BWW Blog: Diversifying the Theatre - A Movement or A Moment?

I am an aspiring playwright and theatre practitioner. Before I decided to dedicate my life to the theatre, I was nothing but a Black boy. Now, I am a Black man, one living in a society that does not always love or accept Black men, or Black women, or Latino men or Latina women, or anyone of any color. I have also chosen a field - the theatre - that has been generally advanced when it comes to presenting diverse stories and storytellers, but which has still had its struggles when it comes to giving its most attention and funding to these multicultural stories. Last summer, in the midst of our global pandemic, there was a rising Black Lives Matter movement around the world, one that not only led to demands for more societal equity, but one that also led to the promotion of more inclusivity of the arts, including in the field of theatre arts. Campaigns such as the #WeSeeYou White American Theatre (WAT) movement called for boardrooms and stages to be filled with more BIPOC artists.

This is great, right? Right...? Of course it is, but I am hesitant to accept these things as the new normal, for a multitude of reasons. For the last few months I have seen more and more opportunities posted online, in Facebook groups, play submission sites, etc. that are pushing calls for "artists of color only." This is a noble reaction to recent events, and one that allows a more diverse set of artists to have a fair chance of having their voices heard. What I am most hesitant about is that this is only that-- a reaction to the times. Every year there are calls for more diversity in the arts and every year there is seemingly a Black Lives Matter movement-response to an unarmed person of color being unjustly murdered, and typically, these feelings fade away and we quietly transition into the old normal until the next time Black blood is on the street. Especially with social media, we have a tendency to jump on the relevant bandwagon (or should I say, hashtag-wagon) and then shedding our activists skin and returning to posting our dates and lunches and vacations.

Moreover, the aforementioned "BIPOC only" opportunities are only further categorizing Black and Brown stories away from being considered normal stories that belong in every sphere of the theatrical landscape, and the real question will come in the hopefully near-future when Broadway's doors open back up and theatrical seasons resume. We have heard this argument before and yet - besides your occasional Hamilton or Color Purple - the stories and faces we see on the strangely appropriately named Great White Way have remained pretty much the same. It doesn't help that the typical Broadway ticket-buyer and show-viewer is older, upper-class and white. You cannot expect these shows to be put on the biggest stages if the producers and theatre-owners do not see them as profitable. There isn't a chance, unfortunately. But time will tell. I hope that things finally change. I hope that the opportunities being offered are real and long-lasting and not just being created to steer away from controversy, cancelation, judgement or accusations of being racist.

Of course, this is only my perspective on the matter. No one can say for sure what it happening in the rooms where the decisions are made. I definitely dream of a Broadway that represents me. I dream of a Broadway where the shows I write have a place on the marquees. I dream of a Broadway where "color blind" casting is a given, not a gimmick. I dream of a Broadway that represents the neighborhoods I grew up in. I dream of a Broadway that gives my friends the jobs they've worked for just as hard or harder than those who get the most opportunities. I dream of a Broadway that thinks more progressively than a one way street.

Most of all I dream of a Broadway that accepts everyone because they want to, not because they feel they have to in order to appease a moment in time. Or, maybe these are only dreams.

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