roles of color, and the consequences and effects of cultural and racial appropriation. Following the panel discussion will be small breakout groups focused on creating best practices to support future casting for directors, playwrights, actors, casting directors, producers, artistic directors, theatre critics, audiences, educational institutions, training centers and scholars. Victory Gardens Theater is located at 2433 N. Lincoln Avenue.

"Our hope is that from this event, a cohort of Chicago artists and leaders will form a working committee to suggest best practices to the field and to provide resources to help our theater community become a more diverse, inclusive and equitable environment," comments Chay Yew, Artistic Director at Victory Gardens Theater.

In the wake of recent casting choices from several Chicago theaters casting non-Latinx actors in Latinx narratives and stories, how would this contribute to the further silence and invisibility of culture and community? What roles do the actor, playwright, director, and producer play in this? This town hall community gathering will help us to better understand the process of producing and casting all plays and roles of color; the consequences and effects of cultural and racial appropriation; and create action towards making change in the greater Chicago theater community around race, representation and equity in casting practices.

Panelists for The Color Game include Lavina Jadhwani (director/casting director) and Tommy Rivera-Vega (actor), and Ike Holter(Playwright). The panel will be moderated by Marcela Munoz (Artistic Director - Aguijon).

The Color Game: whitewashing Latinx stories is free and open to the public.

Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chay Yew, Victory Gardens is dedicated to artistic excellence while creating a vital, contemporary American Theater that is accessible and relevant to all people through productions of challenging new plays and musicals. Victory Gardens Theater is committed to the development, production and support of new plays that has been the mission of the theater since its founding, set forth by Dennis Za?ek, Marcelle McVay, and the original founders of Victory Gardens Theater.