Theo is a professional, not-for-profit, performing arts organization dedicated to building community and celebrating our shared humanity through the use of joyous art, meaningful stories, and powerful performances. Theo has been established to foster in the general public an appreciation of theatre and its effects on our culture and everyday lives, while expanding our capacity for empathy and uplifting our spirits.
OUR MISSION & VALUES
Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre
Culture of Belonging
To achieve this mission, we commit to creating a culture of belonging for every person in the Theo Ubique community. A culture of belonging is established through the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. In order to succeed in a culture of belonging we must recognize and honor those who came before us, as well as provide welcoming and brave spaces for those who are with us today.
Land Acknowledgement
Theo sits on the traditional homelands of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk Nations. We recognize that these Native Nations were forcibly removed from this land and Evanston and its founder John Evans are inextricably linked to the massacre of the Arapaho and Cheyenne people in the building of railroads and westward expansion. This land continues to be a site of gathering and healing for thousands of Native people who are actively working for justice and sovereignty. Theo Ubique also acknowledges that the field of theatre has traditionally excluded members of the global majority, including Black, Indigenous, and people of color, and commits to working to dismantle the legacy of colonization and racism in this country.
Labor Acknowledgement
We acknowledge that the United States was built at the often-fatal expense of forcefully enslaved Black people. We recgonize that much of what we celebrate about this country today, including its culture, economic growth, and development has been made possible by the labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants who suffered the horror of the transatlantic slave trade, unpaid labor through chattel slavery, and dehumanization through segregation and Jim Crow laws. We are forever indebted to their unpaid labor and incalculable loss , which continues in the face of generational trauma and violence towards Black bodies to this day. We commit to working towards the continued liberation of Black people through our work both on and offstage.
Human Dignity
We believe every person is born with dignity and humanity, including, but not limited to, race, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, country of origin, ability, body size, sexual orientation, and gender. Additionally, we recognize that transgender and genderqueer people experience violence and poverty at rates far greater than the average person, and that such discrimination often intersects with other aspects of identity such as race and ability. We are committed to creating a space safe from such violence and discrimination.