“EdTA’s annual survey of the plays and musicals most frequently produced in America’s schools... The results represent a snapshot of school theatre industry trends, with responses from EdTA-affiliated schools as well as many non-affiliated schools.” 84th Annual Play Survey, Educational Theatre Association
For this study I used the top 10 full length musicals for the 2021-2022 school year.
In order of popularity:
Mamma Mia!
All Together Now!
The Addams Family
The SpongeBob Musical
Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown
Little Shop of Horrors
Into the Woods
(tie) Disney’s The Little Mermaid
(tie) Disney’s Newsies
The instrument for this study was inspired by the Bechdel Test, a casual pass/fail test consisting of three questions intended to discuss the treatment of women in film. If the answer is yes to all three of the questions the film ‘passes’
Is there more than one woman in the film?
If there are multiple women in the film, do they talk to each other?
If they talk to each other, do they talk about something other than men?
Seven questions intended to dissect a piece of musical theatre. Unlike Bechdel, it is NOT a pass/fail test, but rather a mixed method analysis.
What percentage of the characters in the musical are female?
How often do the female characters speak?
How often do the female characters talk to other female characters?
If/when the female characters speak to each other, do they discuss subjects other than men (specifically their romantic relationships with men)?
Does the audience learn anything about the female characters’ lives outside of the story?
What percentage of the music features women?
Does the plot revolve around a man, woman, or other?
1 Percentage of female characters: The percentage of female characters will be calculated based on the listed principal cast in each show’s official libretto. A character will be included in this percentage if and when the character list and/or script notes and dialogue refer to the character using she/her pronouns.
2. Number of lines: a ‘line’ will be defined as a word, sentence, or phrase spoken by the character. Monologues totalling one minute or more in length will equal ten lines.
3. / 4. Instances where women speak to other women (and discuss subjects other than men): ‘Instances’ will be measured by a single conversation between two or more female characters. The ‘instance’ ends when the conversation, scene, or collection of characters is altered or ended. If an additional female character is added to the scene, the first instance ends, and a new instance begins.
5. Does the audience learn anything about the female characters' lives outside of the story? Examples of these details could be characters’ jobs, family, birthplace, etc. that are not immediately important to the plot of the musical.
6. What percentage of the music features women? This will be calculated by examining the amount of music in which a female character has three or more sung lines and/or sings more than half of the song. Instrumental selections (e.g. Overtures) within the musical will not be included for the purposes of this study.
7. Does the story revolve around a man, woman, or other? This question refers to the main plot of the musical and to which character or concept the audience is most exposed. An example of an ‘other’ is a plot that strictly follows the relationship between two characters; or a plot that revolves around the lives of various street felines.