Briana Beeman

Accountability in Educational Theatre and Beyond

The theatre industry, like many, has always been a male-led industry, its content and conventions created by and for men. There was a time when women weren't even allowed to perform or attend performances. Yet, somewhere along the line, boys' masculinity began to be measured by how skilled they were at athletics. The performing arts became too "feminine" of a career choice, likely discouraging many young men to try out for the high school play, and thus discouraging a potential introduction to careers in theatre. In high school and community theatre productions, where many current professionals discovered their calling, recruiting men who can act (and sing, and dance) can be difficult. Often, if it's harder to fill male roles, a director or teacher is more willing to be flexible in order to have a successful show. Maybe they add Maria into "Edelweiss" sooner to mask Captain Von Trapp's tone-deafness. Maybe "Jimmy" is late to Thoroughly Modern Millie rehearsal a fourth time and they decide not to cut him because they have no replacement. In educational theatre, where there are usually more talented young women than a show can hold, women are held to different standards. It gets cutthroat. They have to work harder to "outshine" their peers. And they're replaceable. "Millie" gets kicked out if she's consistently late, because "that's how the real world works." And even though "Jimmy" was kind of a nightmare, he still gets cast in the musical the following spring.