Berkeley Repertory Theatre

THE THEATRE PRODUCES PREMIERS OF NEW WORK AND MAJOR PRODUCTIONS FROM AN INTERNATIONAL REPERTOIRE.

BERKELEY REP'S 2020/21 SEASON WAS A YEAR UNLIKE ANY OTHER IN THE THEATRE'S MORE THAN 50-YEAR HISTORY. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS TESTED BERKELEY REP IN WAYS WE NEVER IMAGINED. CONTINUED IMPACTS FROM THE PANDEMIC PROMPTED BERKELEY REP TO RESCHEDULE ALL SEVEN SUBSCRIPTION SHOWS SLATED FOR THE 2021 SEASON TO 2021/22, AND THE THEATRE SHIFTED TO ALL ONLINE ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING THROUGH 2020/21. THOUGH WE KNEW WITHOUT IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING WE WERE UNLIKELY TO REACH OUR USUAL ANNUAL AUDIENCE OF 200,000 PATRONS AND 20,000 STUDENTS, WE ARE PROUD THAT FREE AND LOW-COST BERKELEY REP-PRODUCED DIGITAL CONTENT GARNERED OVER 60,000 VIEW/LISTENS (PLUS ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE ARTIST CONVERSATIONS AND AUXILIARY SHOW-RELATED EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES), CLOSE TO 3,000 PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED WITH OUR SCHOOL OF THEATRE PROGRAMMING, AND WE SERVED NEARLY 100 ARTISTS THROUGH COMMISSIONS, A HYBRID SUMMER RESIDENCY LAB, AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT.IN 2020/21, BERKELEY REP OFFERED AUDIENCES A SUITE OF ONLINE ARTS EXPERIENCES DUBBED REP ON-AIR THAT INCLUDED A COMBINATION OF ON-DEMAND ORIGINAL AUDIO AND VIDEO WORKS PRODUCED IN-HOUSE BY BERKELEY REP; WHAT'S IN A PLAY?, A BOOK GROUP FOR PLAYS OFFERED VIA ZOOM; AS WELL AS STREAMED VIDEO PERFORMANCES FROM SOME OF THE THEATRE'S LONGTIME COLLABORATORS. OUR GOALS WITH THESE PROGRAMS WERE TO PROVIDE AUDIENCES WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH ART FROM HOME AND BRIDGE THE ISOLATION OF SHELTERING IN PLACE, AND TO SUPPLEMENT INCOME FOR ARTISTS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF WHOM LOST SOME IF NOT ALL OF THEIR INCOME DURING THE PANDEMIC.IN FALL 2020, WE WERE THRILLED TO PRODUCE A NEW AUDIO VERSION OF TONY TACCONE AND BENNET S. COHEN'S ADAPTATION OF THE SINCLAIR LEWIS NOVEL IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE, WHICH APPEARED AS A STAGE PRODUCTION IN OUR 2016/17 SEASON. IT CAN'T HAPPEN HERE WAS THE FIRST VIRTUAL SHOW BERKELEY REP DEVELOPED IN-HOUSE AFTER THE COVID-19 SHELTER-IN-PLACE ORDER WENT INTO EFFECT IN MARCH 2020. RELEASED TO COINCIDE WITH THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION, THE FREE-TO-STREAM RADIO PLAY WAS BOTH AN OPPORTUNITY TO BRING AN IMPORTANT STORY TO