Photo: Muriel Steinke

Welcome to In Dialogue

In Dialogue is Berkeley Rep’s new programmatic initiative that places the capacity of our theatre-making skills and resources in service of the community.

Launched during Berkeley Rep’s 2021/22 season, In Dialogue has facilitated and supported amplifying the missions of social justice organizations whose work ranges from immigration to local indigenous awareness and the Afro-cultural experience, as well as food insecurity, youth leadership, and working to combat sex trafficking.

In Dialogue is an investment in building genuine, long-term relationships with new and existing collaborators. Using storytelling as the anchor, Berkeley Rep invites relationships with organizations whose mission can be served by a collaboration or a relationship that uses the tools of theatre-making.

With a lens toward social justice, In Dialogue is one vehicle we use to activate our values with socially centered organizations to help us identify gaps in our knowledge, connect to field experts and dramaturgical resources, and provide access to underserved audiences.

Programs

Community Salons: An artist sharing series

Free and open-to-the-public Community Salons take place on select Friday evenings in our Michael’s Second Act bar one hour prior to scheduled performances. Through the series we feature the work of local artists, activists, community members, and organizations alongside the work on our mainstage.

Community Dialogues

Much like our artist talk back series, Community Dialogues are held as postshow conversations. These dialogues are moderated discussions adjacent to the show material and feature subject matter experts who participate in civic dialogue with our audiences that are reflective of the real world experiences of the stories we tell on stage.

Community celebrations

At Berkeley Rep, we celebrate diversity, and value equity and discovery. By way of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are committed to welcoming and celebrating experiences and contributions of the rich and diverse history of cultures of the multi-cultural American experience. On select productions we collaborate with partners to develop cultural celebration nights at the theatre.

Community partners

We build relationships with socially conscious organizations to support their missions using the tools of the theatre and may include anything from playwriting and production to oral history projects that culminate in public performances. This encompasses workshops with established playwrights, directors, actors, and theatrical technicians. Where an opportunity exists to amplify the voices of community partners in a shared project, Berkeley Rep may engage in support of that project. Examples of such collaborations include a mural commissioning and an oral history performance about immigration.

Community support

We aid organizations by offering them a block of discounted tickets that they can sell to individuals at regular prices, which helps them raise money. We also offer, as add-ons, a table in the lobby for their literature and cross promotion on social media.

Berkeley Rep donates tickets to Bay Area nonprofit organizations to use as a fundraising tool. We support organizations whose missions align with our values, further deepening our relationships to community and serving their needs.

Partners

Learn more about the organizations we are collaborating with

Past season collaborators

David Mendizábal

Associate Artistic Director / Director of In Dialogue