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I've been performing in theater productions throughout the Miami Valley for the past three years, and I'm truly passionate about it.
I've noticed that I'm often the only Hispanic person in the cast, and sometimes one of the very few people of color involved in the production.
While the theater community is welcoming, as an audience member, rarely seeing anyone who looks like you can be difficult. Even more so when you're the only one standing on the stage.
Being a person of color in theater, or any place, often means working twice as hard just to be seen and heard. But thankfully, I've been allowed to play Hispanic characters and help bring authentic representation to the stage. It's empowering to share those stories, and I hope that when people see someone who looks like them in a show, the audience will feel a deeper connection to the story and maybe even picture themselves on the stage.
There has been progress in recent years when it comes to diversity on Broadway. One production that stood out to me is "Real Women Have Curves." Not only is it a powerful story about Hispanic immigrants, but its lead actress, Florencia Cuenca, made history as the first Mexican immigrant to originate a role on Broadway. Seeing someone like Florencia take center stage means so much to me. It's a reminder that this industry has space for our voices, stories, and culture.
For this story, I spoke to industry professionals with connections to southwest Ohio about their experiences as people of color in this competitive field. Maya Vyas is an Indian-American screenwriter from Tipp City, Ohio, who lives and works in Los Angeles.
"I love theater so much, but I feel like if you are a person of color, you have to be the most exceptional person literally in the country. You have to be the creme de la creme to even be considered to get an audition for something." Vyas said, "But if you're white, you just have to be yourself, and you have to be good enough, and then you can get in the room and you can get better and get the experiences that you need."
Maya wrote, produced, and starred in a short film called Legally Brown. It is a comedy about a high schooler who stands up for herself after being ignored by her theater group. Although one may make fun of the situation, Maya says the main character fights back to win the day for herself and every brown girl who has ever fought to be the lead in her own story.
People of color are often overlooked in musical theater. Maybe it's because the rules aren't written with us in mind, or maybe it's because we're not always the ones casting them.
I had the opportunity to talk to Trinity Wolff, a recent Wright State University grad. She currently lives in New York City and is pursuing a career in musical theater.
"We just need more representation in theater as a whole." Wolff said, "Luckily, we're getting to a point where people closer to my age and older than me are starting to get behind the desk. This is where the change is really coming, which is so exciting. And I'm seeing it, I'm seeing it here in the city."
After talking to Maya and Trinity, it is so encouraging to realize that there is room for people of color in this environment. Talking to them also reminded me that even though injustices still happen, progress is being made. And more people of color are finally getting to shine on stage and behind the scenes. It's inspiring to see writers and casting directors creating space for us to tell our stories. As a kid, I never imagined I'd see someone who looked like me playing certain roles. And now I get to be a part of that change.
Thank you to Joanne Casale, the Media Arts teacher at Ponitz Career and Technical Center, for making this story happen. WYSO Youth Radio is made possible with support from people like you, the Virginia W. Kettering Foundation, and the Ohio Arts Council. It's produced at The Eichelberger Center for Community Voices.
