Supporting Roles is here
to change the culture of American Theater.
Working in the performing arts is inspiring and important, but it can be demanding and taxing, too. Our goal is to create spaces where theatres and theater makers get the support they need to flourish both as artists and people. Through conversation and skill-building, Supporting Roles will uplift the mental health needs of creative communities.
WHY we do this
Theater is important. And so is supporting and uplifting the people who make it.
The show must go on, but at what cost? From heavy content to relentless schedules to seemingly impossible standards of excellence -- actors, performers, technical designers, and front- and back-of-house staff are bearing the full weight of the trope, and it is no longer viable for theater makers.
We seek to support an American Theater culture where there is open conversation and concrete skill sharing around the challenges faced on and off the stage, so that the show CAN and WILL go on in a way that sustains and uplifts performers and staff.
HOW it works
You name the challenges.
We share the tools.
Every theater company has its own community, with the values, social norms, habits, and foibles to go along with it. And every theater maker -- on stage and off, front of house and back -- does their best work when that community culture upholds an environment of health, resiliency, productivity, and impact. We work directly with your organization to respond to the specific needs of your group by sharing real, actionable, proven tools. Together, you move forward through this experience with shared tools and language.
WHAT we do
We offer direct support through a choice of programming.
Depending on where your organization is seeking support, we can join you at any time in your season or strategy. From a series of planned workshops over the course of a season or production to ad-hoc immediate crisis interventions, we work with you to deliver programming that is responsive, equitable, trauma-informed, and practical.