Update - December, 2020

December 1, 2020

Dear Milwaukee Rep Community,

We trust you had a good Thanksgiving, albeit a bit different this year than in the past. Many of the beloved traditions fell by the wayside this year, as healthcare experts encouraged us to stay home and celebrate with just our immediate families. So while we may have had fewer people around our table, hopefully we used this season to give thanks and reflect upon our blessings. During such a challenging and tumultuous year, it is more important than ever to demonstrate gratitude.

Internally, we at Milwaukee Rep are grateful for and encouraged by the progress we’re making toward becoming a more inclusive and equitable organization.

We have officially launched our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) Milwaukee Rep Staff Workgroup, which is charged with developing trainings, activities, and lifting the ED&I priorities focused on workplace inclusion and cultural competence. We boast an incredible staff that is talented, creative, and passionate about theater. But what has emerged this year is the beautiful and resolute dedication our team has for making Milwaukee Rep and our community a better place. Change requires buy-in from the entire company, and our staff is all-in towards achieving equity. Our workgroup members represent every department and will serve six-month terms to allow for increased engagement and participation by various staff.

In addition, our engagement with the Kaleidoscope Group continues. We are now entering a new phase of our work wherein we will be developing strategy and infrastructure tailored to achieving ED&I, as well as the creation of an ED&I measurement “scorecard” to ensure we are making progress towards our goals. That plan will be presented and shared in January 2021.

Finally, we are delighted to welcome Rajendra Ramoon Maharaj to the Rep family. Rajendra joins our artistic team as associate artistic producer. As an Indo-Afro-Caribbean American artist, educator, and activist, he was hailed in the New York Times as “one of the most talented directors in New York these days.” He is the former artistic director with New Freedom Theatre in Philadelphia and lives in New York but will be making the move to Milwaukee soon.

Thank you for your continued support, and happy holidays!

Greg Oberland
President, Board of Trustees

Warren Buliox
Trustee & Chair, ED&I Committee

Mark Clements
Artistic Director

Chad Bauman
Executive Director

Tammy Belton-Davis
Chief Diversity Officer