Composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, book writer Steven Levenson, director Michael Greif, and producer Stacey Mindich explain their initiative in an open letter to fans.
- Jun 13, 2020
AceShowbiz - The creators of the Tony-winning Broadway musical "Dear Evan Hansen" have announced they will donate their time and money "to fight systemic racism against Black people."
Composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, book writer Steven Levenson, director Michael Greif, and producer Stacey Mindich wrote an open letter to fans, which was posted on Instagram, announcing a $100,000 donation to two organisations "to help effect change both in our theater community and on a national level."
"We have spent the last several days listening to the Black members of our companies, our community, our country, and the world, as they share with us their pain, their suffering, and their heartbreak. These truths, we must admit, are not new. The systemic racism against Black people and communities is not new," they wrote in the letter."
"A theatrical culture in which Black voices have been silenced and erased is not new. And as we mourn the unspeakable losses of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, we recognize that the brutal murder of Black people is not new."
As well as donating $50,000 to the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, to sponsor an industry-wide 'Continuing the Conversation' Forum in early 2021, and $50,000 to Color of Change, the creators of the musical will be "examining" their own practices and "looking inward, assessing the personnel, policies, and systems of our show at every level, in every department, and at every location."
"The shameful reality is that, for all too long, the injustices and inequities endured by our fellow citizens, our peers, and our friends have gone unheard and unheeded. The shameful reality is that none of it is new," they added. "What must be new is our commitment not merely to listen, but to act, and to act now."
