There is an obstacle that all educators face. It is one which we have all faced, and considered how to overcome, and to which each of us has applied our own unique solutions. That being how to answer the eternal question from students: “why should I care?”, or more specifically, “why should I care about what you are currently trying to teach me?”.
Now, of course, each subject has its own routine answers to this question. Mathematicians point out the various ways in which math affects a person’s life after school, from earnings to taxes to potential usage in various careers. Science teachers can tell of the ways in which science helps us understand the physical building blocks of the world we live in and deepen our understanding of it. History teachers perhaps teach the most difficult of the core subjects, but can always defend the utility of their courses with a similar defense as the scientists, except the building blocks are more philosophical and metaphysical than strictly literal and physical.
What then, of the theater teacher (or, indeed, most of the fine arts)? Our task in answering this questions is perhaps most difficult of all. It is further complicated, in the case of theater, by the fact that many of our students, particularly in low-income school districts, often have absolutely no experience with theatrical productions outside of, perhaps, elementary school or church plays. It follows then, that many students’ initial thoughts about the theater are something along the lines of “this hasn’t been impactful on my lived experience at all up to the present, why would I devote brain power to it now?” This is entirely understandable, and a significant barrier to creating engaged thespians.
And there is yet still a further complication! Many of our students, if they have any conception of theater at all, see it as something for “rich white people”, and they are well aware of the fact that factors beyond their control exclude them from both of the first two qualities (thankfully most of society has at least agreed we all satisfy the last one.)
Theater as an art form and an industry, unlike movies and visual art, has not made great strides in bridging this gap, for a variety of reasons, including the expense of putting on a high quality production, the specialized venues required for some shows, and (up until relatively recently) a comparative dearth of high quality shows meant for different demographics of audience. While nearly all students have seen art at some point, even if they’ve never set foot in a gallery, and they’ve almost certainly watched a movie, even if they’ve never considered what sets a “good” movie apart from a “bad” one. There is a very low chance any of them has ever sat through a full production of even the most popular musical or play, let alone performed in one. And if they have done either, it was when they were in elementary school in an academic or religious setting, forever giving theater the undesirable air of being “a kids thing” that high schoolers are (of course) entirely too cool for.
How then, with all of the problems and barriers discussed up to this point, are we to reach our students? This course unit seeks to answer that question, utilizing little known aspects of the history of theater, both American and otherwise, as well as areas of modern theater that are consciously trying to correct some of the deficiencies of the art form from the past.
On the historical side, the book Black Like You, by cultural historian John Strausbaugh, was a valuable text, dealing as it does with the history of depictions of racial characteristics in various forms of American media from the beginnings of the country into the early twentieth century. As the title indicates, the book is primarily concerned with depictions of African Americans by white Americans, starting with an examination of the history and meaning behind “blackface” in American theater. Strausbaugh’s research reveals that while negative racial depictions of black Americans were indeed part of the makeup of early theater, he also finds that “It’s important to remember that on the vaudeville stage these blackfaced “Ethiopians” rubbed elbows with various other brands of broadly played ethnic stereotypes and impersonations, for equally low laughs—the brawling Irish, wheedling Jews, oily Italians, thick-headed Germans…maybe we should call these greenface, jewface, pastaface, potatoface...”1 They were in many cases (though certainly not all) not necessarily any more mean spirited than negative representations of any other racial group. Additionally, many of the most successful and famous “blackface” actors and actresses were themselves black, and these comedians carried the characteristics of the form well past the point where it had become unacceptable for white comedians to use them. This in and of itself might lead to interesting discussions with students regarding the usage of tropes like this by and for different casts and audiences, but on a more general level serves to illustrate that American theater, from the beginning, has been heavily influenced and populated by minority voices.
Latinos and American Popular Culture, by Patricia Montilla, also proved a useful resource with its overview of the contributions of Latino and Latina artists to American culture. While it is concerned with the broader culture, as opposed to just theater, it does include information on many different actors who have performed both on stage and off screen.
Many of the show texts themselves also provide proof for this premise. While of course the works of Lin Manuel Miranda, such as Hamilton and In the Heights, have achieved huge success in popular culture in the 21st century, they are far from the only examples of works written by and for black and latino audiences and actors. Students should examine works such as A Raisin in the Sun, Evita, The Wiz, and The Color Purple for earlier examples of the impact of their cultures on the history of theater. An examination of these works will also allow students to compare the experiences of the authors with their own, thereby recognizing the applicability of theater to their own personal lives, as well as highlighting the ability of the art form to speak to cultures and times other than their own. My hope, in including older shows and forms of theater in the body of the unit, is that students might also come to recognize how the fight for equal rights and representation has changed over the years since these shows were written, as well as the ways in which they have remained the same.
Actors and actresses from similar backgrounds and communities to their own can also help to bring theater home for many students. Thus, this project will also encourage students to examine the lives and performances of actors and actresses such as Leslie Odom Jr, John Leguizamo, and Rita Moreno.
It is my hope that, after completing this unit, students and teachers both will better understand the reasons that theater applies to them, their experiences, and even their futures. I hope to instill in them as well the idea that theater, far from being a foreign art form, unrelated to their community, is an integral part of the human experience, for them as much as for anyone else.
Classroom Context
My classroom is a majority-minority classroom in Central Texas, with 80% of our student population being black and/or Hispanic. As a result, these are the heritages upon which I will be primarily focusing in this unit. If your classroom differs significantly in composition, feel free to substitute works more appropriate to your population where useful. For instance, Allegiance, by George Takei, may be more interesting to your students than The Wiz if you have many students of Japanese ancestry.
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