Representation

Hey! So I wanted to start a conversation about representation in theatre. Some questions I want to pose to start getting things rolling are:

1) Who can portray a character with a specific give race?

2) Who can portray a character with a specific given gender identity?

3) Who can portray a character with a specific given sexuality?

4) Who can portray a character with no specific race, gender identity, or sexuality, and should they make their race, gender identity, or sexuality part of the role?

The answer to all 4 of your questions, in the perfect future that Broadway is meant to one day enjoy, is "The Nathan Lane clone genetically engineered and culturally raised to be the proper race/sexuality/sex/gender identity of the character." Hope that helps!

Updated On: 5/22/18 at 11:55 PM

haterobics said: "1. Robin De Jesus

2. Bianca Del Rio

3. Keala Settle

4. Aaron Tveit, and no."

Bahhhaaa, ok, that got me roaring

Can we please not, before Dave comes in and derails the conversation?

BroadwayRox3588 said: "Can we please not, before Dave comes in and derails the conversation?"

I think the mods track Dave's profile as a way to find worrisome threads, so his appearance is typically a sign of a thread's end times.

haterobics said: "UncleCharlie said: "Am I the only one thinking this would be a thread about how to find an agent?"

You need to get woke, sir."

I'm just not up.on all the hip, cool phrases you kids are using now.

Actually, Uncle Charlie, I briefly HOPED that maybe it was about that.



To the OP: it's not that your subject isn't worth talking about, it's that we always talk about it...and as stated above, it always gets ugly. Also: it's also considered good form to state your own opinions, instead of dropping a question and leaving.

Lot666 said: "And no, I don't understand why it is now considered "cool" to intentionally misuse the word "woke"."

It isn't being misused, it is being transformed to represent a new thing, like how language works.

UncleCharlie said: "That explanation is on fleek."

The Dalai Lama notwithstanding, I am the original woke bae.

UncleCharlie said: "Speaking of which, could the Dalai Lama replace Bernadette and keep the show running. It'd be a slightly different Hello Dalai than we're used to, but still..."

He's 82, so the choreography may be a bit much for him, plus I don't know how many book changes would be required to queer up Horace.

Lot666 said: "So, when people on this board refer to a "cast recording" as a "soundtrack", they aren't misusing the word "soundtrack", they're transforming it to represent a new thing. Like how language works."

On one hand, yes, since you purchase the digital versions in the 'soundtrack' section of iTunes, so it is hard to say you aren't buying something when you are buying it in that section of the store.

On the other, no, since the term is based on movies and when they were still on film, they had a video track and a sound track, which is not the case.

I don't think using an incorrect term due to lack of knowledge is the same as adding an evolved meaning to an old term intentionally. But if people use the wrong term for long enough, then sure, it will likely be adopted despite the rationale.

singer234 said: "the only thing killing the future of Broadway is this elitist nostalgia for the past and stronghold on fending off colloquialisms."

That's the only thing?!

And no, I don't understand why it is now considered "cool" to intentionally misuse the word "woke".

I'm with you. Every time I hear "woke" used like that, I get ratchet feels. And recently, "far out" has suddenly reemerged as a replacement expletive for an f-bomb with the opposite meaning it had in the 70s. I'm wondering if I should start using "jive turkey" as a superlative compliment.