AUDIENCES AND A MEANS TO ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE AND MOTIVATE CITIZENS TO EXERCISE THEIR CIVIC DUTY AND VOTE. WE JOINED WITH OVER 100 BROADCAST PARTNERS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES INCLUDING THEATRES, UNIVERSITIES, COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND MORE TO SHARE OUR PRODUCTION WITH THEIR CONSTITUENCIES AND OUR STUDY GUIDE WITH STUDENTS.IN THE FALL, REP ON-AIR ALSO FEATURED THE PRESENTATION OF STREAMED PERFORMANCES FROM THREE BERKELEY REP FAVORITES: DIRECTOR EMMA RICE SHARED HER SWEET AND WHIMSICAL ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS; SOLO PERFORMER HERSHEY FELDER BROUGHT US GERSHWIN ALONE AND A PARIS LOVE STORY FEATURING THE MUSIC OF CLAUDE DEBUSSY; AND FOR THE HOLIDAYS, DIRECTOR MARY ZIMMERMAN'S WISTFUL THE STEADFAST TIN SOLDIER INDUCED POWERFUL LONGING FOR THE RETURN TO LIVE THEATRE.FOR OUR FIRST REP ON-AIR OFFERING OF 2021, PLACE/SETTINGS: BERKELEY, WE COMMISSIONED 10 WELL-KNOWN WRITERS WITH DEEP TIES TO BERKELEY TO WRITE ABOUT A BERKELEY LOCATION MEANINGFUL OR MEMORABLE TO THEM. WE RELEASED THE STORIES IN A WEEKLY PODCAST AND TICKETHOLDERS RECEIVED AN ILLUSTRATED MAP THAT INVITED LOCAL LISTENERS TO SAFELY VENTURE OUT INTO THE CITY TO EXPERIENCE THE STORIES ON-LOCATION. PLACE/SETTINGS: BERKELEY GARNERED OVER 11,000 LISTENS ACROSS ITS 10 EPISODES. IN APRIL, WE LAUNCHED THE WAVES IN QUARANTINE, A SIX MOVEMENT VIDEO EXPLORATION OF LISA PETERSON AND DAVID BUCKNAM'S MUSICAL ADAPTATION OF VIRGINIA WOOLF'S THE WAVES. THE PIECE FEATURED A TALENTED CAST, INCLUDING FOUR-TIME TONY AWARD NOMINEE RAL ESPARZA (WHO CO-CONCEIVED THE PROJECT WITH LISA PETERSON). WITH THE (ONLINE) HELP OF BERKELEY REP'S ARTISTIC AND PRODUCTION TEAMS, THE CAST FILMED AND RECORDED THEIR OWN FOOTAGE AND AUDIO FROM THEIR VARIOUS HOMES AND LOCALES. THE WAVES IN QUARANTINE RECEIVED OVER 17,000 VIEWS ACROSS ITS SIX VIDEO MOVEMENTS, AND MANY INTERNATIONAL VIEWERS REGISTERED TO RECEIVE ACCESS TO THE SHOW. WITH WHAT'S IN A PLAY?, BERKELEY REP'S ARTISTIC STAFF OFFERED FREE MODERATED DISCUSSIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ABOUT PLAYS REPRESENTING A WIDE RANGE OF FORMS AND CONTENT. PARTICIPANTS OF A WIDE VARIETY OF BACKGROUNDS TUNED IN FROM ALL OVER THE BAY AREA, AS WELL AS FROM AUSTRALIA, FRANCE, THE UK, BROOKLYN, AND KENTUCKY, AND MANY NEW FRIENDSHIPS WERE FORMED. IN 154 SESSIONS DURING THE 2020/21 SEASON, TOTAL ATTENDANCE NUMBERS FOR WHAT'S IN A PLAY? REACHED OVER 2,500 WITH MANY REPEAT ATTENDEES FROM OVER 400 HOUSEHOLDS.

