You are currently processing an exchange. Remove Code Cancel Order

The Refocus Project

Transforming the American theatre canon

LEARN MORE

The Refocus Project

 A Zoom screen with Whitney White, Todd Haimes, Kenny Leon, and Vanessa Wiliams.

In the spring of 2021, we launched The Refocus Project to shine a spotlight on playwrights and plays that have been historically excluded from the theatrical canon due to the playwright’s race, ethnicity, gender, and/or orientation. The inaugural year featured five virtual readings of plays by Black writers along with ancillary programs, and we are already seeing an increase in future productions across the country. Year two of Refocus (2022) will be in-person and feature Hispanic and Latinx writers.

Learn More

Building a Better Roundabout

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism

LEARN MORE

Building a Better Roundabout

Actors in A SOLDIER'S PLAY dressed as soldiers stand in front of a large American flag and several caskets covered in American flags.

Roundabout has created a five-year strategic plan to evaluate and evolve how we address EDI/AR in our work, workplaces, and our community. Conceived by a team of 29 staff members in collaboration with the Board EDI Committee following a company-wide assessment in October 2019, the plan was launched in September 2021.

Learn More

Community Partnerships

Building on longstanding relationships with schools and audiences

LEARN MORE

Community Partnerships

A group of students in the front row smile and hold up their Playbills for TRUE WEST.

Roundabout seeks to build mutually beneficial relationships with the local community and reduce barriers that can inhibit theatregoing. In addition to the 15,000 free or discounted tickets we allocate for low-income families, young theatregoers, and community organizations, we have also established community partnerships with three branches of the New York Public Library to provide artist residencies in communities that are currently underrepresented in Roundabout audiences.

Learn More

Career Development

Fostering the next generation of dynamic theatre professionals

LEARN MORE

Career Development

Eight students stand in front of a Roundabout logo step and repeat and hold up framed certificates.

Our Career Development efforts include the Theatrical Workforce Development Program, which focuses on diversifying the technical theatre industry, and the Roundabout Directors Group, which offers resources, networking, and career development to early career directors from diverse backgrounds. These programs cultivate the next generation of theatre professionals.

 Learn More

WANT TO GET INVOLVED?


The annual budget for the current Forward Fund initiatives is nearly $4.5 million each year, so Roundabout relies on contributed revenue to support this important work. We have established the Champions for Inclusive Theatre which provides special recognition and behind-the-scenes access to the programs supported by the Forward Fund. Membership starts at $25,000, but all donations are integral to create a more just and inclusive Roundabout and NYC theatre industry.

CHAMPIONS For Inclusive Theatre

  • Elizabeth Armstrong
  • Bank of America
  • Eugene and Joann Bissell and the Lillian Lincoln Foundation
  • Kevin Brown
  • Barbara and Peter Bye
  • Ginger McKnight Chavers
  • Ford Foundation
  • Jill and Barry Lafer
  • Gina Maria Leonetti
  • Iva Mills
  • Beryl Snyder
  • Denise Littlefield Sobel

  • To learn more about becoming a Champion for Inclusive Theatre, please contact Kristen Mitchell, Director of Individual Giving at kristenm@roundabouttheatre.org or 212-719-9393 ext. 318.
 

SUPPORT THE FORWARD FUND

Make your impact today.