Creating Curricula: Uplifting the Next Generation of Activists in Theatre
Open Access
- Author:
- Stanford, Alyssa
- Area of Honors:
- Musical Theatre
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Gwendolyn E Walker, Thesis Supervisor
Raymond Sage, Thesis Honors Advisor - Keywords:
- Musical Theatre
Activism
Curriculum - Abstract:
- Musical theatre is an art form that is deeply connected to issues within our society. Our social and political history has been showcased on the stage since its beginning. Though musical theatre has a reputation of inclusivity, that is not always the case. Historically speaking, musicals might have been revolutionary in their time but lack a true specificity when it comes to the portrayal of underrepresented groups. Musicals such as Show Boat, West Side Story, and Oklahoma! are revered in our industry but have a deep history of harmful material. Since the global pandemic of 2020, the theatre industry has had a plethora of conversations about the problems and current needs within the industry ranging from accessibility to fair wages. From these conversations, an organization called Broadway of Tomorrow was formed (BoT) by college students, for which I am the Community Outreach Specialist. In my position, I was able to create curriculum for future theatre artists at universities to bridge the gap between art and activism so that they can have tools for their entrance into the industry. My current title for this curriculum is Art Advocacy for Theatre Artists. The goal is for participants to assess themselves and the theatre industry, strategize based on the current needs chosen for the curriculum year, and implement change in their own creative way. The current needs chosen for the curriculum are accessibility, anti-racist theatre, and intimacy direction. This paper addresses the need for art activism curricula and provides my example of such a program. My hope with this curriculum is to disseminate it in the summer of 2024 through Broadway of Tomorrow.