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Observations OnStage Blog Staff Observations OnStage Blog Staff

“When The Fat Lady Sings" - Fatphobia on Stage

"I’m sick of seeing fat women sing about being fat - because we have so much more to say. I’m sick of seeing fat women defend their fatness or worse -- cry because of it. I’m sick of seeing people love fat women not because of their bodies, but in spite of their bodies."

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Observations OnStage Blog Staff Observations OnStage Blog Staff

From Hero to Villain: Why We Suddenly Hate Evan Hansen

“Evan makes a really bad, hurtful choice. He takes advantage of other people. Evan also was left by his father, tried to kill himself, and suffers from a mental illness that significantly impacts his life. These facts about him can all exist simultaneously – and they all elicit an emotional response within us. We are forced to live with the dichotomy of Evan’s vulnerability and his deceit.”

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Observations OnStage Blog Staff Observations OnStage Blog Staff

"Why the green girl is never Black?": Racism in casting

“Elphaba has never been played by a Black woman full time in the United States. A character, who is painted green for the entire production, has almost always been played by a white woman full-time in America. One argument defending this is that theatre should not “be political,” or “politically correct,” and that the role should just go to “the best person.” To this, I ask you – why do you believe that the best person is never Black?”

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Movies OnStage Blog Staff Movies OnStage Blog Staff

Does 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' work as a film?

“It’s not that a musical can’t ever translate well on screen. Grease, Rodger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, Annie, West Side Story, Hello Dolly! – these worked. I also have hope for other upcoming adaptations, such as Lin Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights. In cases like these, the switch in medium makes sense and serves an artistic purpose. For Spelling Bee, it has the potential to do the opposite.”

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Industry OnStage Blog Staff Industry OnStage Blog Staff

“What the Heck Am I Supposed to Be Doing?” and Other Artist Questions in Quarantine

“The reality is that the theatre community is facing a huge dichotomy in mindset. Some argue that this is a time to be hyper-vigilant and exist in a state of manic productivity. Then, there is the polar opposite view – that we should be doing nothing. What is the point of producing theatre coldly and impersonally, over a computer screen? What is the logic of preparing for auditions that won’t happen? Neither of these views serve us as artists. In fact, they are destroying us.”

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