Executive Board Minutes 8/23/20

Open discussion:

Some of Stage Troupe’s steps going forward:

  1. SARP training requirement: Eboard, creative teams, mentors, all leaders in the group

    1. This will be hopefully tailored for Stage Troupe and specific to things we’re going through as a theater organization

      1. Partnering with OB and the other theater groups will help this become a more thorough process

  2. Party/Alcohol Culture

    1. Hardest element to tackle/control from our vantage point; it’s pervasive, but we aim to establish a constellation of actions to help

    2. Statement of expectations for off-campus events

    3. Language that we can refer to and implement when we are in these spaces; esp. because we are not a party group and don’t have this language in our constitution

    4. Risk managers - designated leaders in the Troupe community who stay sober and keep an eye out for people at parties

    5. Accessibility and options for everyone in Troupe - openness and transparency

    6. Alcohol gifts for creative teams - we’re hoping to pinpoint situations like this within Troupe where things are unnecessarily

    7. Midnight Tech Show - Removing this facet of the Tech Show event that has been manipulated & the thread/purpose has been lost

    8. Roasts - being used as a tool for harassment; bringing back events and traditions to their original events

    9. Requirements and expectations for hosts, who have a lot of power in these situations 

      1. They must be sober throughout the event, make non-alcoholic beverages available to people, and be in control over what is happening in their space

      2. They would be held legally accountable if anything were to happen at this party, so it’s paramount that they understand the responsibility they have 

  3. Holding Abusers Accountable 

    1. Working with SAO is super critical here

    2. Record of Misconduct - hopefully will exist between all four theater groups

      1. Prevents identified abusers from hopping between groups and continuously practicing misconduct with impunity

      2. Encourages consistency in the expectations across the community

    3. Membership Expectations Form

      1. Make wording clear to abusers what will happen should they be found violating the code of conduct

    4. Protecting survivors’ anonymity, making sure that we keep them safe and only share their story at a level that they are comfortable with 

      1. Understanding what our responsibilities are as leaders when different issues are brought to our attention, knowing what to do whether the reporter or survivor wishes to make an official report or not

      2. Stay Away Order

  4. Anonymous Report Form

    1. Important for keeping the modes of communication open

    2. Allows us to keep the survivors safe and acting on issues efficiently and safely 

  5. Levels of Leadership: creating options for survivors to do with their story what they feel is most appropriate; new channels for reporting to capable leaders who are trained to help

    1. Members have options to come to leaders within Troupe aside from E-Board

  6. Creative Team Accountability

    1. Holding directors and creative teams accountable for answers they give during their pitches about how they will handle sensitive topics within the rehearsal room

    2. Checking in with them throughout the process, establishing infrastructure that ensures they achieve the goals they set when they pitched, holds them responsible for upholding a safe environment, and equips them with whatever resources they need to be successful in doing that

  7. Some essential facets of this process:

    1. Permanently opening lines of communication between Troupe and OB, but also between all four theater groups

    2. Ensuring that this work does not fall through the cracks- weaving these initiatives into the infrastructure of Troupe: constitution, creative team guides, etc., because this is what is passed down through the years of Troupe

    3. Stage Troupe Archives & 5 Year Plan → using new methods we’ve been working on to keep these issues at the forefront of Troupe’s leadership’s minds throughout the years

    4. This work doesn’t have an end; if we stop doing the work, the unsafe cultures will return.


E-Board Check Ins

Isa:

  • Drafted statement of expectations for social events and membership expectations

  • Met with Kendall, Josh, and Jen about joint statement

  • Meeting with Bryan Adams from SAO about sexual misconduct and other topics

  • Liased with people about getting things left in 700 Beacon left

    • Custodial was helpful - Lisa is finding out who has the keys, will get back to us!

  • Emailed Ashley about SARP training

  • Sent out inaugural email to first group of community mentors

Rob:

  • Met up with Siena on Friday, now has all of the VP keys!!

  • Received some chaotic items that belong to Troupe?

Natalie:

  • Sent out feedback forms for STVSF!!! Yay!!!

Sunny:

  • Did research into PayPal/Redbubble

  • Reached out to SAO about purchase requests, gonna email again

Kendall:

  • Met with OB about joint statement, feeling good about them

    • Worked on that a bit

  • Started writing up the fall plan

Zach:

  • Cleaned up the Space a little bit

  • Went to Student Theatre - it was completely full of items in storage, lobby and stage

  • Helped Natalie with survey

  • Looked into masks

  • Got one set of keys, Chris will give keys back too, Priya is back soon too

Steve:

  • Talked with Eric about email asking to move things into the Space