Local theatre production...why pronouns?!

[LondonLass91]

My local theatre in Hornchurch has recently become pretty 'right on'. They have a new trio of Directors after a recent diversity recruitment drive who are all white middle class, but have they/them/she/them etc pronouns. So, not diverse at all considering we're in diverse area. Anyway, their current production about women football players has a list of the actors (as is standard) but every single actor has pronouns beneath their name? Why? What is the point of this? They are playing characters so we don't need to know how they identify IRL..am I being unreasonable to think this is just more subtle indoctrination?!

It’s obviously important to them. The programme isn’t aimed at you personally.

Did this affect your enjoyment of the play?

Because they’re ignorant regarding matters of equality and think that doing this is somehow inclusive, rather than actually offensive to those discriminated against for believing their sex plays a role in their oppression.

Because they want them. Presumably it's a business so the management and actors can make these decisions.
If you don't like it, vote with your feet and stop going.

I would assume so that if you're discussing the play you use the pronoun the actor prefers?

If they are being funded by Arts Council England, they are very likely to be under pressure to do this. ACE have a whole section on diversity and inclusion which covers gender choice. It’s very tedious.

😂😂😂😂😂

🙄

These young, white, middle-class 'diversity hires' make my eyes roll so hard I'm surprised they don't get stuck in the back of my head. Speaking as a white middle-class person.

It makes me laugh - so ridiculous.

Can't lose an opportunity to indoctrinate the masses and push the agenda.

Some of them aren't using she/he so it seems fair enough to me

Omg. Heard it all now. Your language is to be policed when these people aren't even around 😁😂

Really. Who gives a fuck.

This.

Theatre as an industry is very pronoun-y, but in the 'being nice, haven't really thought about it' way. I've never had my pronouns in my avail sig, and at first day introductions (go round the circle "Hi, I'm Esmeralda and I'm playing the role of Hamlet, and my pronouns are ...") I just say, "Hi, I'm Spiky and I'm the <job title>". No one has ever queried me on not saying pronouns, but if someone did, I'd say that no- one should be forced to state personal information about themself unless they want to.

Email, not avail

I haven't seen it yet, it's a new production, but both my children attend the youth theatre productions and classes and I do wonder if this will affect what they teach the younger members of the theatre, will there be a subtle gender ideology push.

Some west end plays have been doing this for years.

It’s virtue signalling. Email the directors of the youth theatre every week to tell them your child has changed pronouns.

Nobody is policing your language any more than if someone called Charles said that they preferred to be called Charlie. If you want to call someone who uses He/him "she" when referring to them they you do that.

That's good to know, good for you Spiky!

Worth asking the Arts Council if they do insist on this, and what about people who prefer not to say/declare because they are uncertain, transitioning, or because if they did so publicly could face a backlash say from their family?

Exactly this, it's a complete non-issue.

Someone preferring to be referred to as they/them/she/he/whatever is no more an inconvenience to others than someone who prefers to go by Sue rather than Susan or Bob rather than Robert.

It’s fear. They’re scared that if they don’t constantly make public statements of allegiance to the transactivist cause, they’ll find themselves cancelled for some thoughtcrime or other.

Stating pronouns is a shield for the career against hate canpaigns aka accusations of transphobia.

Arts Council do not insist on this at all. They will require information on EDI so it's a way an organisation could in theory show it's being inclusive - but in all honesty it's prob not going to make it to the EDI report at all, it's just something as a team they've agreed they want to do.

There's genuinely no need for any alarm - it's literally just telling you the pronouns people go by.

Yep, it's a combination of any one of fear, virtue signalling without really engaging, and unconsciously following a trend.

It would make me roll my eyes, before thoroughly ignoring it, whilst also putting me off engaging with that particularly production and/or the theatre. Especially from involving my children in any kid's activities, in case any woolly headed illogical gender ideology was being pushed at children.

Maybe for if it was being reviewed for local news etc the actors preferred pronoun is used? Don't really see the big deal unless it was a forced thing, and even then it doesn't affect the audience!

Just wait for it to pass. These people will grow up eventually.