NEW YORK -- 鈥淗amilton鈥 creator Lin-Manuel Miranda hopes to increase diversity on Broadway and in theatres across the country with a new initiative announced Thursday.

The Representation, Inclusion and Support for Employment Theater Network 鈥 or R.I.S.E. Network, for short 鈥 is launching a directory of diverse offstage theatre professionals to make it easier for them to get hired for jobs ranging from stagehands to producers and general managers.

鈥淭here has been a lot of talk since 2020 about diversity and change,鈥 Miranda told The Associated Press, adding that the directory is coming at a 鈥渞eally wonderful time because theatre, as a system, has learned to say the right things.鈥

鈥淣ow,鈥 Miranda said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 about backing that up.鈥

According to a 2021 report from the Asian American Performers Action Coalition, which studied Broadway shows in the 2018-2019 season, 100 per cent of general managers and 94 per cent of the producers were white. White actors were cast in 80 per cent of the lead roles in musicals and 90 per cent of the lead roles in plays.

Steps have been taken to improve diversity in the theatre since then 鈥 most notably 鈥淎 New Deal for Broadway鈥 in 2021, negotiated between Black Theatre United and Broadway shows and their touring productions.

With R.I.S.E. Network, Miranda wants to make it easier for those hiring for offstage jobs to find diverse applicants.

鈥淩.I.S.E. is really about making sure that the beautiful mosaic of people you see -- if you see a production of 鈥楬amilton鈥 or you see a production of 鈥楳J (The Musical)鈥 or 鈥楩at Ham鈥 on Broadway -- is also reflected backstage, that it鈥檚 not just the folks in front of the footlights,鈥 Miranda said, 鈥淏ecause there are incredibly talented practitioners and carpenters and makeup designers and wardrobe folks who also deserve that shot.鈥

Wilson Chin, the New York-based set and production designer behind Broadway shows 鈥淐ost of Living鈥 and 鈥淧ass Over,鈥 said he hopes R.I.S.E. becomes widely used by those hiring in the theatre.

鈥淧eople keep saying, 鈥榃e can鈥檛 find anyone,鈥 but we鈥檙e out there,鈥 said Chin, who is currently working on several projects, including 鈥淭urandot鈥 for the Washington National Opera and the new Hunter S. Thompson musical for La Jolla Playhouse. 鈥淲e just have to be found. Having us all in one place is great for us to be seen.鈥

Miranda said he got the idea for R.I.S.E. Network from director Ava DuVernay鈥檚 ARRAY initiative, which features a database of women and people of colour working in the film and television industries in offscreen jobs. He began working with his friend, composer Georgia Stitt, who developed Maestra, a directory for female composers, conductors, arrangers and other musical jobs.

The Miranda Family Fund provided the seed money to build R.I.S.E. Theater Network and will help support the directory, which is free for those looking to work and looking to hire.

Adam Hyndman, R.I.S.E. Network鈥檚 project director, said it will launch Thursday with nearly 1,000 theatre professionals in the directory and will look to expand after its launch.

鈥淭heatre-making exists everywhere,鈥 Hyndman said. 鈥淭here is diversity in all corners of the United States and in stories that can be told. We see the sky as the limit for the user base.鈥

Robb Nanus, executive director of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition, a nonprofit that fights racism through storytelling, said his group supports R.I.S.E. Network鈥檚 efforts because it provides the connections needed to create change in theatre hiring practices.

鈥淭hey understand the complexities of pipeline issues, that it鈥檚 not just about putting names in a database,鈥 Nanus said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about understanding how to support people holistically and how to make connections between people who want to work and people looking for team members.鈥

Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, the trade association representing commercial theatre, said she loved the idea for R.I.S.E. Network as soon as she heard it.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a sincere interest by the theatre community all over the United States to ensure that we diversify not only on stage, but backstage and in the audience,鈥 she said. 鈥淪o this will help us do that.鈥

St. Martin said increasing diversity in the theatre not only creates more vibrant productions, but also more robust interest from audiences.

鈥淭his is good for business and the right thing to do,鈥 she said.

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