Tuesday, August 05, 2025
Theatre Design Students Need to See Themselves in the Work
HowlRound Theatre Commons: I didn’t know a prop could make someone cry. But that’s what happened.
Leilani was a high school senior in rural Texas—Native Hawaiian, and one of the only Pacific Islander students in the entire district. For most of her schooling, her culture existed outside the classroom. But in my technical theatre class, I assigned a props project that invited students to design an item with narrative significance.
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We talk a lot about diversity and representation in the performing and visual arts, but it mainly applies to performers. Of course, it is important for children and students to physically see themselves represented on screen, stage, and other forms of media, but this article raises the point of young artists seeing themselves in art. Just as in performance what makes us special as artists is our history. Just because something isn’t as blatantly obvious seeing a piece of art that we see ourselves in can be just as touching. It is not only cathartic but I feel when we create art that is important to us it makes it that much better. Being passionate and feeling connected to a project can make the difference between a good piece and an extraordinary one. I also find it that much more fun and fulfilling. I hope that the industry and academia continue to push for self-exploration within the work.
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