Statement on Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility at Midsommer Fight

As a company that seeks to produce the works of William Shakespeare, Midsommer Flight acknowledges that the works of Shakespeare have been colonially upheld as the unparalleled pinnacle of theatre, to the exclusion of countless other worthy artists. At the same time, the company recognizes that this work has been gate-kept as the exclusive property of white, affluent society.

We also recognize that people from all backgrounds and life-experiences—including and especially members of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian, queer, trans, disabled, and so many other marginalized and under-resourced communities and identities—find joy, value, and artistic fulfillment through engaging with the poetry of Shakespeare. And yet, because of the problematic history of the work, these individuals are still today not afforded the same opportunities or access to professional Shakespeare as their white, cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied peers.

Midsommer Flight’s mission is not only to present high quality, accessible plays in Chicago communities, but also to be an active, anti-racist force working to correct this systemic injustice in the field of Shakespeare performance. As a company, we pledge to continually renew our commitment to anti-racist, anti-colonial work with more self-awareness, intentionality, and humility. We know that becoming an anti-racist theatre organization is not a project with an end date, but rather an ongoing practice.

We must interrogate our relationship with the white, male playwright at the center of our work.

The twin ideas of Shared Joy and Flights of Fancy have underpinned Midsommer Flight’s mission to present high quality, accessible Shakespeare in Chicago communities since the company’s inception.

But what does “joy” actually mean at Midsommer Flight? Why is it important? How do we achieve it? What does Shakespeare have to do with it?

Joy at Midsommer Flight cannot be separated from its precursor in the phrase, “Shared.” It is the shared experience of a laugh, a gasp, or a cathartic cry; of an event that brings people together in community. This connection is the Joy. It has the power to remind us of our shared humanity. Our ordinary, extraordinary humanity. Our belonging.

What is the mechanism through which we achieve this Shared Joy? It is through Flights of Fancy: journeys through the imagination. At Midsommer Flight, we have chosen to take these journeys through the plays of William Shakespeare.

But why? Shakespeare’s work is troublesome, to say the least. It is full of “-isms,” rife with sexism, racism, misogyny, and more. The centuries-old culture surrounding it has stigmatized BIPOC, LGBTQ, disabled, gender-diverse, and body-diverse artists. Shakespeare’s work has been used as a tool of colonialism, as colonizers have supplanted native stories with Shakespeare’s so-called “superior” (or even worse, “highbrow”) art. Shakespeare’s work has perpetuated white supremacy through its teaching in American schools to the exclusion of female and BIPOC playwrights, and through decades of professional productions at the most prominent and prestigious predominantly white institutions (PWIs). [Links in this paragraph are representative selections only and by no means intended to be exhaustive.]

White Western civilization likes to maintain that Shakespeare is Universal. But declaring something does not make it so. Stories told by one white, male, Elizabethan playwright may not resonate with everyone in the same way, or at all—nor should we expect them to.

Yet, the work still offers sweeping journeys, fiery emotions, flawed and relatable characters. If not universal, these plays do have the potential to hold, as ‘twere, the mirror up to a broad spectrum of nature. It may not be for everyone, but Midsommer Flight believes this work can be for anyone.

Formation of the IDEA Committee

In 2020, in response to Black Lives Matter protests and an outcry for more equity in theatres, the company formed an Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) Committee, which actively affects policies and practices. The 5-member, majority-BIPOC committee meets regularly to address how to bridge the remaining gaps between Midsommer Flight’s belief that Shakespeare can be for anyone, and its actions in producing plays.

*The following lists are UPDATED as of June 30, 2023*

Since August 2020, the company has:

  1. Increased actor pay by 300% and production staff pay by 250% since 2020 as we strive toward an ongoing goal of achieving pay equity and raising the bar for how artists are valued and paid;
  2. Instituted Callback Stipends in recognition of the labor actors undertake to prepare for callback auditions, regardless of their final casting status;
  3. Expanded the parks we serve to include more geographic diversity, especially including Chicago’s South and West Sides;
  4. Codified a Law Enforcement Communication Policy detailing procedures for interacting with law enforcement through the course of our work in public parks, as well as a practice of making space for artists needs following an incident, up to and including being released from rehearsal for the day;
  5. Created an Accessibility Fund into production budgets to aid cast and crew members with access needs throughout the production process. To-date, such funds have covered a knee brace for an actor experiencing knee pain on the uneven park surfaces, supplies and snacks for an artist newly diagnosed with diabetes, and a “transportation scholarship” for an actor experiencing unemployment who would not have otherwise been able to perform;
  6. Implemented a Hair and Makeup policy that specifies actors are collaborators with the design and direction team when creating their character’s “look,” that this conversation must be anti-racist in language and tone, provide the Artist with agency, and that the actor has final approval of their own hair and make-up looks;
  7. Facilitated multiple vulnerable discussions with artistic ensemble about: IDEA priorities, experience with Shakespeare here and elsewhere, and the focus on this one white, male playwright;
  8. Clarified the company’s mission and vision statement to reflect those conversations;
  9. Convened the Board and IDEA Committee together to discuss IDEA priorities;
  10. Studied We See You White American Theatre demands, inspiring discussion and viable goals;
  11. Developed a list of issues, challenges, projects, and action items for the committee to continue to address, which is open to review and input from the full Board and Ensemble, and will continue to grow and evolve;
  12. Drafted a land acknowledgement for use in writing and verbally at both in-person and virtual events;
  13. Used social media to boost awareness on voter education (Oct 2020) and BIPOC-focused charities (Feb 2021);
  14. Hosted Director Dialogues events relevant to IDEA goals and topics (2021);
  15. Evaluated and updated existing harassment/anti-racism policies, contracts, and other materials presented at first rehearsals;
  16. Funded the registration costs for any and all Midsommer Flight ensemble members to engage in Anti-Racist Theatre Training workshops with Nicole Brewer. 13 out of 18 ensemble members participated in the training (2021).

Ongoing and future IDEA goals include:

  1. Diversify guest directors, stage managers, and designers;
  2. Partner with community organizations, e.g., host a food/coat drive at the winter production;
  3. Continue finding ways to serve under-resourced communities in Chicago;
  4. Keep raising artist production staff and company staff stipends to push our company and industry continually toward pay equity for the arts;
  5. Facilitate follow up discussions with the ensemble current priorities and new ideas.

The ultimate long-term goal of the IDEA Committee is to become, in a way, obsolete—that is, IDEA work should be so integrated in every aspect of the company that a separate committee becomes redundant.

This web page will be a space for public accountability, both for the IDEA committee and the company at large. We will update this space periodically with the committee’s ongoing work and resulting policy and practice changes at Midsommer Flight.

If you wish to offer feedback, questions, criticism, or suggestions, please email info (at) midsommerflight (dot) com.