…a place where student writers practice and play with language for an audience of their peers. As a theatre educator, I’ve watched students pour hours and hours into a performing monologue, exploring a character’s given circumstances and motivations with a wide range of acting choices involving variations of movement and facial expression, vocal tone, tempo, and register. Yet, some of the same students grow frustrated at revising and editing their writing, finding the right words in the right combination to communicate their ideas on the page. The Writing Stage encourages student writers give their readership the same thoughtful attention and respect as an actor would give their audience.
THTR 3333: CULTURAL IDENTITY AND THE AMERICAN MUSICAL
Gender and Sexuality on the Musical Stage
FUNNY GIRL (1964)
“Don’t Rain on My Parade”: How an Iconic Number Washes Away Character Development
By Koby Hrynkiewicz With a true New York wit and a voice like buttah’, Barbra…
Scarred bagel-girl
As a Boston middle-schooler, I learned to identify the complexity of a well-written character, one…
Funny Girl (2016)
Funny Girl: Frustratingly Telling About Our Society
By Matthew Enfinger Sheridan Smith in Funny Girl, directed by Robert Delamere, brilliantly plays Fanny…
gypsy (1992)
Traditions and Thoughts
Gypsy, the musical by Arthur Laurents, provides a core example of the film industry’s use of…
Is Gypsy Rose Lee the new symbol of Feminism?
It’s almost spooky season, and that means rewatching Bette Miller’s iconic role in the classic…
42nd Street (2019)
Baby It’s Cold in Allentown: A Lullaby into Acceptance of Misogyny and Objectification
The Broadway musical 42nd Street (2018; streaming on Broadway HD) constantly places its female leads…
GLITTER, GLAM, AND GIRLS:
42nd street as a product of the patriarchy by emily Willett It has glitter, glam,…
Race and Ethnicity on the musical Stage
Rent (2005): Eight Crazy New Yorkers, All Defined by Love
By Koby Hrynkiewicz, Shahar Hartman, & Elisa Maknojia While experiencing Rent and its timeless themes of love, acceptance, inclusion, and living life to the fullest, we decided as a group that no written assignment could do justice in explaining the importance of this musical and how it transcends the concepts of social barriers of race,…
Does Race Exist in the World of RENT?
Conversation between Hale Masaki and Mady Johnston Mady: I guess we’ll start with what Rent is trying to represent: diverse perspectives. It has all these different characters going through very real experiences. I find it hard to talk about Rent starting out because I feel like it’s supposed to be taken in all at once.…
Hamilton: An icon or failure?
Having an interest in pop culture and musicals, Matthew and Ewon are students taking a course in Cultural Identity and the American musical. As a musician, Matthew finds interest and unique perspectives in the music that drives the musical forward in its storytelling and characterization. It is this love for music that drives his curiosity…
Hamilton and Restructuring American Legacy Through Race
Soleil Moffitt, Yehchan Kim, and Jonah Barbin Intro Yehchan It’s funny because I’d shock people by saying I never watched Hamilton. And now that I finally watched it – I think I get why they were shocked! Jonah I can’t believe I’d never seen Hamilton until now. When it was the ‘sensation that was sweeping…
A Step in the Right Direction: Commentary on the Racial Dynamics of Allegiance
About the authors: Emily Willett (EW) is a sophomore at Vanderbilt University studying Medicine, Health, and Society. She is particularly interested in how health is defined through policy and the societal implications of this. She has been a part of musical theater for a long time—from singing The Sun Will Come Out in an Annie…
Wait…The King and I is racist???
A critical dialogue on race and imperialism by Lindsey Caroll, Jasmine Jain, and Claire Duffy JJ: “Okay so this is Jasmine Jain, Lindsey Caroll, and Claire Duffy responding to the 1956 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The King and I, directed by Walter Lang.” CD: “Our central question is ‘where is whiteness hidden in…
Hairspray: You Can’t Stop the White Savior Complex
By Hayden Paige and Natalie Wright From dissecting cow hearts to analyzing musical theatre together, Hayden and Natalie are the epitome of a dynamic duo. Whether growing up listening to Seth Rudetsky’s radio show in the car or donning a pillowcase to act in Annie in 1st grade, both women maintain a long-term love for…
Some examples of Blog posts from THTR 3333, Fall 2021
In The Heights: Being Reminded How Proud I am to be Puerto Rican
Lights up on Washington Heights, up at the break of day. I wake up and I remember that I’ve got…
A Eulogy for My Hometown Store – In the Heights and Community
It’s physically harder to breathe in Salt Lake City. The elevated valley is 4,000 feet above sea level, and what…
Why Queer People Love Jack Kelly and the Newsies
Queer people love musicals. It might as well be a fact. With all of the glitz and glamour, it allows…
Miscarriage of Representation: Miss Saigon’s Shortcomings
A dialogue between Alyssa Champagne and Nicole Anderson Introducing: Miss Saigon Miss Saigon, directed by Nicholas Hytner, illustrates the romantic…
The Prom: Where Realness Was Lost From A Real Story
Having graduated from a conservative Christian high school in the Midwest just a few years ago myself, I’ll admit that…
Why Would a Man Even Want a Frothy Little Bubble Anyways?
By: Andrea Dorantes I’ll be honest. After watching Amazon Prime’s cringe inducing girlboss Cinderella a few weeks ago, I was…
Brooke’s advice on writing
On Trust:
Trust. Assured reliance on the character, ability, strength, or truth of someone or something. Hi, y’all! I’m Brooke! I’m originally…
On Voice:
Consider yourselves lucky. Dr. Essin has spared you from watching The Little Mermaid Live on Disney+. You can thank my…
On Revision:
Oh, revision. How dreadful it can be. I don’t know about you, but I hate revision——or, at least I used…
On Empathy:
On March 16, 2021, eight people―six of whom were Asian women―were killed in spa shootings outside of Atlanta by Robert…
The Writing Stage 