Inclusive STAGES: Building Healthy Arts Spaces
Inclusive STAGES™ is the podcast for theater makers, creatives, and arts leaders who believe we can build a better industry—one brave, emotionally intelligent, and trauma-informed space at a time. Hosted by Kira Troilo, founder of Art & Soul Consulting, each episode explores what it really takes to create inclusive, healthy creative environments in today’s rapidly changing performing arts landscape.
Whether you're a theater artist, an arts administrator, an educator, a creative leader, or a producer, this show will help you answer big questions like:
What is inclusive leadership in the arts, and how do I practice it?
How can performing arts organizations promote diversity and inclusion?
What does “representation matters” mean in theater and beyond?
How can venues make performances more accessible?
What tools do I need to lead with care—and still make bold, brilliant work?
Through honest conversations, industry insights, and practical tools, Inclusive STAGES™ empowers you to reduce burnout, dismantle harmful norms, and build the kinds of creative spaces where everyone can thrive.
New episodes every week. Follow now and join the movement toward healthier, more sustainable arts spaces.
Inclusive STAGES: Building Healthy Arts Spaces
Can Casting Directors Be Inclusive? with Peter Van Dam
What really happens in a Broadway audition room, and how do you get remembered down the line, even if you don’t land the role?
Broadway casting director Peter Van Dam joins me to discuss what really goes into casting a show, from open calls that launch careers to the quiet instinct it takes to build a cast that feels right. We explore his journey from a shy kid with a VHS of Mary Poppins to helping shape productions like SIX and Dead Outlaw.
Peter shares what casting directors do, how to stand out in auditions, and why inclusive casting is about more than checking boxes; it’s about creating rooms where people belong.
This one’s for the artists, the dreamers, and anyone navigating the long game of a career in theater.
Enjoy the episode, friends!
Check out the full show notes and other resources at
https://www.inclusivestages.com/post/can-casting-directors-be-inclusive-with-peter-van-dam
Connect with Kira:
@kiratroilo
@artandsoulconsulting
@inclusivestages
"'Black Hair'" Is Hair: An Entertainment Industry Guide
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Thanks to our music composer, Zachary McConnell, and our producer, Leah Bryant.