Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Author Sara Nović writes about the state of Deaf education, and its implications for the theatre.

Scholar and translator Barbara Fuchs discusses the opportunities and challenges of diversifying the classical canon to include Spanish-language Hispanic classical theatre.

Theatre artists Rachel Kauder Nalebuff and Deena Selenow discuss issues of accessibility regarding the pregnant body and the development of The Bumps, their collaboration about a play written for pregnant performers.

Brian Sonia-Wallace considers the Jubilee initiative’s possible implications for artists and the field, and weighs the pros and cons.

Salma Abu Ayyash considers the missed opportunity for Ayd Akhtar’s Disgraced to challenge Islamphobia and the intersection of oppressions.

Trevor Boffone discusses Lin-Manuel Miranda’s wildly popular Ham4Ham show, and how it fits into a Latina/o theatre tradition.

The Latinx Theatre Commons Steering Committee responds to a recent New York Times review containing a cultural microaggression.

Playwright David Copelin explores the idea of cultural appropriation versus misappropriation, and asks if playwrights should limit themselves in terms of what kind of characters they write.

Arlene Martínez-Vázquez calls out the racism of Ayad Akhtar’s Disgraced, the most widely produced play of 2015 in America.

Actor and writer Oscar A. L. Cabrera kicks off the Café Onda series about Hamilton’s Latinidad, discussing the personal impact Lin-Manuel Miranda’s work has had on him.

Emily Aguilar Thomas talks with Latina/o artists about why how the lack of representation at the Oscars matters to theatre.

Playwright MJ Halberstadt writes about different ways playwrights can address diverse representation in their scripts.

Malesha Taylor shares her experience working in audience development and emphasizes the need for regional theatres to continue building relationships with diverse audiences. 

Ricky Young-Howze challenges theatre companies to rethink the conventional aesthetic of silent audiences and find creative ways to accommodate audience members with invisible disabilities.

Playwright Jordan Ramirez Puckett shares her experience submitting plays as a light-skinned Latina and questions the intention behind the phrase “playwright of color” in the industry.

Actor Isabel Dieppa writes about her experiences as an actor of color being cast in a variety of roles.

A document used by Hampshire College in directing classes, senior seminars, and student-led season planning to further discussions about race and casting. 

Playwright Ricky Young-Howze shares his experience working in theatre with invisible disabilities.

Playwright Jelisa Jay Robinson advocates the need for more representation of Afro-Latin@s both onstage and behind the scenes in theatre.

Director and producer Stephen M. Miranda writes about a forum on diversity he recently attended in Oklahoma, and the need for more decision-makers from diverse backgrounds in theatres around the country.