7 Stages Theatre fiercely condemns racial injustice and complicit silence. We knock down systemic barriers with our art and actions.  

We condemn the racist murders of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, David McAtee, Mubarak Soulemane, and countless others. We surround their families and communities with support. Let us remember their names. 

While we continue to re-define our role as artists, our social, political and spiritual mission guides our programming by telling stories of the othered and representing what our city looks like on our board, staff, and on our stages. This work continues to remind us that oftentimes we do not get it right. We need to do better! We must continue to examine how we are still complacent and still fail. By acknowledging that we are a white led organization, we actively work to dissolve our own connections to the binary systems that support white supremacy. The work is messy and uncomfortable.  Heidi S. Howard, our Artistic Director likes to use the phrase, “keeping our feet in the fire”. Now the fire is spreading. 

As the world experienced a shared threat in the pandemic, our teams, leadership, and core artists began to imagine a new business and programmatic structure.  Despite isolation, the time seemed like an opportunity to create a new norm, one that does not return to the broken American Theatre system that works to uphold racist power structures. Our priorities included connecting with our local, national and international colleagues and artists to examine, imagine, and create a new way forward. We challenged ourselves to be bold in analyzing our internal systems and programs, and to find ways to better serve Atlanta, and our national and international communities. 

Then the pressure cooker of over 400 years of murder, brutality, and disregard of black lives opened up once again. Despite the shared experience of fighting covid-19, the division of our people is exposed now more than ever in the light of center stage.

This is another wake up call. Now, we ask our white and non-Black staff, board, audiences, artists, donors, and partner organizations to listen, learn, and be fierce in finding ways to actively engage in solidarity, build empathy and form actionable steps. 

To our Black artists and community members, the 7 Stages board, staff and artistic family supports you in your grief and anger. Our platforms and space are yours to create, to organize, to activate leadership, to LIVE!

We are here for you!

Please take care, share your ideas and needs. 

…AND PLEASE VOTE!

 

With love, 

~ 7 Stages Family

At 7 Stages, we wish to offer a reflection of the space we occupy, honoring the Muscogee (Creek) people and their land, as our theatre has resided for over 40 years on the stolen land that we know as Atlanta. Producing content that spans nationally and internationally, our theatre is a global center for vital conversations. As such, it is necessary to recognize our own participation as we address injustices across the globe, with not only our productions, but also our administrative practices. We acknowledge that the original voices of this land were and continue to be silenced.  As we examine our role in the arts community, we strive to shed light on colonialism and seek to create brave spaces for Native voices, stories, and leadership. 

With this in mind, for each ticket sold, 7 Stages will be implementing an Indigenous Land Use Fee, the proceeds of which will be paid back to local and national organizations and tribes to ensure the wellbeing of our Indigenous communities. This fee, conceived in conversation with Indigenous collaborators, is a way to begin undoing centuries of erasure. Justice for Native people is about confronting the privilege of settler colonialism and actively breaking down white supremacist power structures.

7 Stages kicked off our Indigenous Land Use Fee during our summer Human Lights Festival: A Curious Encounter. For the first donation, all proceeds earned from the fee were donated to the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina. 7 Stages’ Artistic & Education Associate Nicolette Emanuelle has roots in the Lumbee tribe and her current work What Are You? draws much inspiration from her experience. We could think of no better way to launch our initiative than by honoring our friend and frequent collaborator.

7 Stages’ return to in-person performances and activities is very exciting, but we can’t forget why we have waited so long. We must make every effort to ensure the safety of all the people involved in our productions, including you!

Patrons and staff are encouraged to wear a mask at all times and food is no longer allowed inside the theatres.

If you are not feeling well, please stay home and do not attend any in-person events! We are happy to exchange any tickets for another time when you are feeling better. Just reach out to the box office 404-523-7647 and we will do our best to accommodate your request.  

These health and safety measures are in place to help protect everyone in the community against the devastating effects of COVID-19. Thank you for supporting our efforts to keep our community safe and healthy while welcoming artists back to the stage for live-in-person performances. 

Sincerely wishing you health ~ physical, mental and creative,

7 Stages