Queer stories. Fearless voices. Unforgettable theatre.

At PrideArts, the safety of our artists is our highest priority. We are aware of the significant conversation surrounding an incident on December 4th at Center on Halsted. Because we value transparency and the integrity of our community, we are sharing our understanding of what occurred and the actions we took to protect our cast, crew, and staff.

The following account is based on written incident reports provided by the cast members involved and available security footage of the incident:

Account of the Incident

Following a performance on December 4th, two of our cast members were involved in a confrontation with a building employee regarding closing procedures. Based on written incident reports provided by the cast members and our internal review:

• The individual pounded on a dressing room door and entered without authorization or announcement.

• The individual engaged in an aggressive verbal altercation with our artists, following them into the hallway and using unprofessional and intimidating language.

The confrontation was verbal in nature and while it was an invasion of the actors’ privacy, it did not involved bodily contact or sexual harassment of any kind. There is no indication in any account or in footage reviewed that any bodily contact or sexual harassment occurred.

Actions Taken

PrideArts leadership responded to these reports immediately, as we believe no artist should be subjected to a hostile work environment. Upon receiving the detailed accounts, our leadership initiated the following:

• Our Managing Director contacted Center on Halsted leadership the following morning to discuss the seriousness of the reported situation.

• PrideArts sought and received assurances regarding the presence of certain building staff during subsequent performance times.

• When reports indicated these arrangements were not being fully maintained, our Managing Director personally stationed herself backstage to help manage access to PrideArts-designated areas.

• Ultimately, when artists reported feeling that the environment remained untenable and withdrew from the performance, this forced the cancellation of all remaining performances and issuance of refunds to all ticket holders.

Support and Corrective Action

PrideArts leadership has met directly with building leadership regarding the matter:

• COH has asserted that they are taking corrective action and addressing the matter internally.

• COH leadership has expressed an openness to meet with the cast members involved.

• We have established updated communication procedures and immediate reporting channels for future interactions in shared performance spaces.

Where We Fell Short

We must also be honest about our own shortcomings. While PrideArts leadership was taking significant corrective action behind the scenes — securing agreements, intervening directly, and meeting with venue leadership — we did not adequately communicate these efforts to our cast and crew at the time. Our artists were unaware of the work being done on their behalf, and that failure is ours.

We are committed to learning from this mistake. Going forward, we will ensure that our artists are kept informed of the actions we are taking to protect them.

Addressing Online Speculation

We are concerned by the spread of online rumors suggesting that a sexual assault occurred. These rumors are false and are not supported by the accounts of the artists themselves or the evidence gathered.

To be absolutely clear: there was no sexual conduct or physical assault of any kind.

Mischaracterizing a verbal and professional safety issue as a sexual assault does a disservice to the artists' actual experiences and minimizes the gravity of sexual violence.

Our Commitment to the Future

PrideArts has postponed upcoming productions to implement new safety protocols and ensure that all venues we use meet our strict standards for professional conduct.

Our cast members were finishing their work and gathering their belongings. They deserved basic respect and professionalism. They did not receive it.

To our artists: Your safety is non-negotiable. When you tell us you feel unsafe, we believe you, and we act.

To our community: We reviewed incident reports and available footage. We have taken concrete action. We will continue to hold ourselves and our partners accountable.

Cheri Tatar | Board President