Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2020 - 20

were started by members who wished
to find representation and community
at the conference and in the industry.
These programs were varied, and included panels like 1974's "Careers for
Women in Theatre Production," chaired
by Tharon Musser. To address the misconception that women weren't working
in theatre production, Happy Robey and
Carla Richters compiled and published,
with the support of the Tech Production
Commission, a directory of addresses to
enable networking entitled "Women in
Theatre: A Source Book for Networking"
in 1991. Affinity groups and later caucuses were formed to provide spaces
for networking and support. They were
a fruitful place to discuss any problem
regarding a working environment in
the industry, and the population grew
tremendously. Members with concerns
found a place to articulate them in these
sessions. The size of the group meant increased strength and support, as well as
mentoring opportunities.
By the first years of the 21st century,
USITT's annual conference provided
space for Women in Theatre, Human

Issues Caucus, Queer Nation, and the
People of Color Network. It seemed
one only needed to provide an empty
room and publicize the session, and the
seats filled. The idea of diversity and accessibility became tools for discussion
outside of commissions. Allies started
to show up to support inclusion issues.
Those who felt they had been working
in the wilderness found a community
instead. The phrase "found my people"
was heard among certain populations
for the first time.
The question then became: Could
the conference be changed enough so
that those people feel more comfortable? Looking outward, it was obvious
that a coming generational shift would
bring a demographic shift. Members
with different experiences will necessarily change the discussion. They bring
riches to the table if they feel welcome,
and although it is easy to check boxes,
it is harder to foster full inclusion. The
Gateway Program, created in memory of
Tayneshia Jefferson, a USITT and board
member who valued the model of SMMP
and worked towards greater inclusion

for underrepresented populations, was
devised to address these needs. David
Stewart and Kasey Allee-Forman generated an outline, prepared a proposal, and
the board funded a pilot program to begin with the 2014 conference.
In order to truly lead, the Institute
had to consider its past, think about its
future, and initiate change. Indeed, Lea
Asbell-Swanger credits the archives
of the Institute and the Living History
Project as being an important catalyst.
"Without that background we wouldn't
have been able to get people to understand why it had to be different today.
How it got to be where it is determines
how it has to go somewhere else," she
says. Looking back, Allee-Foreman recalls that it was very much like USITT
to identify an issue, implement a project,
and then look to its place in the larger
framework; inclusion was the issue,
Gateway was the project, and the Equity,
Diversity and Inclusion Initiative was the
larger framework.
Selecting
Mentees:
Gateway,
like SMMP, seeks to provide mentorship at the conference and to provide

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Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 2020

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