‘Jagged Little Pill’ Producers Appoint Outside Company to Investigate Allegations of Abuse

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Broadway shows are inherently collaborative human endeavors, so there is nothing more important to us than our people, the producers said. We are committed to continuing to foster a work environment where everyone feels valued and respected.

The statement follows former non-binary actress and actress Nora Schell alleging mistreatment posted on social media by stage management and other members of the show’s creative leadership, the Tony-nominated actress and former actress Celia Rose Gooding pointing to the trans and non-binary community both on and off stage as part of why she left the production.

The producers did not specify which allegations from former cast members they were responding to.

In her own statement on Twitter on Friday, Gooding, who was recently announced to play Uhura in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, said that she has partially withdrawn from the series to focus more on a job I am working with. could align myself emotionally and morally.

I can’t ignore the damage Jagged has done to the trans and non-binary community, including actors on stage, off stage and behind the scenes of the production process, she wrote. We owe them a space to exist and perform without transphobia and the ability to tell their own stories, just like I have done over the years.

In a longer statement also posted on Twitter on Friday, Schell alleges that despite many efforts to communicate with the musicals’ creative team about their polycystic ovary syndrome and associated symptoms, as well as to keep them up to date. current of their treatment as it might have impacted their ability to perform, they say their messages were not conveyed to creative leadership. Additionally, once they clearly explained the evolution of their medical situation, Schell alleges that creative leadership effectively forced them to go against their healthcare professional’s advice and delay surgery. necessary.

Schell identifies scene management as the first point of contact, alleging that in 2019 the actor disclosed details of his ongoing care for PCOS. This included communication about a previous surgery, medications, and related anemia. Schell says they were told this information would be relayed to the creative team by management on multiple occasions following in-person and email communications.

They describe cases of entry and exit of consciousness and almost loss of balance on stage due to their anemia caused by loss of blood for more than four weeks during a rehearsal. That’s when they say it became clear that creative leadership had not been made aware of the issue or previous attempts at communication by stage management. But once they did, they say they collapsed on the stairs the same day, after being ordered to take a nap instead of going home and receiving medical treatment from emergency.

When they return, they say the treatment and response to their medical care has not improved. During their recovery, they were intimidated by the management of the company, their recovery period being reduced and dismissed. They said they were also told that they would not be paid if they took personal days, that they were exasperated and were told that future days off due to their PCOS would not be. not considered paid medical leave.

On Friday afternoon, Actors Equity released a statement noting that they are deeply concerned about the disclosures in @noritachiquitas’s statement and are looking at everything they’ve said and acknowledging that it was a truly painful experience that shouldn’t have happened.

The allegations follow a lengthy statement from the show’s lead producers on September 17, apologizing for the way his team publicly discussed and then presented a character’s gender journey on the show during his transition from Boston on Broadway. The statement also included several promises and announcements regarding significant production changes regarding the casting, writing and creative environment of the shows that were put in place to ensure that the on-screen and off-screen treatment of non-binary narratives and trans and members of the production is fair, genuine and safe.

This article originally appeared on The Hollywood Reporter.

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