Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
The long history of racism and prejudice in the Lodi community has shown itself once again at the Lodi Musical Theater. Director Nicole Howton has shown that she is incapable of listening to, or respecting the voices of People of Color. Only caring when she has the ability to weaponize and tokenize their existence within her shows for her own benefit.
After gleefully admitting to performing brownface in a past production of the current show West Side Story, Nicole then forced actors in her callbacks to use fake Latinx accents in order to give her show "more authenticity". Not only that, but she sidelined actors of color throughout the entire process. Choosing instead to highlight the white actors and actresses she called back to read for traditionally Latinx roles.
When made aware of her behavior and the affect it had on many POC, Nicole became defensive, and ended up blocking her accuser entirely.
The collaborators of the activism account NorcalActivism reached out to Lodi Musical Theater via their websites contact page for a statement on the issue weeks before the show opened, but we received nothing.
Nichole Howton and those who stand behind her at Lodi Musical Theater have had months to answer for their behavior and have refused to.
The day of of West Side Story's opening, our page published testimonies and concerns regarding Nicole and her production to Instagram in order to highlight their stories and inform the community about the racism and prejudice within it. Instead of answering the accusations, cast members and other supporting community have attempted to berate and shame both the account, and those coming forward with personal stories - of which there have been many.
Instead of demanding Nicole change her ways or at the very least, apologize, the community has held the people of color within the supporting cast of the show up as a shield. Demanding we delete posts and recant accusations on this basis and none other. Nicole going so far as to send personal messages Mocking an actor of color she had previously refused to acknowledge claims of racial abuse from.
This petition was created to help ban LMT from performing at Delta stages in the future, on the grounds that they have repeatedly protected those who allow racists to flourish. Sign your name to help contribute to keeping the racist history of Lodi theater away from our community stages!!!!!
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Updates
June 24, 2021
I have spent the last few days reading through the painful accounts you all have shared about your own experiences in these theaters. It is clear that this pattern of behavior goes much deeper than one production or one director. We are currently preparing to present this collective evidence to the administration because they can no longer pretend these harms are invisible.
June 24, 2021
The momentum behind this effort is overwhelming and proves that our community refuses to accept this kind of exclusion. Seeing so many people recognize the harm caused by these actions keeps me going when the silence from the theater feels heavy.
11 Comments
Whitewashing our history is not ok. By highlighting white actors & not prioritizing BIPOC - WHO THIS STORY IS ABOUT, you participate in the erasure of their stories.
My daughter participated in the first auditions held for West Side Story by LMT. She is AfroLatinx and shared her story of the egregious actions by the director and her enablers. I stand with my daughter and all POC who were subjected to this company's white supremacist culture. It's disappointing that Delta would allow their resources to be used to propagate theater's problematic, damaging and exclusionary history of erasure. Delta has done better. My daughter had a very rewarding and inclusive experience in the Delta drama department. Were there bumps on the road, of course, and dialogue was encouraged, not punished. Delta knows better and has done better. Keep going forward and not backward. Uphold better standards and expect the same from those who desire to use Delta's resources.
A production about a race war should not be depicted through a mix of races that don’t pertain to the main story line. Especially when the main message of the show is the violent conflict caused by the nationalism of each heritage that both groups represent.
STOP BEING RACIST AND PICK PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR ROLES THAT REPRESENT PEOPLE OF COLOR !!!!!!
This show should be stopped… this show is about the Latin community and should be cast as such
This is absolutely disgusting behavior and absolutely needs to be addressed.
F$$k that racist mfker
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
The long history of racism and prejudice in the Lodi community has shown itself once again at the Lodi Musical Theater. Director Nicole Howton has shown that she is incapable of listening to, or respecting the voices of People of Color. Only caring when she has the ability to weaponize and tokenize their existence within her shows for her own benefit.
After gleefully admitting to performing brownface in a past production of the current show West Side Story, Nicole then forced actors in her callbacks to use fake Latinx accents in order to give her show "more authenticity". Not only that, but she sidelined actors of color throughout the entire process. Choosing instead to highlight the white actors and actresses she called back to read for traditionally Latinx roles.
When made aware of her behavior and the affect it had on many POC, Nicole became defensive, and ended up blocking her accuser entirely.
The collaborators of the activism account NorcalActivism reached out to Lodi Musical Theater via their websites contact page for a statement on the issue weeks before the show opened, but we received nothing.
Nichole Howton and those who stand behind her at Lodi Musical Theater have had months to answer for their behavior and have refused to.
The day of of West Side Story's opening, our page published testimonies and concerns regarding Nicole and her production to Instagram in order to highlight their stories and inform the community about the racism and prejudice within it. Instead of answering the accusations, cast members and other supporting community have attempted to berate and shame both the account, and those coming forward with personal stories - of which there have been many.
Instead of demanding Nicole change her ways or at the very least, apologize, the community has held the people of color within the supporting cast of the show up as a shield. Demanding we delete posts and recant accusations on this basis and none other. Nicole going so far as to send personal messages Mocking an actor of color she had previously refused to acknowledge claims of racial abuse from.
This petition was created to help ban LMT from performing at Delta stages in the future, on the grounds that they have repeatedly protected those who allow racists to flourish. Sign your name to help contribute to keeping the racist history of Lodi theater away from our community stages!!!!!
Updates
June 24, 2021
I have spent the last few days reading through the painful accounts you all have shared about your own experiences in these theaters. It is clear that this pattern of behavior goes much deeper than one production or one director. We are currently preparing to present this collective evidence to the administration because they can no longer pretend these harms are invisible.
June 24, 2021
The momentum behind this effort is overwhelming and proves that our community refuses to accept this kind of exclusion. Seeing so many people recognize the harm caused by these actions keeps me going when the silence from the theater feels heavy.
11 Comments
Will not support a show and cast of people who think it’s okay to put their actors in brownface and think it’s cute. I will not support a cast of actors who enable their ignorant director to act this way. I will not defend a cast and crew of people who are willing to disregard Latin actors experiences because they just want this show on their damn resume. I’m sick of it.
Whitewashing our history is not ok. By highlighting white actors & not prioritizing BIPOC - WHO THIS STORY IS ABOUT, you participate in the erasure of their stories.
My daughter participated in the first auditions held for West Side Story by LMT. She is AfroLatinx and shared her story of the egregious actions by the director and her enablers. I stand with my daughter and all POC who were subjected to this company's white supremacist culture. It's disappointing that Delta would allow their resources to be used to propagate theater's problematic, damaging and exclusionary history of erasure. Delta has done better. My daughter had a very rewarding and inclusive experience in the Delta drama department. Were there bumps on the road, of course, and dialogue was encouraged, not punished. Delta knows better and has done better. Keep going forward and not backward. Uphold better standards and expect the same from those who desire to use Delta's resources.
A production about a race war should not be depicted through a mix of races that don’t pertain to the main story line. Especially when the main message of the show is the violent conflict caused by the nationalism of each heritage that both groups represent.
STOP BEING RACIST AND PICK PEOPLE OF COLOR FOR ROLES THAT REPRESENT PEOPLE OF COLOR !!!!!!
This show should be stopped… this show is about the Latin community and should be cast as such
This is absolutely disgusting behavior and absolutely needs to be addressed.
F$$k that racist mfker
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Will not support a show and cast of people who think it’s okay to put their actors in brownface and think it’s cute. I will not support a cast of actors who enable their ignorant director to act this way. I will not defend a cast and crew of people who are willing to disregard Latin actors experiences because they just want this show on their damn resume. I’m sick of it.