By Charlene Bisson
Arizona Broadway Theatre, 7701 W. Paradise Lane, in partnership with ONE Community, a member-based coalition of socially responsible businesses, organizations and individuals who support and promote diversity, inclusion and equality for all Arizonans, will participate in a synchronized national launch of The Ghostlight Project by hosting a “Be A Light” ceremony beginning 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 19.
The purpose of the event is to shine a light on equality, inclusion, diversity and hope.
ABT will reconfirm its pledge that the organization is, and will remain, a sanctuary – a safe haven – where equality and inclusion are central to its mission of enriching lives through the power of the performing arts.
Members of the community are invited to gather for a cocktail hour, including a complimentary drink voucher in the ABT lobby at 5 p.m.
At 5:30 p.m., and in time zones across the country, members of the theater community – from Broadway to ABT, and from regional theaters to high schools, colleges and community theatres – will come together to participate in a simultaneous “Be A Light” ceremony to officially launch The Ghostlight Project.
By gathering outside of theaters on the eve of the Presidential inauguration, ABT, the local community, and similar gatherings around the country will join in a collective, simultaneous action, together creating “light” to symbolize a continued hope for the future.
Participants attending are asked to arrive with a light source of their choosing that is off when they arrive. At a specific time during the ceremony, all will be asked to turn on their lights creating a giant “blaze” of light.
When theaters go dark at the end of the night, they turn on a “ghostlight” on stage – offering visibility and safety for all who might enter. Inspired by the tradition of the ghostlight, artists and communities will make or renew a pledge to stand for and protect the values of inclusion, participation, and compassion for everyone – regardless of race, class, religion, country of origin, immigration status, (dis)ability, gender identity or sexual orientation.
An ABT/ONE Community Networking Mixer with appetizers and a cash bar will follow the “Be A Light” ceremony beginning in the ABT lobby at 6 p.m. A “Behind the Scenes” tour of the theater will conclude the evening.
Editor’s note: Kat Barnes is the marketing manager for Arizona Broadway Theatre.
