Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to share the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and People
of Color in the history of American musical theatre. You may choose to focus on a single person or on a
show that highlights the voices/stories of BIPOC. The person must have contributed to American musical
theatre or the show must have premiered on Broadway or off-Broadway or regionally in America
between the year 1866 and the present day. Identifying unique voices from communities too often
overlooked by traditional textbooks is crucial to broadening the understanding and appreciation of
storytelling from new and varied perspectives.
This assignment will also help you become familiar with the following:
1. Independent research in musical theatre history.
2. Struggles, obstruction, and erasure of different cultures and voices in the theatre industry.
3. The role of musical theatre in connecting with an audience.
4. Paradigm-shifting creators, composers, writers, and performers who have contributed to a
vibrant and diverse modern musical theatre industry.
Task: You will need to decide on a single person to focus on, or a single show. This must be a person or
show in musical theatre. The person must be BIPOC or the show must center or highlight BIPOC voices
and storytelling. This is not a report. It is more than that – thorough, organized research and persuasive and clear writing
are required to earn high marks on this assignment
You will need to present research and analysis in this assignment. I expect you to cite any source you
use in the appropriate manner. Parenthetical citations within the paper (and a corresponding Works
Cited page) will be needed. Spend most of this paper asserting that you are right (about your thesis)
and show me a bunch of reasons why you’re right.
Criteria for Success: Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, and follow basic MLA style guidelines.
Please type your paper within Google Docs and then convert it to a PDF. Upload your paper as a PDF so
there are no issues with the file when I download it. Spelling and grammar count toward your grade and
so does sentence structure. This isn’t an English class, but you’re in college and need to be writing
college level work. (Your professors will thank you for it.) Make sure you write about what resonates for
you, personally. “I liked it/him/her,” is NOT satisfactory. Tell me why that person or show made a
difference – and use concepts and terms we have covered in class, as appropriate. Consider the
following questions to be explored in your paper:
a. Why did you choose the person/show that you did?
b. What did you learn during your hours of research?
c. Describe the artists’ ability to utilize the techniques/elements we’ve discussed in class, if
applicable.
d. Did you recognize anything from your reading in the piece/person you researched? If so,
what?
e. What impact did this piece/person have on you? What further thought did it/they spark in
you? Would American theatre be better or worse off without this person/piece?
f. Is it just this person’s Broadway contributions that matter or is their personal life crucial to the
point you are making? Does the show live on, through revivals and home viewing, in a way that
continues to make an impact?
Please use the words “banana” and “Frankenstein” in your paper.
Stay away from “I liked this; I grew up this way; in my experience.” This is not about you. Use the third-
person perspective throughout this paper. Do not use first-person perspective. Instead of, “This is
impactful to me because…” write, “This is impactful because…”
