A big part of being successful in business is being able to foster and appreciate diversity in the workplace. Now I know there is some controversy around theatre being inclusive and diverse. Also, there still needs to be a push on blind casting in theatre. However, I’ve been lucky and have taken part in community theatres that were very inclusive. 

When I was a kid, my mom brought me along to teach theatre to special needs adults. I loved it! We used theatre games to improve their communication skills and teach them life skills. (To all my parents out there, I recommend volunteering with your kids while they are young. It will really help them become better humans.) Generally you won’t get this specific experience by just taking part in theatre but you will get to know and work with people of different cultures, races, and sexual preferences. Even as an audience member you can experience diversity through theatre. 

Here’s a quick list of broadway shows with diverse messages that have resonated with me as an audience member.  (A show doesn’t have to be sad to be impactful):

• The Diary of Anne Frank 
• The Color Purple the Musical 
• Aida 
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch 
• La Cage aux Folles 
• Memphis 
• Rent 
• Kinky Boots 
• Fiddler on the Roof 
• The Miracle Worker 
• Bombay Dreams 
• Next to Normal 
• Hairspray 

Being active in theatre teaches you to accept others that are different than you. When you are cast in a show, you become family for the length of the run. You need to click with each other and get along. This means you get to know each other, learn to accept others for who they are, and enjoy what makes them unique. (or you’re the diva and no one wants to work with you in the future) Let me repeat that in bold: 

NO ONE WANTS TO WORK WITH A DIVA!  (male or female). 

I’ve carried these skills and philosophies forward in my career. At work you are family as well. You need to click with each other and get along to create the best products. Throughout my career I’ve been blessed with so much multiculturalism! I’ve been able to learn about so many different cultures, religions, backgrounds, etc. Both from remote teams that live in other countries and people that live in the United States. 

• I learned how difficult the immigration system is to navigate from one of my tellers and her husband. (Now I’m experiencing it first hand with my husband.) 
• I learned all about Indian cuisine and culture from a team I worked with as a Product Manager.
• I learned about what it means to be a Jehovah Witness and about the struggles of living in an “economic oppression zone” from an employees of mine. 
• I learned about growing up in a third world county from a peer. 
• At my very first job, I learned about arranged marriages from a cultural standpoint and again later in my career as a product manager. 

All really interesting things to know and things I wouldn’t have learned otherwise. 

The reason I learned all these? Because I asked, I was interested, and I wanted to know so I could learn about who my co-workers are as individuals. I wanted to know their story. My inquisitiveness and acceptance came from theatre. It came from playing different roles, seeing different shows, and working with a plethora of talented people from different backgrounds, cultures, races, and sexual orientation. 

Here are some words of advice I hold dear in day to day:

“We must not only learn to tolerate our differences. We must welcome them as the richness and diversity which can lead to true intelligence.” -Albert Einstein

“If we wish to ensure everyone’s peace and happiness we need to cultivate a healthy respect for the diversity of our peoples and cultures, founded on an understanding of this fundamental sameness of all human beings” – Dalai Lama

“Listen with curiosity. Speak with honesty. Act with integrity. The greatest problem with communication is we don’t listen to understand. We listen to reply. When we listen with curiosity, we don’t listen with the intent to reply. We listen for what’s behind the words.” – Roy T. Bennett

Be open to learning. The world is never boring if you keep learning. Diversity is what makes this world so amazing. If everyone looked and acted like you how boring life and theatre would be. 

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