TAP stands with Black voices, Black stories, and Black lives.^{RSS Feed}

Theater has been said to hold a mirror up to nature. But for too long, that reflection has been warped. It hasn't reflected the stories and experiences of Black people in America. Too often, the mirror of theater hasn't reflected people of color at all. 

The Arlington Players wants to do our part to help change that. As a proud part of the greater Washington, D.C., arts community for some seven decades, TAP is keenly aware that the stories we tell and the ways we tell them are important. TAP believes, unequivocally, that Black voices matter, Black stories matter, and Black lives matter. These voices, stories, and lives enrich our theater and our community. 

The loss of any of these voices is devastating. We mourn George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and countless other Black Americans who have lost their lives to violence that has grown from hate. We stand with the peaceful protesters around the globe and echo their calls for justice. But that isn't enough. 

TAP is in a unique position to help strengthen our community by fostering greater diversity and inclusion, both on and off stage. Our all-volunteer organization has made a sincere effort to be as inclusive as possible, but it is imperative that we do more. Right now, we are deepening our commitment to ensuring that people of all backgrounds feel at home with TAP regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, or ability, and working to implement strategies that better serve our Black artists and audiences. In the coming weeks and months, we'll outline the additional steps we plan to take. 

Listening is a vital part of both theater and this process, and we want to hear your ideas, too. We invite you to share your input and volunteer with us at TAP@thearlingtonplayers.org so we can start a dialogue and create lasting improvements together.