Class and the problem of inequality in theatre

O’Brien, D. (2020) Class and the problem of inequality in theatre. Studies in Theatre and Performance, 40(3), pp. 242-250. (doi: 10.1080/14682761.2020.1807212)

Abstract

Theatre stakes a claim to represent individuals, communities, and nations. Yet both the workforce and the audience are marked by significant inequalities. There are absences of people of colour and those from working-class origins, along with significant gender inequalities in specific roles and specific productions. Awareness of these issues has, in part, been driven by recent research from social science. The techniques from social science that make inequalities visible can be at odds with the preferred modes of understanding inequality favoured by theatre practitioners. This paper is situated at the intersection of social scientific and theatre practice, considering the potential and pitfalls of methods of making inequality visible. In doing so, it frames the discussions that follow in the special issue, as well as suggesting ways that theatre and social science might have productive working partnerships.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: UNSPECIFIED
• Authors: O’Brien, D.
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Culture and Creative Arts > Theatre Film and TV Studies
• Journal Name: Studies in Theatre and Performance
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 1468-2761
• ISSN (Online): 2040-0616
• Published Online: 07 January 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2020 The Author
• First Published: First published in Studies in Theatre and Performance 40(3): 242-250
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

Project Code	Award No	Project Name	Principal Investigator	Funder's Name	Funder Ref	Lead Dept
301220		Incubate/Propagate: Networked Ecologies of New Performance-Making	Elizabeth Tomlin	Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)	AH/R012962/1	Arts - Theatre studies