About

THEATRE IN TRANSFORMATION

Aurora recognizes that we have historically been a predominantly white institution and that our organization, like the American theatre more broadly, has been shaped by systems that have not provided equal access, opportunity, or representation to everyone.

In 2020, the murder of George Floyd and the national reckoning with racism and anti-Blackness prompted institutions across the country to examine their own practices. Within the theatre field, We See You White American Theatre challenged predominantly white institutions to confront inequity and systemic bias within our industry.

Aurora publicly affirmed that Black Lives Matter and began a deeper examination of our own organization. Through our Confronting and Dismantling Oppression commitments, we looked at who held power within Aurora, whose stories appeared on our stage, whom we hired and supported, who participated in our organization, and who felt that Aurora belonged to them.

That process led to changes in our artistic practices, workplace policies, community engagement, governance, and organizational culture. It also taught us that this work cannot be understood as a set of initiatives to complete.

Aurora is a different organization today. As we rebuild, we have the opportunity—and the responsibility—to carry what we learned forward. We know that bias exists within individuals and institutions, including our own. We remain committed to recognizing it, listening when we fall short, examining our practices, and changing them when our actions do not reflect our values.

MOVING FORWARD — TOGETHER

We carry this history and what we have learned with us.

It means looking intentionally at whose stories we tell and who gets to tell them, and creating opportunities for artists whose voices and experiences have historically been underrepresented in the American theatre.

It means examining who has access to Aurora—as artists, staff, leaders, collaborators, and audiences—and working to remove barriers that have kept people from participating fully.

It means creating rehearsal rooms, workplaces, and audience spaces grounded in dignity and respect, with equitable practices and clear expectations for how we treat one another.

It means building genuine relationships with the communities around us, listening rather than assuming we know what belonging or access should look like.

And it means remaining willing to look critically at ourselves. We will not always get everything right. Our responsibility is to listen, learn, respond, and change when our practices do not reflect the values we have stated.

We invite our artists, audiences, and community to be part of this work with us. Together, we are building the Aurora we want to become.

OUR PUBLIC RECORD

Aurora’s original Black Lives Matter statements, Confronting and Dismantling Oppression commitments, and progress reports remain publicly available as part of our institutional record and continue to inform this work.

Read Aurora’s Black Lives Matter statements and resources →

Read Aurora’s Confronting and Dismantling Oppression commitments and reports →