IN SPITE OF CHALLENGES BROUGHT ON BY COVID-19, THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE HAS CONTINUED TO PROGRAM COMPREHENSIVE ARTS LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR BAY AREA CHILDREN, TEENS, AND ADULTS. THROUGH CLASSROOM WORKSHOPS, CLASSES, A VIBRANT TEEN COUNCIL PROGRAM, AND MORE, THE SCHOOL'S EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING IS A CRITICAL TOOL FOR CONNECTING STUDENTS OF VARIED AGES AND BACKGROUNDS TO THE THEATRE'S WORK. THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE OFFERED A DIVERSE ARRAY OF 1-15-HOUR VIRTUAL IN-CLASS RESIDENCIES FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN ALAMEDA, CONTRA COSTA, AND SAN MATEO COUNTIES. A TOTAL OF 878 STUDENTS IN 31 CLASSROOMS, 35% OF WHICH WERE IN TITLE 1 SCHOOLS, BUILT LITERACY, SOCIAL, AND EMOTIONAL SKILLS THROUGH CURRICULA SUCH AS STORY BUILDERS, CHANGE MAKERS, PERFORMANCE LAB, AND IMPROV, ALL TAUGHT OVER ZOOM BY BERKELEY REP'S EXPERIENCED TEACHING ARTISTS. SURVEYS CONDUCTED DURING THE WORKSHOP PERIODS HELPED TEACHING ARTIST ADAPT TO THE NEEDS OF A NEW TEACHING ENVIRONMENT AND UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES STUDENTS WERE FACING, SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY AND INTERNET CONNECTION ISSUES, CHILDCARE RESPONSIBILITIES, SHARING LEARNING SPACES WITH SIBLINGS, AND DEALING WITH THE SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL IMPACTS AND PRIVACY CONCERNS OF PEERS AND TEACHERS SEEING INTO THEIR HOMES. IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING STUDENT LEARNING, THE MULTI-WEEK NATURE OF OUR IN-CLASS WORKSHOPS ALSO WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING SUPPORT BAY AREA TEACHING ARTISTS. WITH THE SCARCITY OF WORK FOR ARTISTS DURING THIS PERIOD, MANY TEACHING ARTISTS WERE RETICENT TO JEOPARDIZE VITAL UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS BY ACCEPTING SHORT ONE-OFF PROJECTS. WITH THE HELP OF GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE FOUNDATION FUNDING, BERKELEY REP WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE GUARANTEED LONG-TERM EMPLOYMENT THROUGH MULTI-WEEK WORKSHOP COMMITMENTS THAT SERVED AS AN ANCHOR AROUND WHICH TEACHING ARTISTS COULD BUILD OTHER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. BERKELEY REP TYPICALLY OFFERS AT LEAST FIVE STUDENT MATINEE PERFORMANCES EACH SEASON FOR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WITH NO IN-PERSON PRODUCTIONS IN 2020/21, THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE EXPLORED CREATIVE WAYS TO OFFER A VIRTUAL STUDENT MATINEE EXPERIENCE. IN THE FALL, SCHOOL OF THEATRE STAFF WELCOMED THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPERIMENT WITH A VIRTUAL STUDENT MATINEE FOR A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS IN OAKLAND. USING THE STUDY-GUIDE THE THEATRE CREATED FOR OUR 2018 PRODUCTION OF HEIDI SCHRECK'S WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, STAFF PARTNERED WITH THE TEACHER TO DEVELOP A