Sixteen

My time at Circle in the Square was brief. However, one thing that I definitely noticed during my time there was the lack of inclusivity. The majority of the students in both the musical theater and the regular acting programs were predominantly white. It seemed like they only accepted some black actors and other actors of color to add to the diversity quota, especially because most of the work that we were able to do in our scene study class was predominantly work from white playwrights. As an actor of the Latinx community, I was extremely disappointed and offended that the only piece of work that represented us from that play list was The Motherfucker with the Hat. A lot of that had to do with the fact the majority of the staff members were white, and that only allowed one narrative to be heard. That was a huge disconnect for me. 

I felt like there was a mark that was being missed and it seems like Circle just didn’t care due to their pure ignorance. They were not aware enough to go out of their way in adding diversified material. It should not be solely the students’ job to bring in material that we feel represents ourselves. It is extremely important for the staff to be well-versed. This is especially true because we are paying a lot of money to attend and learn at this school. Additionally, regarding the price of your school, it became apparent that the only people who were able to afford to go to your school were the white and privileged. And you saw it all in the halls. I felt like our individuality was not being nurtured and appreciated. It felt like we had to “beat it out” of us and conform to this neutralized, presentational way of performing. And in a school that is in the heart of New York City, where there are so many people from different cultures, it definitely seems like your school only caters to one walk of life. The white life.

— Anonymous