On Latino Representation In Theatre

Abstract

Theatre is becoming more inclusive, more diverse, and I am intending on this paper to to shed light on it, so others may see this too. Growing up I didn’t see much Latino representation in Broadway theatre, so naturally the feeling I got when I was first presented with In the Heights by Lin Manuel Miranda at my high school was incredible. Seeing people on stage that looked like me and had stories like mine for the first time in my life was inspiring. It left me wondering, wanting, and curious to see what else was out there. I also want young people, such as the ones I have run theatre workshops for in my hometown in the summer, to know, that should they choose to pursue theatre, they have role models to look up to in the field and plays that tell stories they can really relate to. This was my inspiration for my thesis. I conducted research on Latinos and Latinas in theatre and interviewed people in the field to hear their experiences. I have also collected data to find out if the number of Latinos in theatre is growing or diminishing. During my research I concentrated on how many Latino actors were playing Latino roles, how many Latinos were playing non-Latino roles, how many plays exist that realistically display Latinos, and what the future of Latino theatre will look like. This is information I want others so that they can see Latino theatre in a new light.