CURRICULUM ABOUT THE SHOW FOR HER STUDENTS, WHO WATCHED THE BROADWAY PRODUCTION ON AMAZON PRIME. OUR EXPERIENCE MAY PROVIDE A MODEL FOR THE THEATRE TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN FUTURE TO EXTEND OUR REACH INTO SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITHOUT EASY ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMMING AND TO ACCOMMODATE SCHOOLS UNABLE TO SCHEDULE FIELD TRIPS DUE TO ONGOING COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS. BERKELEY REP'S TEEN CORE COUNCIL, A GROUP OF STUDENT LEADERS FROM AROUND THE BAY AREA, EXPERIMENTED WITH NEW WAYS TO CONNECT THEIR PEERS TO ARTS EXPERIENCES ONLINE: ACTIVITIES INCLUDED AN ONLINE TEEN NIGHT, ARTIST INTERVIEWS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, AND PILOTING A THREE-EPISODE PODCAST SERIES. IN PLACE OF THE ANNUAL TEEN ONE-ACTS FESTIVAL, THE CULMINATING TEEN COUNCIL EVENT WAS A 72-HOUR FILM FESTIVAL. AS WITH MOST OF OUR PROGRAMMING, PARTICIPATION AMONGST OUR TEEN POPULATIONS WAS LOWER THAN IN PRE-PANDEMIC YEARS. WE RECOGNIZE THAT IT WAS A LOT TO ASK EVEN OUR MOST COMMITTED TEENS TO SPEND THEIR FREE TIME DOING ONLINE ACTIVITIES WHEN THEY WERE AVERAGING A MINIMUM OF SIX HOURS ONLINE FOR SCHOOL EVERY DAY. BECAUSE OF THIS, WE ANTICIPATE CHALLENGES IN THE COMING SEASON AS WE WORK TO BUILD STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEEN COUNCIL MEMBERS, MANY OF WHOM MISSED A FULL YEAR OF PROGRAMMING WITH US. AS WE MONITOR AN EVER-CHANGING PUBLIC HEALTH SITUATION AND RESPOND TO FAMILIES' VARYING COMFORT LEVELS WITH IN-PERSON PROGRAMMING, WE LOOK FORWARD TO EASING BACK INTO OUR USUAL SLATE OF TEEN PROGRAMMING AS THE THEATRE RETURNS TO IN-PERSON EVENTS IN 2021/22.AFTER HAVING PAUSED THE PROGRAM IN SPRING 2020, BERKELEY REP OPENED APPLICATIONS IN SUMMER 2021 FOR OUR PRESTIGIOUS NEXT GENERATION FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM FOR COLLEGE GRADUATES CONSIDERING A CAREER IN THE ARTS. STAFF USED THE PERIOD WHILE THE PROGRAM WAS DORMANT TO CREATE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ALLOW US TO REINSTATE IT SAFELY AND INCLUDE ALL THE LEARNING AND MENTORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE CENTRAL TO BERKELEY REP'S FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE. AS PART OF BERKELEY REP'S RECRUITMENT EFFORTS FOR THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM, BEGINNING IN MAY 2021 THE SCHOOL HOSTED A THREE-SESSION ONLINE BIPOC PLAY READING SERIES FOR EMERGING BIPOC THEATRE MAKERS, ADMINISTRATORS, AND TECHNICIANS. TO ASSIST PROSPECTIVE FELLOWSHIP APPLICANTS, BERKELEY REP ALSO HOSTED AN ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION IN JULY. MORE THAN 50 INTERESTED CANDIDATES PARTICIPATED LIVE (MANY MORE WATCHED THE ON-DEMAND RECORDING), AS MEMBERS OF BERKELEY REP'S STAFF AND TWO FORMER FELLOWS SHARED APPLICATION TIPS, INSIGHTS ABOUT LIFE AS A FELLOW, AND THOUGHTS ABOUT FUTURE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AS THEATRES NATIONWIDE BEGIN TO REOPEN.

