ABSTRACT
Theatre departments commonly adopt models similar to those utilized by professional theatres in an attempt to prepare students for the competitive field in which they are about to enter. However, data collected within the last decade reveals problematic hiring practices in the professional realm, specifically regarding actors of color. A study conducted by The Asian American Performers Action Coalition (AAPAC) found troubling ethnic disproportions among the actors hired for Broadway and large NYC non-profit theatres between 2006 and 2011. Practitioners and scholars argue the statistical disparities uncover a biased casting system that works against the hiring of non-white actors in professional theatre. This chapter builds upon that scholarship, and considers how the uncritical absorption of those same practices into higher education negatively impacts students of color. A brief overview of the link between actor training programs and regional theatres will be covered, along with the repercussions of that pipeline for non-white students. Penn State Harrisburg’s production of Avenue Q is used as a case study that presents alternate strategies to long-standing conventions of casting the “best” actor in favor of intentional ethnocultural collaborations for the purpose of widening representations within the cast. The chapter explores the inherent tensions and potential pitfalls for departments mirroring professional standards onstage, the necessary negotiations when prioritizing multiethnic representation, and how reframing the pedagogical foci for academic production work can positively affect the theatrical ecosystem of a university program.
