Community Agreement

59E59 Theaters is committed to creating a safe and equitable environment based on collaboration with and respect for our community of employees, artists, patrons, and other guests involved in bringing our mission to life. As a community member, we expect you to actively and intentionally not participate in harmful behaviors, especially towards *equity-seeking groups. We require that you be available for open dialogue and active learning should an issue arise in our space or offsite at a 59E59 affiliated event. Willful failure to comply with this Agreement, or other Company Policies, may result in disciplinary action, or severed ties with community members.

Our Values

We center our ethics around Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA).
We affirm our identity as an *Anti-Racist institution.
We believe it is our responsibility to help dismantle all forms of *systemic oppression by listening, working for change, and taking action against injustices in our community.
We honor the dignity and value of every human being.
We are regularly learning and holding ourselves accountable and acknowledging our mistakes.
We are committed to making artistic, administrative, and interpersonal decisions that are firmly rooted in IDEA best practices, and naming inequity and *bias when we see it within our organization.

Our Actions

The following Action Plan is the standard to which we hold ourselves and our community accountable. We will work to help anyone who appears to fall short of these expectations.

Create safe and supportive environments for our community to share their concerns and experiences.
Train staff on all federal, state, and local laws as it relates to Sexual Harassment and Human Rights / Discrimination.
Identify harassment and misconduct when we see it.
Uphold reporting standards and guidelines for our community of employees, visiting artists, contractors, and guests.
Listen to our community members when they say they feel marginalized or diminished by our behavior.
Reject any behavior that marginalizes or diminishes a member of our community. This includes, but is not limited to, unwanted touching, inappropriate language, disrespectful behavior, and any abuse of power.
Respond with fairness, honesty, integrity and openness, while treating all with equality and dignity.
We will continue to train employees on the company’s Anti-Harassment and Anti-Discrimination policies in tandem with the Theater's Anti-Racism action plan.

Willful failure to comply with this Agreement, or other Company Policies, may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination in the case of employees, or severed ties with guests, visiting artists or other Community members.

This is a living document and shall be audited on an annual basis.

59E59 Staff Agreement

Every employee has the right to a respectful, considerate, dignified and non-sexualized working environment. The Community Agreement applies to all members of staff, visiting artists, producing companies, and temporary employees. It is the responsibility of all managers, staff members, and others employed by 59E59 Theaters to ensure this Community Agreement is upheld and clearly communicated to everyone. It is the duty of every employee to maintain a welcoming workspace that fosters understanding, collaboration, and respect. 59E59 Theaters’ leadership in tandem with Supervisors and Managers will encourage and provide a framework for Employees to discuss or formally report any issues and concerns regarding conduct or ethics without fear of retaliation. Additionally, we commit to the following:

Communicate openly and transparently within each department, between departments, and interpersonally.
Hold quarterly all-staff meetings to review our goals, share achievements and discuss areas for improvement across all levels of the organization.
Share clear job descriptions, responsibilities and roles, and systems for accountability with all staff.
Provide annual performance evaluations for all staff, including 360 reviews for supervisors and executive leaders from their direct reports facilitated by the Board, when appropriate.
Hold Employees responsible for their behavior and understand that any oppressive, threatening, aggressive, bullying, harassment or unwanted sexual attention, language or touching- will trigger disciplinary action.
Value the labor of all individuals by not making use of volunteer labor and committing to pay all employees including interns.
Aspire to a healthy work / life balance implementing a firm maximum of 40 hour work weeks.
Practice transparent hiring practices (including clear salary recommendations for postings) throughout the entire organization.
Drive hiring practices that foster true and honest *intersectionality.
Develop job descriptions that mitigate the potential for harmful bias.
Support Gap Training, and provide professional development and mentorship opportunities for all employees.

Visiting Company Community Agreement

Theater is an art form and as such, the work can and should be challenging, experimental, exploratory, and bold. Artistic freedom of expression is essential and only thrives in a creative space that is also a safe space. Willful failure to comply with this Agreement, or other Company Policies, may result in disciplinary action, or severed ties with visiting artists.

We expect that all members of 59E59’s Community, including visiting artists, companies, and temp workers, recognize that each individual has a right to a working environment that encourages considerate, dignified and non-sexualized working relationships.
It is the responsibility of 59E59 Theaters to ensure the maintenance of a welcoming space that fosters understanding and respect by upholding the Community Agreement and clearly communicating it to everyone.
We require that all Third Parties review our Community Agreement at the commencement of their contract and acknowledge in writing that they will abide by it.
We require all companies to make time during their first day of rehearsal and first day of the full company being in our space - for a meet and greet that will include a brief on our Community Agreement, the Flag Policy, and Anti-Harassment procedures.
Management will explain and provide handouts and forms regarding framework for discussion and pathways to formally report issues and concerns regarding conduct or ethics with no fear of retaliation.
We strongly encourage all visiting companies to operate under the guidance, and full consideration, of the WE SEE YOU WAT statement and demands, in particular as it relates to casting, hiring, and work conditions.

Guest Agreement

59E59 Theaters is committed to creating a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable theater-going experience.

If the behavior of a patron or patrons around you becomes disruptive or violates our Community Agreement, please report it immediately to the nearest staff member.

As a guest, we expect you to:

Be Respectful
Be the audience member that others want to be around. Your decisions & actions impact those around you. Allow theater-goers of all ages to have a positive experience, and please refrain from inappropriate & disruptive behavior before, during, and after the show.

Observe our Ticketing Policies
Prior to your ticketed performance, you will receive a pre-show email that will include a reminder of the date and time of your performance, and any additional need-to-know information so you can plan your visit successfully. Please read this in advance so you can prepare for a successful visit with us.

Follow Directions from Staff
Patron Safety is our top priority and our staff members are your resource for information regarding venue rules, and emergency procedures.

Only Sit in your Ticketed Seat
Occupying a seat other than your own is prohibited. You may be asked to present your ticket when determining seat rights. Please do not throw your ticket away; keep your ticket accessible at all times.

Your Feedback Matters
If we could have done something better or you feel or have felt unsafe, speak to a staff member or email us at info@59e59.org.

Definitions

Equity Seeking Groups: Communities that are marginalized by societal structures, including but not limited to racism, sexism, and ableism.

Anti-Racism: Actively disrupting actions or ideas that are racist or that support racist policies.

Systemic Racism: Also called structural racism or institutional racism are systems and structures that have procedures or processes that disadvantage people of color.

Bias: A disproportionate weight in favor of or against an idea, thing, person, or group.

Intersectionality: Overlapping and interdependent systems that can marginalize people – gender, race, class, sexual orientation, physical ability, etc.