OUR EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION COMMITMENT

Since its founding in 1979, Second Stage’s mission has been to create and champion plays and musicals from living American writers. Our continued commitment to this mission demands we reexamine the core values of the American Theater and evaluate how we address diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work within our organization. We must acknowledge and own our past harms on an interpersonal and institutional level. We are committed to creating and maintaining systems of accountability that depict our Core Values across all levels of the organization. Second Stage expects all members of its community to embody these Core Values when in one of our spaces or acting as a representative of Second Stage externally. Second Stage’s Core Values are a living and breathing document that work in tandem with our Code of Conduct and Vision Statement. These Core Values work towards fully shifting Second Stage’s culture — both on and off stage — by ensuring we create spaces where our differences can be celebrated by leading with our most authentic selves.

WE VALUE AND RESPECT THE INDIVIDUAL

We honor the authentic gifts, intellect, and talents that everyone brings to Second Stage by demonstrating our value and respect for one another through our words and actions. We affirm that no voice is irrelevant and understand that active listening is the first step towards a greater sense of belonging.

WE EXPECT TRANSPARENT COLLABORATION

We believe in the spirit and practice of collaboration where there are multiple viewpoints, especially those that differ, as we make better decisions together than apart. We affirm our commitment to creating and sustaining a culture of psychological safety rooted in a requirement to build and sustain trust in one another.

WE EMBRACE DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

We believe that diversity and anti-racism make us strong, inclusion and equity make us thrive, and systems of accountability help ensure that these values are maintained. We affirm that regularly evaluating our progress and transparently reporting to our communities on our work will bring us closer to lasting change in Second Stage’s evolving culture.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We acknowledge the land on which Second Stage Theater stands — the original homeland of the Munsee Lenape and Wappinger Lenape people — and honor and pay our respects to the many diverse indigenous peoples still connected to this land.