BHM: Diversity On The Stage

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One of the pillars of Black History Month in our industry is the recognition, discussion, and strategizing regarding the lacking representation of all of our diverse and exceptional talent. It seems, however, that so many of these conversations are limited to those who appear on screen – our fellow TV & Film actors. While this topic is certainly not to be overlooked – there are huge strides to be made on screen – it sometimes feels as though we’re leaving our beloved Theatre actors out of the conversation. What about the importance (and lack) of representation of Blackness on & behind the stage?

To get some perspective, let's look at some statistics. 

  • A survey of the 2018/19 Theatre for Young Audiences season found that POC playwrights comprised only 20% of the shows 

  • POC directors accounted for 15% of the same 2018/19 TYA season

  • Only 37% of the stage actors during the 2018/19 season were POC
    Source: Broadway World / Nicole Rosky & TYAUSA.org

  • During the 2018/19 season in New York City, White actors appeared in 58.6% percent of all roles on NYC stages (both Broadway and Off-Broadway)

  • 93.8% of Broadway directors were White during this season

  • 78.7% of Off-Broadway directors were White during this season
    Source: Playbill / Ryan McPhee 

Numbers and figures can help put things into tangible perspective, right? Sometimes it’s hard to conceptualize the true lack of diversity if you’re not working behind the scenes, in the audience, seeing the casting breakdowns, waiting in audition lobbies. Often we likely don’t even fully realize how large the chasm really is. Numbers help make things more black & white (no pun intended). There simply is no denying the stats.

So where do we go from here? Clearly, the TV & Film industry is not the only entertainment sector lacking in diversity and visibility. And there are amazing activists and resources with ideas to change that. 

A BIPOC collective called We See You, White American Theatre (WSYWAT) published a 29-page collaborative set of demands to restructure and equitize the theater industry in the US. In their own words, WSYWAT is a “multi-generational, multi-disciplinary, early career, emerging and established artists, theater managers, executives, students, administrators, dramaturges and producers, to address the scope and pervasiveness of anti-Blackness and racism in the American theater.” In their first statement, which can be read in full here, they write: “We have watched you exploit us, shame us, diminish us, and exclude us.” It is a wildly powerful message that speaks to the hurt that underlies the discrimination and inequality that permeates the Theatre industry. 

As allies, it can sometimes feel challenging to know “where to begin.” As agencies and agents, we want the best for our talent. We want them to shine on every stage, in every story, and to be competitive, heard, seen. And while it should NOT be the job of People of Color to right the wrongs that plague our culture, it’s also important to listen and learn from the perspective of those who directly face the challenges we aim to rectify.

That said, among the pages of WSYWAT’s rally cry, here is a small selection of points that stuck out that we wanted to underline in a show of support:

  • Theater leaders should have term limits. Those who have served more than 20 years (that includes the heads of many New York nonprofit theaters) should view it as “an act of service to resign.”

  • Invest in BIPOC leaders. Provide Gap Training for future leaders of color. While participating in this training, embrace peer mentorship instead of paternalistic impulses around mentorship. 

  • Productions should provide on-site counseling for those working on shows that deal with “racialized experiences, and most especially racialized trauma.”

  • Ongoing mandatory EDI and Anti-Racism Training must be implemented for executive leadership, boards and staff.

  • We demand the end of black face, brown face, yellow face, red face and crip face casting, full stop. 

  • We demand the decentralization of whiteness as a ‘default’ in acting, design, directing, management, movement, speech, voice and writing classes. 

The above are a scratch on the surface of what must and can be done to abolish Theatrical inequity. This is the Theatre world we want to see! To honor Black History Month, we humbly ask you to read the full document that was so thoughtfully and groundbreakingly composed by the 300+ members of We See You, White American Theatre. At the very least, we can all do our part to be educated and aware – if you’ve made it this far, we very much appreciate it. 

Cheers, Fam.

AUTHOR: LARA FREEMAN-ERBIN