​Last month, I had the pleasure of co-chairing the Broadway League’s annual Diversity Summit, which was held at New World Stages. Over 200 Broadway leaders, producers, education professionals and diversity practitioners from 22 states came together to discuss critical topics relevant to the current climate and future of DEIA (diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility). The event was a success on many levels, including a singular moment of “shero-ism” by our own DEI Manager, Cassandra James.

I knew Cassandra had some American Sign Language (ASL) in her skill set, but didn’t really understand to what level, and how often she used it.

Cut to a medical emergency that began in the middle of an afternoon session of the Summit. One of the attendees abruptly left the seating area and made her way over to an exit where several of us were standing and watching. Seconds later, she collapsed and began to seize and lose consciousness. Both the New World Stages staff and Summit team immediately went into emergency mode, tending to the attendee’s safety and calling EMS.

I recognized her as one of the people I’d met earlier in the day; we spoke about her work within the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community, and how she was enjoying the Summit. I noticed her signing as she spoke.

In the immediate aftermath of the seizures, she couldn’t speak, and was trying to communicate with just one hand. She was getting frustrated at being misunderstood; we kept asking the same questions of her to no avail. In all my years in the theatre industry, I’d never experienced such utter helplessness and uselessness.

Then I remembered… “Cassandra was with us when I met her earlier in the day; she and Cassandra were signing during the conversation; Cassandra told me she was deaf; CASSANDRA knows ASL!” I quickly went into the theater, found Cassandra, and asked her to follow me. She looked confused and had no idea why I was pulling her out of the panel session so abruptly.
As soon as we approached the attendee, Cassandra noticed she was trying to sign and jumped in and began signing with her.  In less than one minute, Cassandra was able to ask her how she was feeling, locate her bag which had her medication in it, and let her know EMS was on their way.

Cassandra (and the NWS staff) stayed with the attendee until EMS arrived, and Cassandra interpreted for her until she was able to communicate on her own again. She was checked out, and it was decided she didn’t need to go to the hospital. The Summit had ended just as she was preparing to go home. I was able to speak with her briefly, and she expressed how grateful she was that Cassandra was there to help her communicate during the ordeal.
Now, Cassandra isn’t deaf, nor hard of hearing, but she does have a family member who is deaf. She tells me she didn’t initially learn it to communicate with him but did so because she found it interesting as a language. In her HR and DEIA work, she’s been using it with deaf and hard of hearing colleagues for several years.

Who knew Cassandra’s curiosity about another community, and her interest in professional development at a Diversity Summit would collide at the right time, in the right place.  Her awareness about the challenges the Deaf community must face on a daily basis better equipped her to help out, and it helped her be an ally in a time of need.
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It was all a bit meta, but what a moment it was to witness. Brava, Cassandra. 

​Making healthy food choices doesn’t have to be overwhelming—even with a packed schedule! Cristina Veltri lit up the room with these easy, game-changing tips at the H.O.M.E Erg Shu U presentation.
Simple Strategies to Feel Your Best

• Prioritize Meals: Keep your energy up by sticking to regular mealtimes. Skipping is so last year!
• Balance Your Plate: Fill it with colorful veggies, lean proteins, and healthy fats like creamy avocados or crunchy nuts.
• Prep Ahead for Success: Take one day to prep some simple meals or grab-and-go ingredients, and your future self will thank you.
• Snack Smart: Swap vending machine runs for quick bites like fresh fruit, yogurt, or a handful of nuts—easy and delicious!

Final Thought
Healthy eating isn’t about being perfect—it’s about making progress. Small, consistent changes can have a huge impact on your energy and well-being. You’ve got this!
Interest in joining the H.O.M.E erg? Reach out to Chanelle Cotton or Trevor Moppin. 

"On the day after Thanksgiving, the employees of New World Stages and the shows there all came together between their matinee and evening shows to celebrate each other with a potluck. Everyone brought different foods, and got the chance to meet and eat for an hour between shows. This was the first time a lot of the actors and crew involved in the shows had a chance to meet each other since they’re all usually working at the same time. The event was organized by Jonathan Green, and he said he did it because “New World has always felt like a family to me in the nine years that I’ve been here, so I wanted everyone else to have a chance to experience that family and for that family to grow even more”. He wanted to thank the facilities team and Kane Prestenback for their help in setting up and cleaning up."

