Diversity in American Drama

Hello, my name is Gail Dartez. I teach in the theatre arts department at Cosumnes River College. Specifically I teach a course titled Diversity in American Drama. The course curriculum does not directly address or discuss the way racism and white supremacy have shaped and corrupted our theatre institutions in America. Students' questions and curiosity about diversity and American drama guided the creation of a new module: Not a Moment but a Movement: Toward an Anti-Racist American Theatre. Are we going to be discussing topics like racism? How has the representation of diverse identities evolved in American theatre over the years? Is there a problem with the lack of diversity in theatre? What could be done to improve this? How can we contribute to promoting inclusivity within the realm of American drama? We began by reading and responding to "We See You White American Theater," the letter that calls out racism and white supremacy in American theatre. We also looked at how theatre makers responded to the demands in this letter to change business as usual. Students responded to the content in this module primarily within small group discussions, audio recordings, and an investigation of specific theatre companies to see how any of their responses to the letter manifested in DEI statements or practices in casting or hiring.