FROM THE MOMENT IN-PERSON THEATRE ACTIVITIES WERE SUSPENDED, BERKELEY REP RECOGNIZED THE NEED TO CENTER OUR COMMITMENT TO SERVING ARTISTS. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING PAID CREATIVE WORK TO ALL THE ARTISTS WHO PARTICIPATED IN REP ON-AIR AS ACTORS, DESIGNERS, AND MORE, WE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED OUR COMMISSIONING ACTIVITY DURING THIS PERIOD. COMMISSIONS INCLUDED FIVE FULL-LENGTH WORKS FROM DAVEED DIGGS AND RAFAEL CASAL, SARAH RUHL, DIPIKA GUHA, RICHARD MONTOYA (THE IDEA FOR WHICH WAS SPARKED BY HIS WORK ON PLACE/SETTINGS: BERKELEY), AND JACK THORNE AND NICO MULHY, AND AN ADDITIONAL TEN SHORT COMMISSIONS FOR A FUTURE PLACE/SETTINGS: OAKLAND PROJECT IN TOTAL, WE MADE 20 SHORT AND FIVE FULL-LENGTH COMMISSIONS IN 2020/21. THESE COMMISSIONS WERE A PROMISE TO ARTISTS, AUDIENCES, AND OURSELVES THAT WE WOULD SURVIVE THE EXISTENTIAL CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC, AND THAT WHEN WE DID, THERE WOULD BE VIBRANT, VITAL STORIES AWAITING US.IN AUGUST 2021, WE HOSTED A SCALED-DOWN VERSION OF OUR GROUND FLOOR SUMMER LAB, WHICH IN PRE-PANDEMIC YEARS GATHERS AS MANY AS 100 ARTISTS AT OUR WEST BERKELEY CAMPUS EACH SUMMER TO WORK ON 12-22 PROJECTS. FOR THE 2021 SUMMER LAB, WE REALIZED THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT IMPACT THE PROGRAM COULD MAKE IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT WAS TO SUPPORT OUR LOCAL ARTS COMMUNITY, SO WE HOSTED AN ALL-LOCAL SUMMER LAB, INVITING 27 LOCAL ARTISTS TO WORK ON 12 PROJECTS. THE ARTISTS' PALPABLE RELIEF WHEN THEY ENTERED OUR BUILDING AND SAW OTHER ARTISTS WITH WHOM TO WORK AFTER A YEAR OF ISOLATION WAS AS MOVING AS IT WAS MOMENTOUS IT REMINDED US OF THE IMPORTANT ROLE BERKELEY REP PLAYS IN THE CREATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW THEATRICAL WORK. THE GENEROUS ARTIST-TO-ARTIST COLLABORATION ACROSS PROJECTS WAS MORE STRIKING THIS YEAR THAN EVER BEFORE, AS ARTISTS SERVED AS EACH OTHER'S ACTORS WHEN NEEDED, AS WELL AS AUDIENCE MEMBERS AND RESPONDENTS.

THE 2009 ADDISON STREET WORKFORCE HOUSING PROJECT IN DOWNTOWN BERKELEY THAT WILL CONTAIN 45 APARTMENT UNITS AND TWO NEW SCHOOL OF THEATRE SPACES IS CURRENTLY ON SCHEDULE WITH AN EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE IN AUGUST 2022. AFTER A PAUSE IN WORK DUE TO COVID-19, CONSTRUCTION RESUMED ON THE PROJECT IN DECEMBER 2020. WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME ISSUES WITH BUILDING MATERIAL PROCUREMENT THIS YEAR, OUR GENERAL CONTRACTOR HAS BEEN ABLE TO KEEP SUPPLIES AND BUILDING MATERIALS ARRIVING ON TIME.IN ADDITION TO THE 45 APARTMENT UNITS FOR VISITING ARTIST AND FELLOW HOUSING, THE BUILDING WILL HOUSE A LARGE STUDIO PERFORMANCE SPACE THAT WILL PROVIDE THE SCHOOL OF THEATRE WITH A DEDICATED PERFORMANCE VENUE FOR STUDENT WORK. THE SPACE ALSO WILL SERVE AS A NEW HOME FOR THE GROUND FLOOR TO SHOWCASE READINGS, WORKSHOP PRESENTATIONS, AND OTHER EARLY-STAGE WORK THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM EXPOSURE TO AN AUDIENCE. BERKELEY REP USED THIS PERIOD WHILE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC INTERRUPTED