Theatre Operations Unleashed

So far we have addressed the legal foundations, the physical environment, and the performing arts workplace. I now want to turn to what organizations actually do with all of that: the plans they write, the training they run, the way they communicate with the public, the programming choices they make, the governance structures that hold them accountable, the data they collect, the committees they form, and the mission commitments that make the preceding episodes something more than a filing cabinet of good intentions. This episode opens the part by addressing the document and the practice that sits at the center of all of it, the organizational accessibility plan.

Join me when I connect again with Elizabeth Geer, award winning acting coach, as we discuss the ins and outs of creating compelling video auditions for BFA acting programs. We will discuss the dos and don'ts and how this can level the field for all who seek to further their education and acting talent in highly competitive spaces, including those who are part of the disabled community.

As we continue our series on accessibility in the performing arts, I had the privilege of sitting down with Mikey Shaffer, VP of Sales, North America with Listen Technologies to spend some time discussing assistive listening technologies and their impact on accessibility in the performing arts and in general. Learn about what exists, what's new, and how the future is shaping up with the latest in solutions in the industry. Find out how this improves the experience for all who experience these venues.

Research suggests that neurodivergent individuals -- those with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and related conditions -- are represented at relatively high rates in creative and technical fields, including the performing arts. This episode examines what neurodiversity means for the performing arts workplace, including accommodation strategies, organizational culture, and the argument that neurodivergent workers bring distinctive strengths to performing arts environments.

Performing arts faculty in colleges, universities, and conservatories, as well as teaching artists in community programs, occupy a distinctive professional category with specific employment and accommodation obligations. This episode addresses faculty disability accommodation in academic performing arts settings, Section 504 obligations of federally funded educational institutions, and the particular challenges of studio-based instruction.

Many performing arts organizations depend heavily on unpaid or minimally compensated contributors: front-of-house volunteers, production interns, and students in educational programs. This episode addresses the legal and ethical obligations of organizations toward these contributors, the particular vulnerabilities of student and intern performers and technicians, and best practices for inclusive volunteer and internship programs.

Stage managers, lighting designers, sound engineers, riggers, carpenters, electricians, and other technical theater workers form the essential workforce of the performing arts. This episode addresses accessibility in technical workplaces, with attention to the physical demands of technical theater work, accommodations for workers with disabilities, and the design features of technical spaces that either enable or preclude full workforce participation.

This episode addresses the experiences and rights of performers -- actors, singers, dancers, musicians, directors, and other creative artists -- who have disabilities. It examines the legal framework for accommodation in the creative workplace, the artistic case for inclusive casting, and the growing body of disability arts practice that reframes disability not as a barrier to performance but as a dimension of creative expression.