ABSTRACT
After 30 years as a theatre professional, Colombian immigrant playwright and actor Diana Burbano has learned that to see oneself onstage, one must be willing to take risks, advocate, and agitate. Burbano spent her early acting life trying to fit into an industry that didn’t see her or understand her story. She had a lucrative but draining career playing gang members, maids, and housekeepers on TV, barely able to make a dent in the theatre despite natural talent and commitment. Like many actors, Burbano doubted her talent and skill until she started to write her plays. With each new play, Burbano grew to understand that she hadn’t been onstage as often as some of her peers because she didn’t exist in the “canon.” As Latinx actors thanked her for creating roles that felt like home, she grew to realize that when she had auditioned for theatre, especially “colorblind” roles, she had been asked to play white people. That revelation shifted Burbano’s thinking on how most actor training actively suppresses the needs and instincts of BIPOC performers and what needs to be done is to decolonize the theatre, starting with the education and training of the young actor.
