Madison nonprofit Seeding Equity aims to get more diversity backstage

Kayla Huynh, The Cap Times

As the former technical director of Memorial High School’s theater program, Davin Pickell noticed a startling trend. Few girls and students of color were working backstage.

Throughout his six-year tenure at Memorial, Pickell aimed to improve the gender and racial diversity of the high school’s crew. His efforts increased the proportion of girls backstage to a majority, though the number of students of color still lagged.

Pickell is now taking his mission citywide through his new nonprofit, Seeding Equity. The organization’s goal is to expand access to performing arts events and theater technology training among underrepresented students.

“Backstage has traditionally always been white men,” said Pickell, who has also worked as a theater technician at the Overture Center since 2000. “I've always had in my mind that I need to do something more meaningful than just playing around backstage. I want to see better representation of the community.”

According to a 2021 survey from the United States Institute for Theatre Technology, people of color account for 13% of the technical theater workforce nationwide.

Part of the problem is that girls and young people of color are not encouraged to work backstage, Pickell said. He became misty-eyed recalling his daughter’s experience in musical theater, when she and other girls were limited in their crew tasks to only painting.

Pickell said the options for stagehands go beyond painting. A crew member could work in carpentry, lighting, sound design or electrical work, among other specialties.

In July, 18 students from Toki Middle School and Memorial High School saw backstage work in action at American Players Theatre in Spring Green. A former stagehand at the theater, Pickell organized the trip through Seeding Equity with co-founder Andrew Butterworth, who also works in tech at the Overture Center. Students viewed the play “Much Ado About Nothing” and toured what happens behind the scenes of the production.

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