Human coding
It’s important to recognize the potential for human error in this process, as I am only human. It is possible that mistakes were made in the coding/counting process, however all percentages were calculated twice for accuracy and consistency.
Subjectivity of Individual Interpretation
Question #5 (Does the audience learn anything about the female characters' lives outside of the story?): I took any small detail about a female character’s life to create a ‘yes’ for this question. There could be some debate about these details and their relevance to the musical’s plot. For example, The Witch in Into the Woods briefly references a contentious relationship with her mother, does this impact the plot?
Question #7 (Does the story revolve around a man, woman, or other?): I specifically looked at the perspective from which the story was told. Some could argue the semantics of plot revolution. For example, Little Shop of Horrors could be more about the plant and less about Seymour, in which case it would fall into the ‘other’ category.
COVID - 19
Another consideration to address is the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the results of this study. Many schools shut down their theatre programs for a portion of the last few years. This could impact the choice in show for some schools and/or impact the size of the program at any given school.
I would like to fully acknowledge the use of gender-bent casting as a tool for program runners. It is a popular way for directors to combat the lack of opportunities for female actors. I do agree that this is a creative way to solve this problem and create more opportunities for women. However, the purpose of this study is to examine the opportunities written and intended for women actors; specially when so many licensing agreements explicitly prohibit cross gender casting.
I would also like to acknowledge how difficult it is to select a musical for a program. Having gone through the process so many times myself, I understand the challenges involved. Unending factors need to be considered, including but not limited to program size, budget, set/costumes, content, etc. I would never admonish anyone for electing to do these shows; they are popular works and all have educational merit. The purpose of this study is to discuss the opportunities they present for our young girls.