RE: Sock ‘n’ Buskin should strive for more diversity, Nov. 19-25.
Although Sock ’n’ Buskin Theatre Company by no means recognizes any of parts of The Charlatan’s editorial criticizing our supposed lack of diversity to be true, we recognize that clearly someone has been hurt by us. And for this, we are sorry.
Sock ’n’ Buskin’s board of executives, directors, stage managers, volunteers, and I believe Sock ’n’ Buskin should be a safe space for artists from all backgrounds to come together to work on something great. Often times, the relationships built between the artists both on and off stage are just as important to us as the end result of the show we produce.
Until this point, we have tried our best to hold open and accepting events at all stages of productions—from auditions, to show nights, to cast parties.
We would like to thank The Charlatan for their courage and honesty to tell us we have missed the mark. Criticism is important to hear, and we want to change.
However, before any more broad judgments and statements be made, we would like to invite The Charlatan and whomever is interested to join us at our first production of the year, Dr. Faustus. There, they can get a sense of the type of work we do, what the process is like, and to discuss their thoughts and opinions on the matter to bring back to our board of executives for action as they see fit.
My fellow co-artistic director Kevin Nimmock and I would be absolutely thrilled to hear any idea about how to be more diverse and representative, should you be willing to collaborate with us.
