NCT is providing our lobby on Tuesday June 9th from 6:30pm- 9:00pm to support protesters doing the real, valuable, and dangerous work of changing this country for the better. We apologize and acknowledge that we have not done nearly enough in support of our community. We acknowledge that we have not recognized our own, inherent and naive complicity in the status quo and the failure to properly recognize benefits we receive from a national system that runs on inequality. Opening our lobby to protesters is one small step we can take at this time. In addition to this, at NCT our family commit to reading works by authors of color, educating our staff and employees on practical ways to critically deconstruct our individual biases, and do the work to systematically overhaul our business. We are saddened and embarrassed there are currently no performers of color frequently appearing on our stage, in our teaching staff and leadership. It is our obligation and moral duty to examine this, to restructure whatever power we have as a business and give that power to those who have been historically marginalized.
Sincerely,
Krissy Lenz
Neighborhood Comedy Theatre
Furthermore, it wouldn’t be right to publish this statement without acknowledgement to the work of our friend Marina Mastros. She is an activist, and has done many years of meaningful work as a diversity and inclusion coordinator and educator in the improv community. Marina helped me craft this statement and has been an ongoing, trusted resource for how we, as a team, could do better and be better. I am personally thankful for this and for all of the time, talent, energy and experiences People of Color have shared, and continue to share with us.