Black performers are rarely able to tell their stories onstage in a powerful and authentic way. There are various reasons for this, such as who is writing the stories, who is directing the stories, and which stories are mainstreamed. In the 2018-19 season of New York City theater, Black performers occupied 29% of all available roles (Bandhu et al, 2019). This is about 30% less than their White counterparts. White performers occupied roughly 59% of all available roles which is not surprising (Bandhu et al, 2019). There was a 6% increase in the number of roles occupied by Black performers since the 2017-18 season but Black performers still lack access to authentic central roles and outlets to convey their stories (Bandhu et al, 2019).

It is crucial for Black performers to be able to tell their stories, but we are not provided the space to do so. 81% of the playwrights in the New York theater industry were White and dominated all theater in New York City during the 2018-19 season (Bandhu et al, 2019). 12% were Black playwrights and had their stories in the periphery meaning that their stories rarely made it to the stage and if they did, they were written by White playwrights. It’s very clear to see who had the most control when looking at the shows that were playing in the 2018-19 season: Straight White Men, To Kill a Mockingbird, and American Son. There was one show that highlighted the Black experience during this season: Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations. Of course, White playwrights don’t only write about White experiences, but having a play about the Black experience written by a White person lacks authenticity due to a difference in topics, ways of communicating, nuances, and overall messages (Bandhu et al, 2019). 

Between the playwrights and directors, we as black performers had scarce opportunities to tell our stories. About 81% of directors during the 2018-19 season were White which shows that they had control when it came to shaping how Black performers’ stories were told (Bandhu et al, 2019). Only 10% of directors were Black, again having very minimal influence in the 2018-19 season (Bandhu et al, 2019). 

Overall, Black performers deserve to have their stories told in the way they want them to be. We shouldn’t have to fight for a moment in the spotlight or deal with our white counterparts’ comments on how we present ourselves. We shouldn’t have to have a “black voice” or abide by any other stereotypes thrust upon us to succeed in the performance industry (Asare, 2020). We shouldn’t have to keep reminding people that we are not your n******.

Sources:

1. AAPAC Team. “2018-2019.” DONATE, http://www.aapacnyc.org/2018-2019.html.
2. Asare, Masi. “The Black Broadway Voice: Calls and Responses.” Studies in Musical Theatre, Intellect, 1 Dec. 2020, https://intellectdiscover.com/content/journals/10.1386/smt_00047_7;jsessionid=VTBEKuwt34_oTI0ul0mrE0S2ObFWCymGd65oziDc.intellive-10-240-16-175.
3. Bahr, Sarah. “White Actors and Directors Still Dominate Broadway Stages, Report Finds.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 1 Oct. 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/01/theater/new-york-theater-diversity-report.html.
4. Bernstein, Alice. “Philip Rose: A Broadway Journey against Racism.” Afro-Americans in New York Life and History, vol. 29, no. 1, Jan. 2005, p. 31. Gale Academic OneFile, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/A128705134/AONE?u=nysl_oweb&sid=googleScholar&xid=982748bb. Accessed 2 May 2023.
5. “Capathia Jenkins Sings ‘a Big Black Lady Stops the Show’ from ‘Fame Becomes Me.’” YouTube, 21 Aug. 2012, https://youtu.be/b0-eXSDA02g.
6. Collins-Hughes, Laura, et al. “Four Black Artists on How Racism Corrodes the Theater World.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 June 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/10/theater/systemic-racism-theater.html.
7. Skethway, Nathan. “A Look at Every Show That Opened during the 2018-2019 Broadway Season.” Playbill, https://playbill.com/article/a-look-at-every-show-that-opened-during-the-2018-2019-broadway-season.