The entire cast, band, and members of the creative team participated in the talkback – in which topics such as queer representation, the process behind the creation of Drag the Musical, and self-celebration were discussed. Kevin Smith Kirkwood (one of NQT’s teaching artist – and who previously performed in the Shubert house Stage 42 in Kinky Boots) summed up the talkback beautifully in saying:
“In a time where queer people, drag artists, and trans people are being demonized in the political climate and culture, it is SO important for young people to see queer artists thriving and putting beautiful art into the world that speaks of our experiences.  It was especially important for our group, several of whom are trans students, to see the storyline of a young person onstage being validated and celebrated for being their authentic selves. Representation matters, now more than ever. … It was a truly magical and INSPIRING experience for our Staging Pride youth.”
The idea for this talkback started with conversations between Amy Ackerman, another NTQ teaching artist, and myself when we discussed the importance of queer representation in theatre. The shows we work with are much more than simple performances – they have the ability to inspire, motivate, and spark conversations. With the current times, it’s critical that we use our voices – both onstage and off – to have these discussions and talkbacks, especially for our LGBTQ+ youth.
Thank you to NQT, Diana Lounsbury, Tim Croner, KGM Theatrical, and the entire cast and crew of Drag the Musical for helping create this memorable experience for NQT’s students. As one of NQT’s students said, “It was everything”! ​

​The Broadway community reaches far and wide, and you never know where you can make an impact. The NYPD reached out to Paul D’Antonio, VP, Security to support a community event for cancer survivors and their families, Beauty Against Cancer. Paul knew exactly who to reach out to, Kenny Nunez, house manager, Shubert Theatre. He spoke to Kenny and without hesitation, Kenny connected the NYPD organizers with Alicia Keys’s team and they supplied the event with gift bags of beauty products from Alicia’s line, Keys Soulcare, for everyone in attendance (and then some).  

​This personal touch made the event quite the success. 

When people hear the word bias, they tend to get defensive. There’s no need.  We ALL have biases; it’s how you handle them what really matters. So, what is bias exactly? It’s the partiality in judgment and/or behavior that results from subtle cognitive processes (e.g., implicit attitudes and implicit stereotypes) that often operate at a level below conscious awareness and without intentional control. That’s a fancy way of saying that you’re acting and thinking a certain way and the reasons are below the surface.  
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You don’t believe me when I say that we all have biases. What were your first thoughts when you saw the pictures? Did you have assumptions, did you draw conclusions based on her hair? That’s Grammy nominated, live action Little Mermaid Halle Bailey. Do you have a visceral reaction to tattoos? Do you assume the education level or hireability of a person with tattoos? What if I told you that I have eight tattoos? Would that change your thoughts of me? What were your thoughts when you see someone slightly overweight? Do you make assumptions about their lifestyle and health?   
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So what does implicit bias look like, how does it show up?

• Assuming the women in the office will take notes
• Dissuading your son from taking ballet, and pushing your daughter towards it instead
• Disproportionality in discipline
• Teacher mindsets and beliefs
• Housing options
• Hiring decisions
• Stop and Frisk
• Disparate sentencing 

How do we defeat our unconscious bias?

• Watch your first thoughts
  • Your first thought MIGHT be evidence of a bias that you are holding
• Engage logic
  • Ask questions “how many people do I know that have this?”  Why am I making this assumption
• Take a step back
  • Now that you’ve asked yourself the questions, pause and give yourself time to reflect on the answer. 
• Defeat bias by cultivating common ground
  • We all have SOMETHING in common, and you might be surprised what it is. Turn to the person sitting next to you and find something that you two have in common

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If you want to learn more about implicit bias, you can take the Harvard Implicit Bias test. Also, you can learn more about unconscious bias by completing your mandatory training,