Probably more than any other entertainment field, the theater prides itself on being a haven for everyone, for being progressive, and for continuously pushing the envelope. So it’s extra disappointing to hear that, according to a recent study from Actors’ Equity, acting and stage management jobs in theater are still dominated by white men. As The New York Times reports, Equity, a labor union, conducted its research by crunching the numbers on all stage productions that opened from 2013 to 2015.

For Broadway productions and touring shows, women comprised 35 percent of principle roles in plays, 42 percent of principles roles in musicals, 44 percent of chorus roles, and 37 percent of stage managers. Broadway stagings and tours offer the highest salaries in theater.

As for their Off Broadway counterparts, women represented 40 percent of principal parts in plays, 47 percent of principal parts in musicals, 54 percent of chorus parts, and 65 percent of stage manager jobs. The Times points out that women tend to have more opportunities Off Broadway, but are also paid less than their colleagues on Broadway and on tour.

Non-white actors and stage managers face even more barriers to entry. On Broadway and on tour black actors made up 11 percent of principal roles in plays and nine percent of principal parts in musicals. Off Broadway is a bit more welcoming: black actors comprised 14 percent of principal roles and 22 percent of chorus roles. “But Equity said that whites were generally hired with higher contractual salaries at all levels,” the Times notes.

People of color are especially underrepresented as stage managers. For Broadway shows and touring productions, just six of 137 stage managers were black. African Americans represented only five of the 226 Off Broadway stage managers.

“It’s a hard business to break into,” commented stage manager Winnie Y. Lok, (“Venus in Fur”). “Producers and general managers are used to hiring the same people for comfort, and that’s an issue when you’re talking about bringing new people into the fold.”

It seems Actors’ Equity is taking this problem seriously and is renewing its own inclusivity efforts. Nicole S. Smart was brought on in May as the union’s first diversity director. And Mary McColl, Equity’s executive director, announced the organization’s plans to sit down with theater producers, writers, directors, designers, and choreographers, talk about theater’s lack of gender and racial diversity, and try to figure out a plan of action.

“I think it’s because the canon is written with more characters for men, and all of us have to sit down and have hard conversations about how to address the problem,” McColl told the Times. “And if people of color can’t see themselves onstage, how long will theater remain relevant? This is one of the big problems facing the industry, and we want to help solve it.”

Below are some highlights from the Actors’ Equity study. Go to The New York Times or the union’s website to learn more.

On Broadway and in national tours, where salaries are highest:

• Women held 35 percent of the principal roles in plays, 42 percent of principal roles in musicals, 37 percent of stage manager jobs, and 44 percent of chorus parts
• African Americans comprised 11 percent of the principal roles in plays and 9 percent in musicals
• Just six of the 137 stage management jobs went to African Americans

Off Broadway, where salaries are lower:

• Women represented 40 percent of the principal roles in plays, 47 percent of the principal roles in musicals, 54 percent of the chorus roles, and 65 percent of the stage manager jobs
• African Americans made up 14 percent of the principal roles and 22 percent of chorus jobs
• Only five of the 226 stage managers were black