This week I have been getting the ball rolling with my thesis. I was so excited to interview an MFA student about Arizona State University's student outreach programs in regards to access and viewership to School of Film, Dance and Theatre's productions. After our interview, I reached out to the School of Music to research their student outreach program for the Musical Theatre and Opera college and will be meeting with someone soon.
Now, this brings me to the point of this post: In 2019, I plan on interviewing individuals within the industry to learn about their experiences in the field and how they dealt with issues of diversity. I am using the interviews as a way of collecting data for undergraduate research.
If you are interested in being interviewed or know people working as designers and technicians in the theatre industry, feel free to share this information and contact me! Below I have provided a snippet of what my undergraduate research will be focusing on and the goal of my thesis.
Brief Prospectus Summary:
There is a lack of diversity within the design and technical field of theatre. If you look in each department you will see there are not many women, people of color, LGBTQ+, and disabled individuals in the industry. I want to increase the diversity within the field by creating a mentorship program that creates educational opportunities and access to theatre for the youth. I believe it is important for individuals entering the design and technical field of theatre to see the diversity in order to feel more comfortable pursuing a career within the industry. Seeing your gender, racial, sexual, or ability diversity represented allows an individual to be comfortable in the field. The main goal of this thesis is to make people aware of the diversity issue that plagues the industry and provide a solution. I want to lay the groundworks for a program that will increase the diversity within the field and allow a large mix of individuals to have a voice and creative outlet in theatre
Once again, if you are interested or know someone who may be willing to share their experiences then please feel free to reach out to me! Thank you!
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