OUR REGULAR OPERATIONS TO LAUNCH 5-YEAR STRATEGIC INITIATIVES FOCUSED ON ARTISTIC PROGRAMMING, AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT, ANTIRACISM AND INCLUSION, ARTS EDUCATION, COMMUNITY DIALOGUE, ORGANIZATION INFRASTRUCTURE, AND CLIMATE CHANGE. IN 2020/21, TRUSTEES AND STAFF WORKED CLOSELY TO CRAFT A VISION FOR HOW THESE FOCUS AREAS WILL INFORM THE THEATRE'S INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL OPERATIONS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. WHILE A FEW INITIATIVES ARE STILL IN AN IDEATION STAGE, WE HAVE BEGUN TO TAKE ACTION ON SEVERAL RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE TASK FORCES.WITH ADMINISTRATION AND ARTISTIC STAFF PRIMARILY WORKING REMOTELY OVER THE LAST 19 MONTHS, ONE MAJOR AREA WAS UPDATING TECHNOLOGY TO STREAMLINE THE ORGANIZATION'S INFORMATION FLOW AND COMMUNICATIONS TOOLS. UPGRADES HAVE INCLUDED TRANSITIONING TO A NEW ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE, CONSOLIDATING COMMUNICATIONS ONTO MICROSOFT TEAMS, SWITCHING TO A NEW PHONE SYSTEM, AND MIGRATING OUR SERVER FILES TO CLOUD-BASED DATA STORAGE SOLUTIONS. INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES HAVE THE TWIN BENEFIT OF IMPROVING THE ORGANIZATION'S OPERATIONS AND HELPING ADVANCE THE THEATRE'S CLIMATE INITIATIVES. SINCE 2007, BERKELEY REP HAS MADE A CONSCIOUS COMMITMENT TO ENERGY RESPONSIBILITY. IN 2020/21, WITH WILDFIRES AND OTHER CLIMATE-RELATED DISASTERS IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITIES AND UNDERSCORING THE URGENCY FOR ACTION, BERKELEY REP REAFFIRMED OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR PLANET AND WE BEGAN OUTLINING A PATH TOWARD CARBON NEUTRALITY. EFFORTS HAVE INCLUDED OUR SHIFTING TO LED LIGHTING IN OUR REHEARSAL HALLS AND IN THE NEVO EDUCATION CENTER; WE HOPE SOON TO TRANSITION OUR THEATRICAL STAGE LIGHTS TO LEDS. THE PANDEMIC HAS REDUCED OUR DEPENDENCE ON IN-PERSON MEETINGS, THEREBY DECREASING THE NEED FOR TRAVEL AND LOWERING OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS. ONGOING CONVERSATIONS AMONG OUR BOARD AND OUR STAFF ABOUT THE THEATRE'S ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY AS A RESOURCE TO THE COMMUNITY HAVE FOREGROUNDED THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPANDING THE THEATRE'S RELATIONSHIP TO OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH DEEP, NON-TRANSACTIONAL PARTNERSHIPS. AS A RESULT, BERKELEY REP HAS CREATED IN DIALOGUE, A NEW PROGRAMMATIC INITIATIVE THAT WILL PLACE THE CAPACITY OF OUR THEATRE-MAKING SKILLS AND RESOURCES IN SERVICE OF OUR COMMUNITY. IN 2020/21 WE APPOINTED A NEW ASSOCIATE MANAGING DIRECTOR WHO, IN COLLABORATION WITH A SOON-TO-BE-HIRED ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, WILL LEAD DEVELOPMENT OF IN DIALOGUE.BERKELEY REP IS COMMITTED TO BECOMING AN ANTIRACIST ORGANIZATION THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF OUR BOARD, MANAGEMENT, AND STAFF. WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING BLACK, INDIGENOUS, AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) ARE HOLISTICALLY REPRESENTED THROUGHOUT ALL LEVELS OF OUR ORGANIZATION: