We must do better
A note from Artistic Director Yuval Sharon & Executive Director Elizabeth Cline
In 2012, The Industry’s inaugural opera CRESCENT CITY featured a black man (played by Cedric Berry) choked to death by a white cop (played by Jonathan Mack). Although this evil act was the catalyst for the destruction of the fictional city, we let ourselves and the cop character off the hook: we presented the action as the result of the cop being possessed by the spirit of the voodoo god Carrefour (also played by Berry). The cop’s own agency and responsibility for his actions were therefore mitigated — some might even say excused.
We have been listening, reflecting, and learning. In the last two weeks, this scene in particular sticks out painfully as a moment when we were not responsible enough in considering how we imagine scenes of injustice and police brutality. We do not stand behind this scene, and we ask our audiences to forgive us for not living up to our stated beliefs.
The Industry has had African-American leadership in staff and board positions, and we have advocated since the beginning for artists of color. And yet we have so much to learn and such a long way to go. We will continue to ask ourselves tough questions and unpack our institutional privileges: How do we prioritize anti-racism in our work; how do we create opportunities for BIPOC in every part of our organization; how do we hold ourselves accountable for the structural change that we want to see in the world?
It has been heartening to see opera companies, such as Long Beach Opera, and organizations, such as Opera America, getting the conversation started about race and opera. However, for many opera companies, this has not come with the acknowledgment that those companies still perform pieces requiring singers to wear black-face or enact racist stereotypes. Opera has historically been a proponent of bigotry far more often than an art form extolling justice, and without a deep acknowledgment of that fact, opera will remain an artform woefully out of step with its potential to transform human consciousness. The Industry pledges to do the continuous work of understanding our own complicity in upholding injustice and finding meaningful actions for change.
When the pandemic hit twelve weeks ago, we were challenged with reinventing ways to gather and experience performance together. The protests have shown us that it is not enough to reinvent; we have to dismantle our systems and create an equitable world for all. There is no “normal” to return to. We find so much hope in this challenge and feel inspired to do the real work.
In solidarity,
Yuval, Elizabeth & The Industry team
Photo: Crescent City, 2012. Music by Anne LeBaron, text by Douglas Kearney, directed by Yuval Sharon, produced by The Industry. Pictured: Cedric Berry and Jonathan Mack.
Resources
- Panels on Equity and Racism in the Arts
- Long Beach Opera on JUN 14: Community Conversation #1 – Equity and Diversity in the Arts + Roundtable
- Opera America: Making Change Panel Discussion Video
- Activist Organizations
- Reading Suggestions
- Anti-racism Resources List (Google Docs)
- Los Angeles Times: 13 great books about the black experience in America
- New York Magazine: 7 Anti-Racist Books Recommended by Educators and Activists
- Ways to Take Action