Essays to educate & grow consensus on labor & pay equity in the theatre industry.
Decentering Doom: A Word From Chicago Theatre Workers
After an outpouring of op-eds bemoaning the state of U.S. theatre, 2 Chicago writers lift up innovative collaborations in their own backyard as examples for the field.
by Elsa Hiltner & Yasmin Zacaria Mikhaiel
Published by American Theatre Magazine, October 17, 2023
A Call for Equal Support in Theatrical Design
"A Call for Equal Support in Theatrical Design" addresses the gender-based division of labor and allocation of labor support within the theatre history. The essay went viral in the theatre and film costume design industries, is taught in college courses, and has led to changes in the way the industry operates.
Published by HowlRound, a knowledge commons by and for the theatre community, on November 23, 2016.
Republished by Stage-Directions Magazine in the December 2017 issue.
Inequity by Design
"Inequity by Design" focuses on systemic pay secrecy in the theatre industry and how theatre workers can change the system to build greater transparency and equity.
Published by HowlRound, a knowledge commons by and for the theatre community, on July 13, 2020.
Republished by Stage-Directions Magazine in the August 2020 issue.
Pay Equity: What’s in it for Theatre Companies?
"Pay Equity: What's in it for Theatre Companies?" is an examination of the way centering and enacting pay equity benefits theatre companies.
Published by HowlRound, a knowledge commons by and for the theatre community, on January 6, 2021.
Republished by Stage Directions Magazine in the February 2021 issue.
HowlRound: Essays and Conversations from the First Ten Years
HowlRound has published their first anthology of essays, and selected one of my essays, “A Call for Equal Support in Theatrical Design,” for inclusion in the book.
“The anthology celebrates a decade of publishing essays, livestreaming events, and bringing theatre practitioners together to amplify progressive and disruptive ideas, and exists as a result of the thousands of theatremakers who have shared their collective wisdom through contributions to this commons-based free and open platform.
“In publishing this anthology, we hope to further our vision of a theatre field where resources and power are shared equitably in all directions, contributing to a more just and sustainable world. The writing highlighted offers a much-needed reminder that alternatives to the status quo are possible, and we are making them together by practicing otherwise everyday.”
The Price of Pay Activism was part of the HowlRound Series Design (in a Time of Reckoning), curated by Katherine Freer and Porsche McGovern in 2021.
“The following is a conversation facilitated by Wingspace Theatrical Design between arts activists Genevieve Beller, co-founder of Costume Professionals for Wage Equity, and Elsa Hiltner, co-founder of On Our Team. The two organizations recently collaborated to bring wage transparency to the online job boards at Playbill and Broadway World and have since turned their attention to Backstage.com.”
Chris Jones Once Again Fails The Theatre Industry
In this essay I address the Chicago Tribune’s lead theatre critic Chris Jones’ work and call for arts journalism that considers arts workers.
Originally published by OnStage Blog, on April 28, 2021.