ON OUR BOARD, IN LEADERSHIP ROLES, ON- AND BACKSTAGE, AND IN OUR OFFICES, REHEARSAL ROOMS, PRODUCTION FACILITIES, AND AUDIENCE.THE BOARD GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE REVIEWED AND AMENDED BOARD POLICIES AND THE BOARD NOMINATION PROCESS TO AFFIRM THAT FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ARE NOT A BARRIER TO BOARD PARTICIPATION. TWO-THIRDS OF NEW TRUSTEES WHO JOINED US IN 2020/21 IDENTIFY AS BIPOC. THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS HAS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING TIME AT EVERY BOARD MEETING FOR ANTI-RACISM TRAINING AND LEARNING. THE BOARD/STAFF ANTIRACISM WORKING GROUP IS COMPRISED OF EQUAL NUMBERS OF BOARD AND STAFF, AND SERVES AS A SPACE FOR ONGOING JEDI DIALOGUE, EDUCATION, AND PLANNING, WHILE CREATING A STRUCTURE FOR INTERNAL ACCOUNTABILITY. IN ADDITION TO OUR ONGOING BIPOC AFFINITY SPACE AND A WHITE ACTION/LEARNING SPACE, IN DECEMBER 2020 BERKELEY REP STAFF CREATED A STAFF-LED EDUCATION COMMITTEE TO PROGRAM AND FACILITATE ANTIRACISM CONVERSATIONS AND TRAININGS DURING ALL-STAFF MEETINGS. BERKELEY REP'S DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND DIVERSITY HAS LED AN IN-DEPTH AUDIT OF THE THEATRE'S RECRUITMENT, SELECTION, AND HIRING PRACTICES, AND WE ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF FORMALIZING A NEW HIRING POLICY. WE HAVE REVISED JOB POSTINGS WITH A CRITICAL EYE TOWARD ELIMINATING LANGUAGE AND REQUIREMENTS THAT MAY RESULT IN GATEKEEPING, AND WE HAVE RECONFIGURED OUR HIRING COMMITTEES TO BE AT LEAST HALF BIPOC. WE ALSO CONDUCTED A WAGE ANALYSIS AND WILL CONTINUE TO POST SALARY RANGES FOR ALL OPEN POSITIONS PUBLICLY.THROUGHOUT 2020/21, BERKELEY REP'S EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM WITH INPUT FROM THE BOARD AND STAFF WORKED TO DRAFT AN ANTIRACISM COMMITMENT, WHICH WAS POSTED ON THE THEATRE'S WEBSITE IN SEPTEMBER 2021. THE STATEMENT ACKNOWLEDGES BERKELEY REP'S POWER AND PRIVILEGE AS A HISTORICALLY AND PREDOMINANTLY WHITE LEGACY THEATRE THAT HAS PROFITED FROM THE KNOWLEDGE, STORIES, AND BODIES OF BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE; OUTLINES THE ACTIONS WE HAVE TAKEN SO FAR IN OUR ANTIRACISM WORK; AND AFFIRMS OUR COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE THE WORK OF BECOMING AN ORGANIZATION THAT WELCOMES, SUPPORTS, AND HONORS THE FULLNESS AND COMPLEXITY OF ALL PEOPLE'S IDENTITIES.WHEN ARTISTIC DIRECTOR JOHANNA PFAELZER JOINED THE COMPANY IN 2019/20, WE FELT THE TIME WAS RIGHT TO REFRESH BERKELEY REP'S BRAND IDENTITY TO REFLECT THE BOLD IMAGINATION AND SPIRIT OF INNOVATION FOR WHICH THE THEATRE IS KNOWN. BERKELEY REP WORKED WITH GRAPHIC DESIGNER PAULA SCHER OF NEW YORK-BASED DESIGN FIRM PENTAGRAM AND HER TEAM TO DEVELOP A BRAND IDENTITY THAT ESTABLISHES A BOLD AND CONTEMPORARY VISUAL LANGUAGE FOR THE THEATRE IN LINE WITH ITS PROGRAMMING AND REPUTATION. IN JUNE 2021, BERKELEY REP UNVEILED OUR NEW BRAND IMAGE TO COINCIDE WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE THEATRE'S 2021/22 SEASON. AS PART OF THE REBRAND, BERKELEY REP ALSO INVESTED IN A MUCH-NEED REDESIGN OF THE THEATRE'S WEBSITE.