“I say we put the "community" back in community theatre, we welcome the new kids, we help others feel more comfortable at auditions, even if it takes away the focus from yours because the theatre community is why a lot of people fall in love with theatre, to begin with. “

“Theatre has a rich history of taking real-life incidents, dramatizing them, and subsequently making the audience truly look at the world around them. Now more than ever that is hugely important. When theatre returns, I implore theatres to tap into this history and having strong activists pieces in their season.”

“In a statement released on Twitter, a young woman claims she was sexually assaulted by actor Ansel Elgort.”

“You may possibly be dealing with a “Dictator Director” and you don’t even know it.”

“When the Broadway elite said they were listening, I took that with a grain of salt. BIPOC talent, design, and crew have been making these requests for years and hardly anything’s changed. So forgive me if I don’t jump to believe their promises of progress just yet. I want to see action. The first of which is for producers to rethink how upcoming and returning shows, for that matter, are cast. One of the most glaring of which is the scheduled revival of “The Music Man”.”

“Hamilton is an incredibly popular musical with a strong audience made up of all races and ethnicities, and while it’s acceptable (and encouraged!) for white people to consume and support art made by BIPOC, it’s not okay to take that art and use it for our own agendas.”

“I grew up in a predominantly white suburb of Chicago and went to an almost all-white middle school. When I was in seventh grade, my teacher gave us two options and we had to vote on which one to do. After deciding we didn’t have enough boys to do “West Side Story,” the class chose “Hairspray.” And so the nightmare began.”

“Movie musicals are a good bridge into the world of live theatre. They allow new musical lovers to enjoy musicals without having to commit to a night at the theatre.”

“With the new call to arms for high schools to increase black presence on their stages, I don’t feel it’s a progressive step to have those performers play roles that perpetuate stereotypes or serve only as window dressing. That’s not fulfilling any type of call to action. So there are two popularly produced plays that I feel should be avoided by high schools that truly want to embrace and welcome black students to get more involved in their theatre departments.”

“Interestingly enough, even though “Children of Eden” is Schwartz's favorite piece and has become one of his most-produced shows, it has never gotten a Broadway run. In fact, it's had quite an unfortunate professional production history. While never enjoying a full-scale production in New York, it’s mostly done in concert nowadays. So the question remains, will it ever get the Broadway run it deserves?”

When I tell people who are not involved with the performing arts that I am studying theatre and aspire to pursue it professionally, their reaction is almost always the same, no matter whom I’m speaking to.

“Serenbe Playhouse, the Georgia theatre company that has gained national attention for its gorgeously inventive and often-immersive productions, has come under fire for a multitude of racially-charged incidents against Black and Native American artists.”