Equity & Access - Wonderlust Productions

Wonderlust Productions has a core belief that theater in the 21st century must include a diversity of artists and decision makers – ethnically, culturally, economically and in ability and disability – because a truthful representation of the world requires it.

Diversity isn’t simply an aspiration; it is reality. As we continue to grow our company of collaborating artists and administrators, we are mindful, intentional, and proactive about ensuring we are a company that reflects the diversity of the communities we are in and serve.

We also strive to make sure our work is universally accessible. Large print programs, audio described, and ASL-interpretation is available. Contact us for more information or to read our Access Plan. All admission is offered free, on a sliding scale, or pick your price.

Our productions feature diverse casts and production teams to reflect the communities whose stories we are telling. And they serve a diverse audience of people inside and outside each project community. All of our projects involve diligent outreach and trust building with the full range of voices within a community. We start by identifying both the horizontal and vertical diversity that exists within each of our project communities. Horizontal diversity is demographic. Vertical diversity is inclusive across a community’s power hierarchies. We don’t go forward with a project until we have heard stories from, and have participation from people along both of these spectrums within a community.

Access goes hand in hand with our perspective on the value of diversity. All of our lead artists have experience working with disability communities. Every step of our work is accessible, with support in terms of physical access, translation, transportation and other resources necessary to reduce barriers. Every invitation we extend, whether to story circles, workshops, readings, auditions, rehearsals, or productions, offers free transportation, translation, and fully accessible venues. Early in our story circle outreach process, we look for disability-specific advocacy groups within any community we are making a play with. All of our shows have ASL interpreted and audio described performances for the audience. All of our events have free and sliding scale ticket options to provide access across our audience’s economic diversity.

It is embedded in our creative process to not simply invite or tolerate diversity, difference, and disability, but to celebrate and illuminate the truth that we all exist on a beautiful spectrum of background and ability. We build the roles, the scenic design, and the choreography of our plays around the natural abilities of our community cast, using the way they move and express themselves as the foundation for the physical vocabulary of each show.

Our aim is to subvert the myths of generalization and simplification and the tyranny of systemic inequities that keep people’s true experiences hidden. By assiduously inviting and empowering the full diversity of a community, we get to the deeper truths of complexity, conflict, comedy, and tragedy. By cultivating a radically inclusive creative space where all voices drive content and form, and supporting those voices with the best of theatrical craft, we create plays that change the way our audiences see their own world and their place in it.

Footer

CONNECT