ARTS, JOEG
Joe Gfaller
Why Angels in America Still Matters (Some ...

Angels in America: Part One, Millennium Approaches has begun performances at the Repertory Theater of Saint Louis, as the start of the company’s first season under new Artistic Director Hana Sharif. While the play is now nearly 30 years old, seeing it again reminded me of its continued resonance and its power to explore those deeply American themes that, in the end, make it timeless. This essay is a less a review and more a reflection rediscovering why the play today very much still maters.

Why Angels in America Still Matters (Some Personal Reflections)
RACE, LEAD, DATA
Joe Gfaller
Social Accountability - the Leading Edge of the ...

At a time when words matter more than ever before, Baltimore Center Stage recently announced that a key staff member would be promoted to a new title: Director of Learning and Social Accountability. In unpacking the potential meaning behind that title, I explore the evolution of the language we use to talk about how we impact communities and how we talk about our goals to create representative communities within our organization - as well as explore some recent data about representation in the arts across disciplines.

Social Accountability - the Leading Edge of the Evolution of Language about Equity
READ, ARTS
Joe Gfaller
Three Books with Simple Ideas that Will Improve ...

Simple ideas can unfold to carry profound meaning - meaning that may apply far beyond where you started from. Three books I have come to love work from that very premise: Invitation to the Party, Love is the Killer App, and The Power of Habit. They are all engaging reads - learn more about the simple ideas at the heart of each of them and why I’d you add them to your reading (or re-reading) list!

Three Books with Simple Ideas that Will Improve Your Worldview
ARTS, DATA
Joe Gfaller
If You Can Only Measure Three Things About Your ...

These days, we are surrounded by so much data it can be overwhelming. Often, we find ourselves collecting data thinking that it may be useful, but if we never turn it into something actionable, what was the point? If you’re swimming in data, take a deep breath, step back, and consider these three measures as a new starting point to understand and grow your audience.

If You Can Only Measure Three Things About Your Audience... Measure These
RACE, ARTS
Joe Gfaller
Helicoptering and Communities

When arts organizations work within communities on specific projects, there is always a risk of swooping in when it’s convenient for the organization and swooping out once the project has come to an end. This idea of “helicoptering” is harmful for both your organization and the communities you hope to serve, as it essentializes a community into being no more than part of a specific transaction (worse, a transaction you have defined rather than one they have). Once this has happened, are there ways to repair the relationship? And are there structures you can create to help prevent the situation from happening again?

Helicoptering and Communities

LANGUAGE

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Social Accountability - the Leading Edge of the Evolution of Language about Equity

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Social Accountability - the Leading Edge of the Evolution of Language about Equity

At a time when words matter more than ever before, Baltimore Center Stage recently announced that a key staff member would be promoted to a new title: Director of Learning and Social Accountability. In unpacking the potential meaning behind that title, I explore the evolution of the language we use to talk about how we impact communities and how we talk about our goals to create representative communities within our organization - as well as explore some recent data about representation in the arts across disciplines.

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Be a Polyglot - in Whatever You Do

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Be a Polyglot - in Whatever You Do

How many languages do you speak? English? Spanish? Arts? Sports? Finance? Public Relations?

We are chronically guilty of speaking less languages than we need to speak to navigate our work, our life, and our travels. Making an effort in earnest to expand our vocabulary and comprehension outside of our comfort zone takes work, but pays off - whether it’s a matter of learning to speak German before traveling to Berlin or leaning to speak education or production to more effectively partner across departments. But the effort is worth it.

The G Is Silent... Basically

The G Is Silent... Basically

It is a rare week that goes by when I do not find myself explaining how to pronounce my name. The easy answer: just pretend the G is silent. But, silent G’s, are everywhere. They’re the things about us that we carry that people don’t hear, don’t see, and don’t know. They’re the things that we really can only know about ourselves that shape us into the people who we are. (But, this essay isn’t entirely that deep. It’ll also help you pronounce my name and say the G. Just please don’t do it the first few times if you’re in spitting distance of anyone.)