Welcome to In Dialogue

In Dialogue is Berkeley Rep’s new programmatic initiative that places the capacity of our theatre-making skills and resources in service of the community. Launched during Berkeley Rep’s 2021/22 season, In Dialogue has facilitated and supported amplifying the missions of social justice organizations whose work ranges from immigration to local indigenous awareness and the Afro-cultural experience, as well as food insecurity, youth leadership, and working to combat sex trafficking.

In Dialogue is an investment in building genuine, long-term relationships with new and existing collaborators. Using storytelling as the anchor, Berkeley Rep invites relationships with organizations whose mission can be served by a collaboration or a relationship that uses the tools of theatre-making.

With a lens toward social justice, In Dialogue is one vehicle we use to activate our values with socially centered organizations to help us identify gaps in our knowledge, connect to field experts and dramaturgical resources, and provide access to underserved audiences.

Programs

Community Salons: An artist sharing series

Free and open-to-the-public Community Salons take place on select Friday evenings in our Michael’s Second Act bar one hour prior to scheduled performances. Through the series we feature the work of local artists, activists, community members, and organizations alongside the work on our mainstage.

Community Dialogues

Much like our artist talk back series, Community Dialogues are held as postshow conversations. These dialogues are moderated discussions adjacent to the show material and feature subject matter experts who participate in civic dialogue with our audiences that are reflective of the real world experiences of the stories we tell on stage.

Community celebrations

At Berkeley Rep, we celebrate diversity, and value equity and discovery. By way of our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, we are committed to welcoming and celebrating experiences and contributions of the rich and diverse history of cultures of the multi-cultural American experience. On select productions we collaborate with partners to develop cultural celebration nights at the theatre.

Community partners

We build relationships with socially conscious organizations to support their missions using the tools of the theatre and may include anything from playwriting and production to oral history projects that culminate in public performances. This encompasses workshops with established playwrights, directors, actors, and theatrical technicians. Where an opportunity exists to amplify the voices of community partners in a shared project, Berkeley Rep may engage in support of that project. Examples of such collaborations include a mural commissioning and an oral history performance about immigration.

Community support

We aid organizations by offering them a block of discounted tickets that they can sell to individuals at regular prices, which helps them raise money. We also offer, as add-ons, a table in the lobby for their literature and cross promotion on social media.

Berkeley Rep donates tickets to Bay Area nonprofit organizations to use as a fundraising tool. We support organizations whose missions align with our values, further deepening our relationships to community and serving their needs.

Leadership

David Mendizábal | ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / DIRECTOR OF IN DIALOGUE

David is director, designer, producer, and the current Associate Artistic Director at Berkeley Repertory Theatre, where they directed the West Coast premiere of Sanctuary City. A recent transplant to the Bay Area from New York City, David serves as one of the Producing Artistic Leaders of the Obie Award-winning The Movement Theatre Company, and is a founding collective member of The Sol Project, a national initiative dedicated to bringing Latiné playwrights and their stories to the forefront of the American theatre. As a director, David has also worked in the Bay Area directing the world premiere of Don't Eat the Mangos at the Magic Theatre in 2020. They have also directed at Roundabout Theatre Company, Soho Rep, New York Stage and Film, Long Wharf, TheatreWorks Hartford, and People's Light. David serves as one of the co-chairs for the Obie Awards Committee and is a 2021 Princess Grace Award Honoraria Recipient in Theater. They were part of the inaugural Soho Rep Project Number One Residency, where they created and directed the short film, eat me! David is an alum of the Ars Nova Vision Residency, The Drama League Directors Project, LAByrinth Intensive Ensemble, artEquity, NALAC, and Lincoln Center Theater Directors Lab. David was a participant in the TCG Leadership U: One-on-One program, where they served as the Artistic Associate at Atlantic Theater Company from 2017 to 2018. They have a BFA from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts where they trained at Playwrights Horizons Theatre School.

Partners

Learn more about the organizations we are collaborating with

• Afro Urban Society
• The Bae Area
• East Bay Sanctuary Covenant
• Formerly Incarcerated People’s Performance Project
• La Peña Cultural Center
• Museum of the African Diaspora
• Revolution Books
• Sogorea Te’ Land Trust
• West Edge Opera

Past season collaborators

• Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
• Berkeley Food and Housing Project
• Berkeley Food Network
• Chapter510
• Community Works West
• Girls Inc., of Alameda County
• Oasis Legal Services
• RYSE Center
• Women’s Daytime Drop-In Center
• Youth Radio Media