DEIA Commitment

Diversity-Equity-Inclusion-Accessibility Plan: 2024-25

Our Diversity-Equity-Inclusion-Accessibility (DEIA) plan was formally adopted by the Playhouse Board of Trustees in March of 2018. It outlines our ongoing commitments, goals and action steps to creating a DEIA-based environment that reflects the diversity of our community. As a living document, it is updated annually with the participation of staff, board, artists, and community stakeholders.

Our Commitment

Our theatre is a community gathering place where we seek to illuminate the human experience. We celebrate differences and lift up our shared humanity. Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park recognizes the injustices and inequities that underpin our city and our nation.

We welcome people of all races, ethnicities, religions, sexualities, gender identities, ages, abilities, backgrounds, countries of origin and other historically excluded communities. This commitment will be reflected in our programming, audience, outreach and all those connected with the Playhouse — management, staff, Board of Trustees, volunteers and vendors.

Recent Actions

• Incorporated DEIA goals and metrics into new 3-year strategic plan.
• Hired a full-time, dedicated DEIA staff member.
• Established ongoing Staff and Board learning.
• Replaced 10 out of 12 tech rehearsals with 8 out of 10, including anadditional tech day.
• Printed land acknowledgement in all programs and incorporated into rehearsals.
• Established cultural consultant position for educational touring shows.
• Increased Board representation to 36% Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC).
• Increased staff representation to 20% individuals from historically excluded groups.
• Hired 66% of actors for On the Hill Tour from historically excluded groups.

Ongoing Actions

• Provide DEIA and anti-racism learning and development opportunities for board, staff, volunteers and leadership.
• Provide DEIA learning and discussion opportunities to staff around season programming.
• Produce BIPOC plays on both stages, every season.
• Hire creative teams that are diverse and inclusive. When appropriate, all members of a creative team may be from the same historically excluded group.
• Practice identity and color-conscious casting when roles are not specified by the playwright.
• Include land acknowledgement in programs and at first rehearsals.
• Provide a space and opportunity for patrons to discuss show themes and what happens behind-the-scenes with Art Talks.
• Focus Board Diversity and Nominating committees on recruitment consistent with our commitment.
• Serve as a resource to local artists and organizations from under-represented and historically excluded groups.
• Establish a more robust system to recruit local talent.
• Make our spaces accessible for those with any physical or sensory need.
• Work with and support social justice groups that promote Equity in our community.
• Deepen our relationship with the Cincinnati LGBTQIA+ community.
• Build new partnerships each season that deepen our roots in the community.
• Increase staff representation consistent with our commitment, especiallyBIPOC and historically excluded populations.
• Ensure that candidates from historically excluded groups are part of the interview pool for all senior staff and executive level searches.
• Ensure economic access to Playhouse programming.
• Produce sensory-friendly matinees of A Christmas Carol.
• Examine issues relevant to selected shows through community conversations and Playhouse Perspectives.
• Offer free and subsidized performances of school and Off-the-Hill touring productions across the Tri-State area.
• Expand Launch Pad Accessibility Program for summer camps.
• Maintain affinity spaces for staff and artists from historically excluded groups.
• Maintain an allyship affinity space for staff and artists for continued learning.

Future Actions

• Create an archive of past and present community and social justice partnerships.
• Perform an Accessibility Audit of facility and programs.
• Expand programming across spaces including Audio Description in RSH.
• Invest in new technologies to improve accessibility. (Audio Description, ASL, Open Captioning)
• Achieve a minimum of 40%BIPOC Board members and 30%BIPOC staff by 2026.