Response from Hale Centre Theatre to the Letter from the Community
HALE CENTRE THEATRE
9900 SOUTH MONROE STREET
SANDY, UTAH 84070
ONLINE HCT.ORG
BOX OFFICE (801) 984.9000
July 1, 2020
Dear Past and Present Hale Centre Theatre Artists, Staff and Patrons,
Thank you for being an integral part of Hale Centre Theatre (HCT). The roles you have played behind the scenes and on the stage have brought joy to our broader community. HCT is fortunate to call you friends and is grateful you have chosen to share your talents at the theatre.
We were pleased to have received the letter signed by many of you regarding diversity at HCT. We want to continue to be a part of this important effort and change. We hear you and we are listening. Thank you for taking the time to meet with us in person so HCT can improve in terms of increasing opportunities for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) talent in Utah. HCT is committed to this effort.
Our Board of Trustees felt the need to increase focus on Diversity & Outreach in 2019. As such, the newly formed Diversity & Outreach Committee held its first meeting in the fall of last year. The Committee is comprised of respected leaders from across the Wasatch Front who have long worked for greater representation among our communities of color.
The Diversity & Outreach Committee, with the support of the Board of Trustees, has recommended ideas we believe will help in the cause of greater community representation for educational programs and on the stages of Hale Centre Theatre. We appreciate your thoughts in the letter received June 25, 2020. Many of your ideas will help us as we continue to walk this path together.
We are pleased to share with you some recent organizational changes we believe will help now and into the future.
We are proud to announce that Conlon Bonner, MAPC, accepted a position on June 15 as
Director of Diversity & Outreach at HCT. Conlon holds a Masters of Arts in Professional
Communication from Southern Utah University and a Bachelors in Communication Studies from Brigham Young University. Professionally, he has worked in education for 10 years teaching youth of various ethnicities and backgrounds. Conlon's extensive entertainment career spans more than a decade. He has performed in lead acting roles on the stages of HCT and other stages internationally. Among other duties, Conlon will add a perspective from a performer and has a seat on the senior leadership team. In addition, Conlon, as the Director of Diversity & Outreach will establish a new internal diversity and inclusion staff team. This team will meet regularly and focus on ensuring that BIPOC employees at HCT feel respected and that proper employee training continues.
Our Diversity & Outreach Committee will ensure HCT is actively reaching out into the BIPOC community to help all feel welcome and are encouraged to audition. HCT will market our productions and casting opportunities in new ways such as specific advertising within the BIPOC community. This outreach effort will include focused advertising, social media work within BIPOC groups, work with BIPOC-focused Chambers of Commerce and other BIPOC associations. This will help additional communities feel welcome both performing at and attending Hale Centre Theatre.
HCT will actively search for productions that depict BIPOC stories, which also align with general programming at HCT that audiences desire. HCT needs your help to ensure a sufficient number of BIPOC actors audition so these types of shows are cast inclusively and ethnically appropriate. We are eager to welcome additional BIPOC talent; auditions will remain open and will be cast based on talent.
The Director of Diversity & Outreach will serve as a Casting Advisor during the audition process at HCT. This advisor will have a voice along with the directors and producers and will help view acting roles through the lens of a BIPOC perspective.
The Diversity & Outreach Committee will oversee donated ticket outreach into the community with an emphasis on underserved communities. We hope this will allow many to attend who might otherwise not have the opportunity. Last year, HCT donated over 6,000 tickets to over 600 charities across the state.
We recognize that youth education is a key component. For the past 18 years, HCT has presented the Student Matinee Program. Annually, this program welcomes over 14,000 students (K-12) to attend daytime matinee performances at HCT at no cost to the student or school. This program also provides educators with learning materials which help students better understand and appreciate the theatre experience. HCT believes hosting students in the theatre is an important element of theatrical education. This program has a significant Title 1 focus and participation. Because HCT does not receive direct public funds to support this program, HCT pays for this out of operations and through privately secured donations.
HCT is excited to begin a new educational outbound program. HCT will create and offer school assemblies at no cost to youth K-12. HCT looks forward to sharing important messages using music and theatrical arts. Preference will be given to schools with higher BIPOC populations in the hopes that BIPOC youth will view theatre as a source of joy and something they can do themselves. This program is paid for out of HCT general operational funds. HCT will work to secure additional outside funding to build and preserve this program.
Hale Centre Theatre is proud of 36 years of creating world-class theatre employing local professional talent. We are eager to build upon the foundation that has been established in large part due to you sharing your talents on the HCT stages. We appreciate your time in meeting with us and sharing your letter. HCT, its management, Executive Committee and Diversity & Outreach Committee believes the above outlined actions will result in greater equity across our shared community and a richer experience for the patrons, staff, and actors at Hale Centre Theatre. As a Board of Trustees and Administrative Staff, we appreciate your support and patience as we continue forward and implement the above new steps. We thank you for all you do to build the arts in Utah and look forward to continued conversation.
Sincerely,
Hale Center Theatre Board of Trustees
Robert Brough, Chairman
Luz Escamilla
Michelle A. Love-Day
Amy Rees Anderson
Judy C. Fang
Al Manbeian
Nathan Anderson
Joan Fenton
Shelly Martin
Patrice Arent
Jeff Flamm
Jennifer Miller
Kevin Bauer
Nancy Flamm
Scott Mitchell
Jeff Bickel
Michael Fox
Natalie Montague
Earlene Blaser
Randy Garn
Rachelle Morris
Conlon Bonner
Larry Gibson
Kris Nicholl
Lee Bowen
Matt Gnau
Sterling Nielsen
Russ Bradshaw
Ron Gunnell
David Pack
Derek Brown
Keri Hale
Jason Perry
Ron Burt
Christy Alter Haymond
Nick Perry
Brooke Christensen
Todd Heiner
Tyler Ploeger
Roger Christensen
Roger Henriksen
Michael Poulter
Dan Clark
John Huizingh
Gene Pranger
Andrea Clarke
David Jensen
Sean Reyes
Larry Cox
Sterling Jenson
Ross Romero
Lew Cramer
Jonathan Johnson
Jane Stickel
Charles Dahlquist
Karen Hale Keller
Rick Tolman
Jeff Davis
Claire Wilkins Kenny
Jon VanderStek
Mark Dietlein
Lianna M. Kinard
Sharlene Wells
Quinn Dietlein
Christopher Kirkland
Athelia Woolley
Sally Dietlein
Peggy Larsen
Mary Young