08/24/2026
What an incredible night for Black Dog Theatre. 🖤🐾
Last night, our co-founder and board member, Haley Unger, was honored with the DEI Impact Award at the DASH Gala. 🏆✨
While there were many things Haley wished they could have said in that moment, they wanted to take a little time now to share what this recognition means to them:
“First of all, I want to thank EMACT and the DASH consultants for honoring me with this incredibly meaningful award, my vice-president and close friend Kevin Lundy for taking the time to so thoughtfully submit a nomination for me, the board of Black Dog Theatre for their dedication, passion and commitment, and my friends, family and partner for supporting me every step of the way.
When we first started Black Dog Theatre two years ago, I would have never imagined myself standing on that stage last night in front of you all to accept such an important award.
When we were at our very first board meeting, the main topic of discussion was our mission statement and what kind of culture we wanted to build. When I was nominated, by Kevin actually, to be the theatre’s first president, I was nervous, excited and completely unsure of what was in store.
If there was one thing I was aware of, it was that I hadn’t seen many people like me, a 27-year-old nonbinary, trans-masculine member of the q***r community, in such a role. I truly believe that this kind of representation on an administrative and board level has greatly contributed to our company’s ability to make our mission statement a reality: to foster a community where diverse perspectives are explored through the transformative power of theatre.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for this honor & recognition.”
We couldn’t be prouder of Haley: not just for this incredible recognition, but for the vision, courage and heart they bring to Black Dog Theatre every day. 🖤
This award is a reflection of the kind of community we set out to build from our very first board meeting, and we’re honored to have had Haley helping lead the way. 🐾✨
