Civic Theatre to Present Diversity Symposium

As part of its ongoing commitment to diversity and equity initiatives, the South Bend Civic Theatre will be hosting a symposium at 6:00pm on Tuesday, January 30 entitled, "Race and Identity in American Theatre."

The single-evening event will take place in the Civic's Wilson Auditorium. According to Executive Director, Aaron Nichols, "This symposium is a response to the changing face of theatre in the United States. We have a responsibility to reflect these changes in our play selection, casting, and outreach. How can we better display the diversity of our South Bend community on our stages? How can these bridge-building efforts make South Bend stronger and more connected?"

Tickets are available through the South Bend Civic Box Office.

The event will begin with opening comments from the panel (described below), followed by a moderated discussion, an audience Q&A, and a brief sneak-peak performance from members of the Civic's upcoming production of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, In the Heights.

The panel is made up of the following individuals:

John Herrera: Tony Award-nominated Latinx Actor and originator of the role of Kevin in the musical In the Heights. Broadway credits include Che in Evita opposite Patti LuPone, Camelot with Richard Burton, and The Threepenny Opera with Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper. John is the author of five plays. His most recent, Some Kind of Trouble, was a semi-finalist in the prestigious O'Neill Playwright's Conference.

Charles Busch: Tony Award-nominated LGBTQ Playwright. Charles is the author and star of such plays as The Divine Sister, The Tribute Artist, and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife, which ran for 777 performances on Broadway and received a Tony nomination for Best Play. He is a two-time Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs award winner.
Lucas Garcia: Chicago based writer and dramaturg from Albuquerque, New Mexico. Lucas is a content creator for The Alliance of Latinx Theatre Artists, a service organization that seeks to further the Latinx theatre movement in Chicago.

Dr. Anne García-Romero: Thomas J. and Robert T. Rolfs Assistant Professor of Film, Television, and Theatre at the University of Notre Dame. Anne specializes in Playwriting, Screenwriting, and Latina/o Theatre Studies. She is a Resident Playwright at Chicago Dramatists and an alumna of New Dramatists in New York City.

Dr. Darryl Heller: Director of the IUSB Civil Rights Heritage Center. Prior to coming to South Bend in 2015, Dr. Heller worked in the areas of human services and community development and earned his doctorate in History from the University of Chicago. Dr. Heller is a long-time activist and speaks frequently on issues of race in America.
Christina Brooks: Diversity and Inclusion Officer for the City of South Bend. Ms. Brooks is the administration's lead for developing and implementing the Mayor's diversity and inclusion initiative to promote equal opportunity in the city's workforce and operations.
The symposium will be moderated by Taeyin ChoGlueck, diversity educator and the cofounder and creative director of InterAction Inc.