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Welcome back to another couple weeks of research! A LOT has changed since the last time I updated you guys on my project so I hope you are still interested!
SUMMARY: If you are new to my research, here is a simple recap of the past 2 months of research. I started this project due to my great interest in the theater industry. As a member of the POC community, I have always been curious about how directors cast and choose plays for such a diverse society, specifically in high school as that can be an overlooked area. I began my research by finding the ethnicity statistics of different districts in Colorado, and then chose 2-3 high schools to represent each district. In order to see if ethnicity of the school was taken into consideration when choosing and casting high school productions, I have looked specifically at recent shows produced by these high schools. I was able to email the directors of these shows to get cast lists and images of the show to observe the diversity. I have also completed two interviews so far to help with my analysis. These interviews was not for data collection but for me to gain new perspectives on the process of casting these shows. Ultimately, that is a brief summary so far about what has happened so far!
WHAT'S NEW: These last couple of weeks, I have worked to find solutions to some consistent problems and was able to receive the data I needed. A major change that was made to my project is that I have removed Larimer County as one of the districts to look at. I reached out to many high schools in that district but unfortunately I received no responses back, therefore, I had to find a way to continue my research without their data! However, in terms of good news, all the other counties were able to reach out to me with useful data which I will share now!
To start off, figure 1 shows a little graph I made comparing the ethnicities of the different districts all together. This graph demonstrates how most each district is vaguely similar to one another but all contain differences that make them distinguishable.
FIGURE 1:
DOUGLAS COUNTY
In Douglas County, I have looked at Mountain Vista high school's production of It Runs in the Family (2016) shown in figure 2 and Castle View's production of Arsenic and Old Lace (2021) shown in figure 3.
FIGURE 2:
Above is the cast list of It Runs in the Family.
http://www.stageflighttheatre.org/category/history/season-fourteen/
FIGURE 3:
Above is the cast list of Arsenic and Old Lace.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Arsenic-and-Old-Lace-1941-FE.jpg
Figure 4 is a quick graph I made of the Douglas County School District ethnicity statistics:
FIGURE 4:
As you can see, Mountain Vista and Castle View both have similar statistics as more than 90% of students are caucasian. This compares with the cast lists of both of these shows, primarily containing less students of color.
EL PASO COUNTY
In El Paso County, I am looking at Cheyenne Mountain's production of Elf The Musical (2021) shown in figure 5 and Vista Ridge's production of Cash Delivery (2021) shown in figure 6.
FIGURE 5:
This is the cast list for Elf the Musical.
As I recently just added Vista Ridge High School to one of the schools I would be looking at, I have not been able to add their statistics onto a graph. However, figure 7 shows the one I have created for Cheyenne Mountain High School.
FIGURE 7
In this graph, it is clear to see a major difference in the ethnicity as compared to Douglas County District. However, it is interesting how the theater production of Elf the Musical still lacked diversity.
CHERRY CREEK COUNTY
For Cherry Creek County, I actually was able to look at 3 high schools! I looked at Cherry Creek High School's production of Mamma Mia (2021) shown in figure 8, Grandview's production of Freaky Friday (2021) shown in figure 9, and Overland's production of Sister Act (2022) shown in figure 10.
FIGURE 8
Above is the cast list for Mamma Mia.
FIGURE 9
Here is the cast list for Freaky Friday.
FIGURE 10
Above is the cast list for the production Sister Act.
https://concertposter.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/sisteractDivineD.jpg
Figure 11 is a quick graph I made of the Douglas County School District ethnicity statistics:
FIGURE 11
In this graph, it is clear to see that Cherry Creek County has a lot more variety in ethnicities. It is baffling how Grandview and Cherry Creek have similar statistics, but Overland high school has completely different statistics!
WOW! I know it is a lot of information. I did want to include that I have also obtained pictures of these productions and headshots for some of the schools, however, in order to keep anonymity of the students and respect their privacy, I will not be posting them on the website! The data I have found represented how most counties in Colorado, have a smaller population of different ethnicities, and those that contain some diversity, still struggle to have diversity in their productions. However, schools with extreme diversity have completely different casting in their productions. I believe that even in schools with some diversity such as Castle View or Cheyenne Mountain, many students are not exposed to the theater industry knowing that they do have opportunities!
THANK YOU: Additionally, I want to thank Mr. Robert Scott, Castle View Theater Director, and Mrs. Julia Dale, Rock Canyon Choir Director, for answering my interview questions and providing wonderful insight on their experiences in the performing arts. I was able to learn about how Mr. Scott, wants students to explore beyond their boundaries in theater and image some truly phenomenal and diverse pieces, however, there is a lot of resistance with this desire. An intriguing process he follows is through recruiting other students outside of theater from different classes. He also brought the question, can typecasting be a good thing? Mrs. Dale's responses were similar as well as she wants all performing arts department to release themselves from social constraints in terms of diversity. She believes we have entered a stage of normality with many simple tasks. These responses will fully be shared within my final research paper so keep in touch!
WHAT'S NEXT: Next up in my research. I am waiting on Ms. Abigail Cate, Overland's Theater Director, to respond to the interview questions I sent over. As Overland has the most diversity in almost all of Colorado, I wanted to receive knowledge on her experiences in choosing plays and casting. I will also be writing my paper and working on my presentation so I can show everyone the amazing data I have collected.
CONCLUSION: As I am wrapping up this project, I just wanted to say that I am beyond grateful to have been a player in identifying issues within the theater industry and addressing them. As society is constantly changing and we are entering new eras, we need to make sure all communities are being represented in all forms of opportunities. The performing arts have always been a location where I am able to express myself in ways I never thought possible. The messages we are able to send as young actors and actresses on that stage all with a script and some spotlight, is amazing! Therefore, I find it important for ALL high schoolers to have the opportunities to explore theater for the true beauty that it is and take it into their future to expand the entire theater industry. High school is where a lot of change can be made, with the right guidance and motivation. I believe my research is a minor part of a major issue that should continue to be fought for!
Thank you for keeping up and supporting my research project! :)
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