My Four-Letter Word
Photo: Brian McConkey
I’m a pretty positive person. I love to laugh, to encourage, and to have fun. There isn’t a whole lot that truly grinds my gears. However, if you want to really get me going, there is one topic that does so without fail.
Type.
Type is my four-letter word. I hate it. I hate the idea of it. I hate hearing students say they can’t sing a piece because it isn’t their type. I hate it when students think that they won’t be hired for a role because it isn’t their type.
My response back is always, how do you know? How do you know that you won’t be considered? How do you know what the casting directors are thinking? And even more importantly, why are you limiting yourself? Why would you limit yourself in the jobs that you can audition for? Why would you take yourself out of the game before anyone else says anything?
The world wants to put limits on us. It is the result of the society in which we live. But if we start putting those limits on ourselves, then there is no way that things will change. This generation of performers – you are the changemakers. I want all my students to live in the world fully believing that they can and should sing any role that want to. I don’t want anyone to be limited by size, race, or gender.
Apart from putting yourself into a box, you also limit yourself in terms of what you can learn and how you can grow vocally or as an actor. If you think that you are only ever going to get cast as a big belter, you limit your own voice from developing and becoming more dynamic. If you think that you will only be cast in a Golden Age musical, think of all the amazing new music that you are missing out on! I whole-heartedly believe that every performer should make it their goal to be as versatile as possible. Our industry is changing and I hope you are going to auditions for Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, or Six, and then running over to The Phantom of the Opera, The Music Man, or Company. Continue to push yourself. Continue to push your voice. Continue to allow yourself the opportunity to do anything that you want.
Broadway was built on racism and the imagined idea of white supremacy. Whiteness, white gaze, and white-centric shows have pervaded our theatre for far too long and the idea of type is a product of this system. I encourage you all to educate yourselves on this and listen open-heartedly. Follow We See You White American Theatre, take Nicole Brewer’s Anti-Racist Theatre course, read and support the Black Theatre Matters Bill and the March on Broadway, look with open eyes at all of the amazing work that our colleagues are doing and try to support their voices at every turn. Getting rid of the antiquated idea of type is a great step in the right direction.
What this conversation really boils down to is that I don’t want anyone to put limits on themselves or others. I want all my students to continue to push themselves, stretch and expand their comfort zones, and believe in themselves. You never know what can happen when you do!
