This is a response to my Facebook post about our meeting from Jackie…
From Jackie:
I am disappointed at Andrew Moodie’s representation of my meeting with him yesterday.
I went to this meeting in complete good faith. I made it very clear that I was eager to hear the thoughts and ideas that he had collected and I listened carefully, responding openly. I assumed I would be represented accurately and without bookend editorializing which I fear casts a shadow on what was otherwise a productive meeting.
I have no desire to get into a “he said/she said” but must redress at least one unfortunate misquote: I never said the Shaw Festival Company is a “family”. That is an idea and a term I never use, as I think it is inaccurate, reductive and implies an emotional closed shop which we are not. What I had hoped to make clear is that the Shaw Festival Acting Company is a deeply committed Ensemble of working actors who are not hired as this lead or that lead, but as members of a Company. Therefore when I bring in new actors at any level it is important that they know that they are being asked for this kind of commitment, not simply being given a ‘gig’. I wanted to explain this for those who know little about the company – which Andrew assured me, were legion. I was in no way inferring that an actor of colour could not make this commitment. We will continue to include more and more diverse actors at every stage of their career.
I am going to withdraw from this particular public forum now as unfortunately I no longer feel that Andrew Moodie is a reliable interlocutor. I am going back to running my theatre compelled by the constructive ideas and thoughts I have received. There will be results from all of this but not as a knee-jerk response to ultimatums. They will be produced with the same care and thought that I give to all the art and artists that this theatre represents and will represent in the future.
Thank you all for your time and hearts.
Jackie Maxwell
Artistic Director
Shaw Festival
My response:
I want to clarify one point. It seems as though there’s been a misunderstanding. In my above post, I want to make it clear that characterizing the acting company of the Shaw festival as a family was in no way meant to be derogatory. Perhaps that wasn’t clear in my post. I was trying to find a word to differentiate the festival from others. In other companies actors are often hired for 6 week contracts. I do not mean to criticize the commitment that the Shaw has to it’s actors. I admire it. I just want to see more diversity in the company.
I will say it again, so that it is crystal clear, that after my meeting with Jackie I felt a sincere desire on her part to change the company to allow diversity, but also I felt the desire to hold onto the ensemble structure, by that I meant to imply that she was willing to add diversity to the company, but not become a company that simply hires a person of colour for 6 weeks and then lets them go. If that was not clear, or if that was misunderstood, I apologize.
I found it very encouraging that the festival is committing itself to expanding the mandate, and I expressed my desire to see things happen faster, but in no way did I mean to say anything that would end our dialogue. If the group feels that Jackie should communicate with another member of the group then I will step aside immediately, as long as communication continues.
Andrew
