Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access

In response to the powerful and necessary work of We See You White American Theatre along with the collective shift in racial consciousness through which we are living, Coin & Ghost (C&G) would like to let the wider community know where we stand and what we are working towards.

Let’s be clear: C&G was built by the work of our BIPOC* (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) collaborators, our queer collaborators, our young collaborators, our under-resourced collaborators. Our company would not exist without those communities, and we are beyond grateful for their artistry and support. But that does not erase our existence within a theatre industry that was — like much of America — built upon anti-Blackness, colonialism, and a violent, capitalist patriarchy. Nor does it erase our failures, our blind spots, or our opportunities to do better. We are complicit in oppressive structures, and we must work every day to uproot them. We must work towards the liberation of all people.

At the core of C&G’s mission are empathy, imagination, and community; these values are inextricably tied to the ongoing work of building an anti-racist theatre. Even the way in which we work, the “remixed mythology,” is an act of rebellion, a challenging of the systems that have been passed down to us, a constant re-imagining, expansion, inclusion. A lifelong commitment to growth.

To that end, and in the spirit of transparency, here are some of the actions we are committed to taking:

• Stories & Storytellers: 
  • We commit to a diversity of mythologies as source material, prioritizing local stories and local storytellers. We recognize our cultural responsibility in determining what is considered “mythology.”
  • For each production, we will provide resources that let our audiences know how they can get more involved with the issues and communities represented within the play.
  • We will ensure equity in our creative teams and all steps of our creative process. Inclusion onstage and off, authenticity in storytelling, is critical.

• Decision-Making:
  • We will expand our Board of Directors and staff to reflect the diversity of our Los Angeles home.
  • We will provide anti-racism & Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Access (EDIA) training for our staff and board.
  • We will hire an outside agency to conduct regular EDIA audits on our work.

• Access:
  • We will continue our practice of Pay What You Can tickets (and other initiatives) to ensure that ticket price is never a barrier to seeing our work.
  • We will build our processes with accessibility in mind for our collaborators with disabilities, our under-resourced collaborators, our collaborators with children, and our collaborators with any other specific access needs. We will work to ensure accessibility for all audiences.

• Community Support:
  • We will develop an authentic land acknowledgment practice that honors the history of the people upon whose land we work. This practice is only the first step towards restorative justice, and we will seek further opportunities for engagement with indigenous peoples.
  • We will uplift and center the work of BIPOC artists and companies, as well as local businesses, grassroots organizations that foster communal growth, and social justice initiatives that move us towards collective liberation.
  • We will foster open feedback dialogue with our collaborators (including clear communication of contract/expectations, review of company EDI materials, and individual exit surveys).

This work is ongoing (and lifelong), and we expect these actions to evolve as we continue to learn better ways to create equitable and anti-racist theatre. Please feel free to email or call us with any questions or feedback.

Love always,
Team Coin & Ghost

^{*We understand that this terminology is constantly evolving, and we are committed to listening and growing as we learn better ways to communicate about identities, intersectionality, and community.}