A Statement of OPC Commitment
White supremacy and privilege are deeply imbedded in the psyche and daily practices of this country, resulting in the economic, cultural and physical oppression of Black bodies. This oppression has led to the recent unconscionable murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sean Reed and countless others, adding to our nation’s long history of state sanctioned violence against the Black community. In the wake of this violent racial intolerance, the Ojai Playwrights Conference will take the following actions to help dismantle racist structures and help awaken a more just and equitable America for all citizens.
The Ojai Playwrights Conference will continue and deepen its commitment to collaborate with artists of color, creating theatrical work that speaks to the critical social, political and cultural challenges of our time. No issue is more important to reflect, reveal and remedy than the systemic racism that is pervasive in American society in both our institutional, public spaces and our internalized, psychological spaces. In all OPC programming we commit to support Black artists who speak forcefully to dismantle the rampant racism that permeates our lives. We can do more and we will. Black Lives Matter. Black Artists Matter.
OPC is committed to greater diversification of its board and its staff on both the administrative and artistic levels. Although small in number, we are aware we must increase the number of diverse voices of color at the table of decision-making and art-making to develop and tell the most critical stories of this historical moment. We are a smarter, more creative and more informed artistic community with leaders like Jose Delgado as OPC Producing Director, Logan Vaughn as OPC Associate Artistic Director, and invaluable artists of color on the OPC Artistic Committee rigorously informing and deepening the play selection process. We will act immediately to make this increased diversity of board members and staff leadership a reality within the next three months.
OPC is committed to anti-racist training for staff, as well as engaging in organized, ongoing self-reflection on goals and standards of inclusion. We fear the amnesia that may once again set in within the local and national consciousness as events recede. We must not forget the violence, the economic injustice, the educational imbalance and cultural exclusion caused by systemic racism.
OPC is committed to increased diversification of its Youth Workshop and Artistic Intern Program which are both dedicated to imparting writing skills and play development training to young writers and theatre artists. We are committed to increasing the diversity of both groups through donor development, scholarships and enhanced outreach which will expand accessibility to those programs.
OPC encourages our family of board, staff, artists, audience and donors to ACT:
-BE INFORMED about how power and privilege sustain the original sin of this country
-SPEAK OUT in the face of racial oppression and indignity against communities of color
-VOTE for those who will eradicate economic, educational and other forms of systemic racism
-SUPPORT organizations combating the legacies of racism that endure today
OPC ARTISTIC COMMITTEE:
Luis Alfaro, Associate Producer
Christopher Breyer, Literary Director
Hal Brooks, Associate Artistic Director
Jose Delgado, Producing Director
Robert Egan, Artistic Director/Producer
Sasha Emerson, Associate Artistic Producer
J. Holtham, Resident Dramaturge
Jeff Liu, Resident Dramaturge
Kim Maxwell, Youth Workshop Program Director
Tiffany Moon, Literary Manager
Mark Seldis, Managing Director
Casey Stangl, Associate Artistic Director
Logan Vaughn, Associate Artistic Director
Gideon Jeph Wabvuta, Associate Artist
We encourage you to take action by supporting organizations working diligently to address these profound inequities. Here are a few that will lead to others:
https://www.blackwomensblueprint.org/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd
https://www.showingupforracialjustice.org/
https://www.advancingjustice-alc.org