A message from artistic director Chris Henry

Dear Extended Royal Family,

We miss you. We wanted to reach out and tell you that we are still here. We are developing new work, planning seasons, and meeting inspiring artists.  And most importantly, we are listening to the Black Lives Matter movement that is demanding justice in every aspect of our society. The theatre industry faced a wake-up call with the powerful statement titled DEAR WHITE AMERICAN THEATER. Groups like the Broadway Advocacy Coalition (BwayForBLM.com) and the Artist’s Anti-Racism Coalition have been working for years to fight racism in our industry.  We know the time for action is long overdue. Royal Family is committed to inclusion and anti-racism.  That commitment is reflected in the bold programming we undertake, the diverse artists with whom we partner, and the organizational ethos we embrace. Still, we know we can do better.  To this end, RFP is undergoing an internal review, having engaged a non-white outside party to assess thoroughly our cultural practices within our theatre and to identify if and where we are falling short of the ideals to which we hold ourselves.  The aim is not merely to meet expected standards of social inclusion; the goal is to push every day to improve ourselves and to ensure that the most marginalized voices in our society have every opportunity to be heard. This is about action and building on the swell of inspiration that is moving all of us to do more and be better.  Such is our commitment to all those who are part of our RFP Family, to the theatre community we so cherish, and to ourselves.   We look forward to sharing our progress with you. Yours,

Chris