The Transcendence Theatre Company, at the center of a storm since the public resignation of its Director of Education and Community Engagement Nikko Kimzin for “…the Transcendence Executive Team’s ongoing suppression of equity, diversity, and inclusion practices and inaction toward becoming an equitable theater” and for their creation of “a hostile work environment where I could no longer be successful in serving all of our diverse communities”, has responded to the growing uproar via a statement posted on a website named Transcendence for All.

The company, in the unattributed statement, notes that they are “conscious that our performance as an organization and leadership team has not always met the high standard we set for ourselves. We have faced the same pitfalls and errors that many young organizations, whether enterprises for profit or non-profit, encounter as they grow from start-up to maturity. Our processes were incomplete and not entirely formalized. Decision making was sometimes performed with a focus on the need to move quickly or balance limited financial resources against other core values. Therefore, at times decisions made might not have been adequately explained, and the results have created unintended consequences in assessing actions or motives.”

“The management team and the Board of Directors are stewards of this business and the legitimate lapses in our performance and even the appearance of inequities is ours to own and correct.”

The statement goes on to list five steps that have been or will be taken by the company “in the hope of solidifying the trust, respect, and support our employees, performers, and the community expect and deserve.”

The statement does not appear to directly address calls by several of the company’s original co-founders and former associates for the resignations of Artistic Director Amy Miller or Executive Director Brad Surosky from the governing Board, but instead indicates the Company “will strengthen the governance of the organization by increasing the number of independent, non-management board members to ensure independent governance.”

Click HERE to go to the complete statement on the Transcendence for All web page.