HowlRound Theatre Commons: How do you create a mainstream queer theatrical culture? Many believe the answer to this question is as simple as gaining representation—perhaps in terms of the content of shows, perhaps in terms of their creation. However, even as representation increases, there doesn’t seem to be much evidence of a truly and uniquely queer theatrical culture—which, for this argument, I am defining as a unique set of practices, aesthetics, and philosophies that are recognizable to an average audience member. Mainstream theatrical culture, by contrast, is accessible to general audiences.
6 comments:
I have often expressed my frustration with the popularity of the coming out story as the only form of representation for LGBTQ+ people. I want stories that are created without a straight audience in mind. I am sick of people thinking that yet another coming out story is "fresh" and "brave" for entering the mainstream. Coming out stories have been a part of the mainstream for many years, and it simply isn't enough and it never will be until every conventional plot meant for straight people is also employed as often featuring gay people. This is the kind of media that Ezra advocates for in the article. My hope is that one day not only will we have all kinds of plots and stories centered around LGBTQ+ folks, but also that they will be commonplace in our media without their sexuality being at the forefront as is the case in all kinds of straight media.
I think that of all the entertainment industries (Film, tv music, etc) Theater has always been viewed as the most inclusive and accepting. Often times this may be true of the people involved, but the stereotype of the "flamboyant theater kid" is deeply harmful to LGBT+ individuals, and that stereotype originates in the theater industry and surrounds it even today. Just walking around the school of drama I frequently hear people discussing a perceived higher percentage of gay men specifically in the theater industry. Whether I agree with that analysis or not, if that were true, it should mean that the level of inclusiveness in plays and mainstream broadway shows should also be increasing, but that is simply not the case. There are a few inclusive shows (Fun Home comes to mind) but many of the shows currently being produced may feature strong topics but still predominantly focus on an all white all straight cast. A great example of this is Dear Evan Hansen. While the show is wonderful and groundbreaking, it's also a plot that could easily have bent in the direction of telling queer POC stories, rather than just another white mans POV. This is true of many contemporary shows, and with more and more people identifying as something other than straight, it's time for stories that otherwise don't have a platform to get told. We have over 100 years of straight white theater, it's time for something new.
This article makes a fantastic point about queering up the production process. This goes hand in hand with a queer rights movement that we don’t want the right to marry because that is a straight institution just perpetuating straight ideals and heteronormativity. I think that queering up the process might be a turn off to some people but I agree that some things in our production process need to change. I don’t see how a large main stage show, a decentralization would allow for a product to be created but maybe the product isn’t the end goal of theatre. I think the author also brings up a good point when the article says to match queer content with familiar content. This could greatly help queer theatre build to the mainstream. Lastly, I love how the author isn’t calling for more representation. I think representation and diverse casting is fantastic but I find it hard to agree with people who say this is revolutionary. People who don’t care about queer identify people aren’t going to change their views from a show they see/even go to a queer show. I love that the article didn’t preach about artivism (art activism) but talked about making queer theatre for queers.
I thought this article was very interesting. There are so many underrepresented groups in theater and I am always fascinated by hearing the perspectives of those who are working hard to bring attention to the underrepresented. I agree with this article’s author, that we need more theater that is unabashedly queer and that explores the queer experience without just pandering the straight audiences. Straight audiences have enough theater that is geared toward their enjoyment and there needs to be more theater that diversifies the target audience and excludes no one from seeing a production. There are so many nuances and challenges that come from being a part of the queer community and it is so important that these aspects of being queer are presented on stage, in a way that is both recognizable and understandable to people outside of the community but also allows people in the community to feel represented and understood.
As a member of the queer community, I admit that sometimes that I feel so starved for queer representation in theatre, that just seeing representation of queer people like myself in story lines is good enough for me. I know this is not a productive way to view queer representation in theatre, but I also know that queer theatre is not something readily accessible to me. I think that what this article is getting at, which is also something that Alexander talked about in their comment, is the importance of making more queer theatre that is accessible for the queer community. I echo what the article and people above say in that part of expanding queer theatre is expanding storylines that do not portray queer individuals in a form that is for a straight audience. I’ve had trouble understanding what “queering” a production means, but this article helped clear up that definition for me. This quote stuck out to me in particular: “If we define the verb “to queer” as “to interrogate and disrupt traditional hierarchies,” then it is impossible to claim a queer process while still playing into patriarchal notions of hegemony.” I had not thought about how the production process would affect the show as a whole, but I think that I like the idea of having a collaborative process for queer artists for the creation of queer theatre would definitely create a more inclusive and thus accessible production. The more people that talk to each other, the more ideas and viewpoints are incorporated into the final product. I would be interested in seeing how this collaborative process works in practice, however, considering how deeply ingrained we are to following the one director model of production.
Like the comment above says, it is often frustrating for the LGBT+ community for the only film and theatrical stories written about them to be focusing on “coming out”. There is often a large emphasis on the fact, this character is gay, and not just them living their life in the plot, and happen to be gay. Being gay in fact, is typically the plot. The playwright Jen Silverman I think does a really good job tackling this. She includes lots of diversity, especially queer women characters in her work, but the plot itself is not focused on these women being queer. The characters being LGBT is just an accepted part of the plot which is not written in explicit. It never says “she is gay” or shoves it in your face, it is naturally woven in just as it is with heteronormative pieces of writing. I think a big part of that is when LGBT+ characters are written by LGBT+ writers.
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