CMU School of Drama


Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Why Diversity Doesn't Play So Well in Peoria

An Angry White Guy in Chicago: "With all of the words being throw around about diversity and racism and the cultural divides on our stages, it occurred to me that I don't see this lack of diversity - onstage or off. The House Theater's Wilson Wants It All had a racially diverse cast and it didn't strike me as particularly activist of them - it seemed normal. On a normal (read: cold as shit) day in Chicago, I see diversity at every corner - openly gay, black, Latino, Asian, businessmen, the homeless, women, men, young, old - and all cross sections in between."

1 comment:

Sonia said...

I understand what the author is saying and I think that hes right how can we expect to change something in places where people arent exposed to it at all. I think that yes theater is a great way to show people the issues that they are too uncomfortable to talk about let alone change their views for. And even though I can look at the quote in the begining about 'speak English' and think that that man is ignorant, I can also see that classifying people by race and refering to them by it in my life. Im Colombian and am used to my grandparents referring other latinos by their native country. But I did a double take when, in high school, my dad (who has live in the US for more than 30 years) reffered to my friends as the Romanian, the Philipino, and the Orientals. He didnt mean anything negative by it, it was just the way it worked out in his head, you are what your heritage is.