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Let Us Work
@LetUsWorkProject
Kuvat
Tietoja henkilöstä Let Us Work
Let Us Work is about collecting and sharing stories of sexual harassment that have transpired while working in theater; the goal is to share these stories with our unions, theater companies, publications, schools where theater is taught and performed, and theatrical organizations that can affect change.
Too many people (of all genders, not just women) have been sexually harassed while working in theater (and in every field, though for this project, for now, theater is my focus). In fact, I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this, every woman (and man, and person all across the gender spectrum) you know has experienced some kind of sexual harassment in their workplace. We are being grabbed, and groped, and demeaned, and assaulted. And then we’re being asked to work with or alongside the people who treated us that way, because those people have faced no consequences. Some of us feel empowered to report it, and nothing is done. Some of us don’t feel empowered to report it, because we’re afraid it will hurt our careers--and because we know nothing will be done. And I am angry about it, and tired of it.
We deserve to be safe. We deserve to be respected. We deserve to be able to go to work without being afraid. The fact that our work is art, that it breeds community and closeness, does not mean it shouldn’t be subject to the same protection as any job in an office or factory or retail outlet.
For Equity members, there are some Equity protections. For those of us who aren’t AEA, either because we aren’t actors or because we haven’t gotten our cards yet, there are virtually no rules that protect us. New York State has labor laws that protect unpaid interns from harassment, but do those laws apply to those of us who are doing an unpaid workshop of a new play in a basement?
Our unions need to be stronger and do more to protect us. But maybe even more than that, individual theaters need stronger policies. They need more rules. We need to say to each other that this behavior is unacceptable. That people who behave this way are not welcome in our workplaces, will not be cast in our shows, will not direct, or design, or write them. There are too many talented people whose voices will never get heard, and yet people who are victimizing us are working with impunity.
We just want to work. Let us make our art. Let us say what we have to say. Let us push our culture forward as the arts have always done. It’s hard enough to carve out a niche and eke out a living in the arts without having to endure harassment in silence. So I say to our theaters, and unions, and schools: Let Us Work.
If you run a theater company that doesn’t have a sexual harassment policy, make one. Put it in writing. Tell it to your company members and to everyone who works on every single one of your projects, from readings to productions to festivals. Then honor it. Believe accusers. Confront harassers and punish or fire them. It doesn't matter how small your company is--you can do it if it’s important to you. And it should be.
If you’re an artist, know that you are not alone. Talk to your fellow artists. Tell them what happened to you. Warn them. Refuse to work with people you know are predators. You don’t have to say why. If you feel like you can do it, report harassment when you experience it. If you don’t feel like you can do it, you don’t have to endure it in silence. Tell someone who is touching you or speaking to you in a way that upsets you, “Stop touching me.” “Don’t speak to me that way.” You don’t have to say please. If you don’t feel like you can speak up, walk away. Take care of yourself. Tell a friend. Call the national sexual assault hotline. You didn’t imagine it: your experience was real and it was not acceptable. And please, if you're reading this email and some of what I'm describing sounds like something you yourself have done, know that it is never, ever acceptable.
So here is my request of you:
If you have been sexually harassed while working in theater, send me your story: take the survey on this page. You can answer as many or as few of the questions as you feel comfortable with, and you can fill it out even if you've never experienced harassment while working in theater. Then share it with your colleagues and friends--this project will depend on spreading the word as far and wide as we can. You can also email me here or at letusworkproject@gmail.com. You can PM me on Facebook, text me--whatever you choose. Tweet at me (@letsgetitdarted) with the hashtag #LetUsWork. All levels of anonymity and detail are welcome. I will be submitting my own story, and I will be sending them to AEA, SDC, and any other organization or publication that will listen.
In a world where a sexual predator is our next president, taking care of each other and making noise for our rights is a radical act.
-Rachel
Too many people (of all genders, not just women) have been sexually harassed while working in theater (and in every field, though for this project, for now, theater is my focus). In fact, I’m willing to bet that if you’re reading this, every woman (and man, and person all across the gender spectrum) you know has experienced some kind of sexual harassment in their workplace. We are being grabbed, and groped, and demeaned, and assaulted. And then we’re being asked to work with or alongside the people who treated us that way, because those people have faced no consequences. Some of us feel empowered to report it, and nothing is done. Some of us don’t feel empowered to report it, because we’re afraid it will hurt our careers--and because we know nothing will be done. And I am angry about it, and tired of it.
We deserve to be safe. We deserve to be respected. We deserve to be able to go to work without being afraid. The fact that our work is art, that it breeds community and closeness, does not mean it shouldn’t be subject to the same protection as any job in an office or factory or retail outlet.
For Equity members, there are some Equity protections. For those of us who aren’t AEA, either because we aren’t actors or because we haven’t gotten our cards yet, there are virtually no rules that protect us. New York State has labor laws that protect unpaid interns from harassment, but do those laws apply to those of us who are doing an unpaid workshop of a new play in a basement?
Our unions need to be stronger and do more to protect us. But maybe even more than that, individual theaters need stronger policies. They need more rules. We need to say to each other that this behavior is unacceptable. That people who behave this way are not welcome in our workplaces, will not be cast in our shows, will not direct, or design, or write them. There are too many talented people whose voices will never get heard, and yet people who are victimizing us are working with impunity.
We just want to work. Let us make our art. Let us say what we have to say. Let us push our culture forward as the arts have always done. It’s hard enough to carve out a niche and eke out a living in the arts without having to endure harassment in silence. So I say to our theaters, and unions, and schools: Let Us Work.
If you run a theater company that doesn’t have a sexual harassment policy, make one. Put it in writing. Tell it to your company members and to everyone who works on every single one of your projects, from readings to productions to festivals. Then honor it. Believe accusers. Confront harassers and punish or fire them. It doesn't matter how small your company is--you can do it if it’s important to you. And it should be.
If you’re an artist, know that you are not alone. Talk to your fellow artists. Tell them what happened to you. Warn them. Refuse to work with people you know are predators. You don’t have to say why. If you feel like you can do it, report harassment when you experience it. If you don’t feel like you can do it, you don’t have to endure it in silence. Tell someone who is touching you or speaking to you in a way that upsets you, “Stop touching me.” “Don’t speak to me that way.” You don’t have to say please. If you don’t feel like you can speak up, walk away. Take care of yourself. Tell a friend. Call the national sexual assault hotline. You didn’t imagine it: your experience was real and it was not acceptable. And please, if you're reading this email and some of what I'm describing sounds like something you yourself have done, know that it is never, ever acceptable.
So here is my request of you:
If you have been sexually harassed while working in theater, send me your story: take the survey on this page. You can answer as many or as few of the questions as you feel comfortable with, and you can fill it out even if you've never experienced harassment while working in theater. Then share it with your colleagues and friends--this project will depend on spreading the word as far and wide as we can. You can also email me here or at letusworkproject@gmail.com. You can PM me on Facebook, text me--whatever you choose. Tweet at me (@letsgetitdarted) with the hashtag #LetUsWork. All levels of anonymity and detail are welcome. I will be submitting my own story, and I will be sending them to AEA, SDC, and any other organization or publication that will listen.
In a world where a sexual predator is our next president, taking care of each other and making noise for our rights is a radical act.
-Rachel
