FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 18, 2023 || CONTACTS: Corinna Schulenburg, cschulenburg@tcg.org, 212-609-5941
TCG Appoints Elena Chang as Managing Director of EDI Initiatives
New York, NY - Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Elena Chang to the newly created position of Managing Director of EDI Initiatives. Chang previously served as TCG’s Director of EDI Initiatives, a position she has held since August of 2018. In this new role of Managing Director of EDI Initiatives, she will report directly to and work in deep partnership with the CEO to advance and execute TCG’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion values across the organization. As part of the executive team, Chang will manage key initiatives to establish a strong internal EDI culture where staff feel empowered to achieve TCG’s mission, “to lead for a just and thriving theatre ecology.”
She will also oversee the development and launch of TCG’s inaugural Theatre for Activism series, an initiative of theatre activists committed to developing and sharing new practices prioritizing Accountability and Abundance, while continuing to serve as a key liaison providing thought leadership and strategic guidance across key TCG departments.
“For years, Elena has brought unwavering leadership to TCG’s EDI work, and we’re thrilled that she’s accepted this new role,” said Teresa Eyring, executive director and CEO, TCG. “Her thoughtful and strategic approach to changemaking, as well as her passion for addressing inequity, have been transformational for both our external programming and internal culture. I look forward to working closely with her on our strategic plan’s priorities of fostering a healthy workplace culture and prioritizing BIPOC and BITOC* in our programs and services.”
“It’s been an honor to work with TCG’s dedicated staff and board, and I’m thrilled to bring even greater intention to that work through this new role,” said Chang. “The progress we’ve made over the past seven years, both within TCG and our theatre ecology, is only possible because of the collective action of so many theatre workers and activists. I look forward to strengthening those relationships and shifting resources toward truly radical change.”
Photo of Elena Chang by Gil Seo.
In her previous role as Director of EDI Initiatives, Elena Chang led the launch of Cohort 4, the first cohort comprised of networks of Theatres of Color as part of TCG’s EDI Institute, and initiated community events and collaborations such as TCG’s first Disability Theatre Roundtable, Theatres of Color celebrations, and American Theatre Magazine issues centering Disability and TGNC theatre artists and practitioners. She began at TCG in 2016 and became Director of EDI Initiatives in 2018. Prior to joining TCG, Chang served as program director of the Asian American Arts Alliance, an arts organization dedicated to ensuring greater representation, equity, and opportunities for Asian American artists and cultural organizations through resource sharing, promotion, and community building, where she was responsible for the development, implementation, and management of all artist-focused programs.
Chang is on the Advisory Councils for API Rainbow Parents and Asian Pride Project, and has served on the Steering Committee of the KQT (Korean Queer & Trans) Network. She has directed numerous civic engagement initiatives and projects including Family is Still Family, the first multilingual campaign featuring stories of API LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Chang’s LGBTQ+ organizing and arts community building efforts have been recognized at the White House through the Champions of Change initiative and the Stonewall Community Foundation. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre from Rutgers University and is an Executive Masters candidate in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences at Baruch College, City University of New York.
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Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, leads for a just and thriving theatre ecology. Since its founding in 1961, TCG’s constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to over 700 Member Theatres and affiliate organizations and over 7,000 Individual Members. Through its programs and services, TCG reaches over one million students, audience members, and theatre professionals each year. TCG offers networking and knowledge-building opportunities through research, communications, and events, including the annual TCG National Conference, one of the largest nationwide gatherings of theatre people; awards grants and scholarships to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and through the Global Theater Initiative, TCG's partnership with the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics, serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute. TCG is North America’s largest independent trade publisher of dramatic literature, with 19 Pulitzer Prizes for Drama on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH®, the essential source for a career in the arts. TCG believes its vision of “a better world for theatre, and a better world because of theatre” can be achieved through individual and collective action, adaptive and responsive leadership, and equitable representation in all areas of practice. TCG is led by executive director and CEO Teresa Eyring. www.tcg.org.
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