This workshop (happening for real!) welcomes people from all backgrounds and levels of engagement to explore race and class through new platforms. Participants will have the opportunity to listen and create in this interactive session that invites participants to share their perspectives, learn about the perspectives of others, ask questions in new ways, and use their imaginations to explore alternative modes of dialogue. Engage your mind, body, and spirit as we support positive risk-taking and open-hearted dialogue.

Led by Sarah K. Chalmers and Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. from Civic Ensemble, an Ithaca-based theatre company dedicated to community engagement and civic dialogue.

Civic Ensemble is a community-based theatre company in Ithaca, NY focusing on working with communities to generate dialogue and address social issues through theatre. Civic Ensemble executes its mission by producing community-based plays, practitioner productions of existing scripts, and education programs and workshops. Civic Ensemble teaching artists have decades of experience and training in educational theatre practices, and a pedagogy grounded in critical thinking and liberatory education.


Sarah K. Chalmers is an Artistic Director for Civic Ensemble. Sarah is an actor, teacher and community-based theatre artist. For Civic Ensemble Sarah recently directed Streets Like This for the ReEntry Theatre Program, and is currently developing an interactive training for teachers to develop their skills in addressing race in the classroom and school community. Sarah has led workshops in applied theatre, facilitated professional development programs, and taught theatre at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Binghamton University.

Godfrey L. Simmons, Jr. is an Artistic Director of Civic Ensemble. He has developed new plays and adaptations toward production Off-Broadway and regionally for nearly 30 years. He was most recently seen in Epic Theatre Ensemble's The Winning Side. He is a 2012 Fox Fellow and a participant in Theatre Communication Group’s SPARK Leadership Program, funded by American Express, The Joyce Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Godfrey is a Senior Lecturer in Cornell’s Department of Performing and Media Arts.