Creating more diversity in Canadian theatre: from the actor's perspective
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Date
2024
Authors
Roberts, Andrea Lilli
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Fine Arts
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Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Drama
Abstract
Actors in Southern Alberta, particularly in Lethbridge and Calgary, currently want more diversity and inclusion in theatre. There is an absence of research that supports the actor's perspective with respects to diversity and inclusion in theatre in Southern Alberta. This thesis explores issues of the lack of representation, opportunities, and tokenistic casting practices that ultimately affect actors in Canadian theatre, and more specifically, Southern Alberta. This thesis contains a comprehensive literature review of Canadian theatre, interviews with four racially diverse, professional actors who live and work in Southern Alberta, and a detailed case study of a ground-breaking, Indigenous-led theatre production at the University of Lethbridge, 'Yisstsiiyi.' 'Yisstsiiyi' was a devised creation, staged in the University of Lethbridge's main theatre, in the fall of 2023. The collaboration between Calgary's Indigenous theatre company, Making Treaty Seven, and the University of Lethbridge's Faculty of Fine Arts (Department of Drama), researched in this thesis, demonstrates that measures towards a more equitable, inclusive, and diverse theatre landscape in Canadian theatre is achievable, but there is still a lot of progress to be made, in order to de-colonize antiquated theatre practices.
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Keywords
diversity in Canadian theatre , inclusion in Canadian theatre , diversity in character roles , minority actors , racialized actors , disenfranchised actors , casting decisions