{"id":139,"date":"2020-12-09T18:25:38","date_gmt":"2020-12-09T23:25:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/?p=139"},"modified":"2020-12-10T15:07:52","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T20:07:52","slug":"__trashed-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/2020\/12\/09\/__trashed-3\/","title":{"rendered":"The Representation of Disability in Musical Theatre"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In taking a course titled the Meaning and Music at the University of Richmond, the class took a look at disability and its portrayal in opera. In this essay, I will attempt to analyze more in-depth the portrayal of disability in musical theatre. In doing so the focus areas of this essay will explore physical disability on Broadway, the characterization of disability in musicals\/plays, and particularly how African American women playwright disability.<\/p>\n<p>One might ask: What is the difference between an opera and a musical? This question is becoming more of a difficult one to answer considering that certain aspects from both forms of theatre have overlapped with each other to a certain extent. To provide a very basic generalization, operas are often sung entirely through in production without having long pauses of interruption, whereas musicals require a form of spoken dialogue that is interspersed with moments of singing.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">1<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Classical Music. \u201cWhat Is the Difference between a Musical and an Opera?\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-musical-and-an-opera\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0More precise contrasts can be made to separate the two styles, but for the purposes of this essay, this distinction will do.<\/p>\n<p>Before we begin, it is important to define disability as it can be expressed in many different ways. The Americans with Disabilities Act (or the ADA) defines disability as: \u201c(A) A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; (B) a record of such impairment; (C) or being regarded as having such an impairment\u201d.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">2<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">LII \/ Legal Information Institute. \u201c42 U.S. Code \u00a7 12102 &#8211; Definition of Disability.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. \u00a0<span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/42\/12102.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>There have been several interpretations to defining what narrative prosthesis is. Blake Howe suggests that it usually appears with a disabled character in the storyline, but it serves two purposes: \u201cit gives the story a problem to solve; and it defines by counterexample the desirability of the subsequent resolution\u201d.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_3');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_3');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_3\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">3<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_3\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">blakemusicology. \u201cDisability Studies for Musicians: An Introduction.\u201d <i>Music and Disability at the SMT and AMS<\/i> (blog), November 20, 2013. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/musicdisabilitystudies.wordpress.com\/2013\/11\/20\/disability-studies-for-musicians-an-introduction\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_3').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_3', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> There are traditionally three themes within this concept that guide the narrative. The first being the \u201ccure or kill\u201d paradigm\u2014in which both outcomes seek to eliminate disability from the story. There exists \u201covercoming\u201d\u2014in which the disabled character develops either some form of superpower or skill to make their disability null and void. The third strategy to narrative prosthesis is accommodation, in which one\u2019s disability is no longer regarded as a hindrance because the individual received an accommodation of some sort.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_4');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_4');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_4\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">4<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_4\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">blakemusicology. \u201cDisability Studies for Musicians: An Introduction.\u201d <i>Music and Disability at the SMT and AMS<\/i> (blog), November 20, 2013. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/musicdisabilitystudies.wordpress.com\/2013\/11\/20\/disability-studies-for-musicians-an-introduction\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_4').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_4', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>If there is a musical to feature disability, it is likely that the musical takes on one of these themes in order to give the story a central issue, following a solution. For example, the creators of the Broadway musical <em>Wicked, <\/em>exploit disability with the intent to provide theatrical backstories to characters originating from Gregory Maguire\u2019s iconic novel, <em>Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West.<\/em><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_5');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_5');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_5\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">5<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_5\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_5').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_5', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Nessarose Thropp is one of the main characters who is physically disabled as she uses a wheelchair for mobility.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_6');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_6');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_6\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">6<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_6\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_6').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_6', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_276\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-276\" style=\"width: 249px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-276 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/nessa-249x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"249\" height=\"300\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-276\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nessarose Thropp in <em>Wicked \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><img class=\"aligncenter\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From \u201cTroubling Signs: Disability, Hollywood Movies, and the Construction of a Discourse of Pity,\u201d writers Hayes and Black explain how visuals of disability arouse pity from able-bodied characters, interpreting disability as \u201ca set of signs and symbols that are articulated through the discourse of pity into the context of the film\u2019s characters, plot and setting\u2026 the disability or results of the disability are the focal points, not the person.\u201d<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_7');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_7');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_7\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">7<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_7\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_7').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_7', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> With that said, that is nearly identical to what is illustrated in <em>Wicked. <\/em>The able-bodied characters show immediate pity towards Nessarose from judging her physical appearance as a \u201chandicapped\u201d individual. However, Nessarose harbors resentment from feeling disadvantaged and helplessness and channels her resentment into anger as she embodies an evil persona. She exercises harsh rule over her subjects (which are munchkins), and the writers of the play bolster Nessarose as an evil villain in order to give reason to her foreseeable death, which in turn contrasts the theme of evil versus good in supporting characters.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_8');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_8');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_8\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">8<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_8\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_8').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_8', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Interestingly enough, the musical reaches a pivotal point as Elphaba is able to conjure up a spell to give Nessarose the ability to walk. This scene is regarded as a triumphant, glorious event, representing a cure to Nessarose\u2019s disability and often accumulating an uproar of applause from the audience.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_9');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_9');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_9\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">9<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_9\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_9').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_9', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p>Despite this being an impactful moment to the storyline and also for the audience members, by the same token it&#8217;s an unfortunate scene, because it affirms the idea of treating disability as a problem to solve. In which I argue that shouldn&#8217;t be the case because this removal of disability confirms the notion that the disabled body is inferior to the able-bodied and creates further divide between differences.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_277\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-277\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-277 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/springawakeninggirl-2-300x150.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/springawakeninggirl-2-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/springawakeninggirl-2-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/springawakeninggirl-2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/springawakeninggirl-2-940x470.jpg 940w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-277\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Broadway&#8217;s <em>Spring Awakening <\/em>Cast<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now we look at <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Spring Awakening, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">a rock musical inspired by one of Frank Wedekind\u2019s plays, which is set in 19th century Germany. The plot follows a few teenagers as they explore sexuality and other aspects of life in coming of age.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_10');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_10');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_10\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">10<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_10\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Time. \u201cHere\u2019s How Deaf Actors Are Breaking Boundaries on Broadway.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/time.com\/4062110\/spring-awakening-broadway-deaf-west\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_10').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_10', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> What\u2019s particularly interesting about this revival is that it was produced by Deaf West Theatre, a non-profit arts organization that attempts to incorporate both American Sign Language (ASL) and Spoken English in order to provide more inclusivity and representation for deaf actors in musical theatre.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_11');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_11');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_11\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">11<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_11\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Time. \u201cHere\u2019s How Deaf Actors Are Breaking Boundaries on Broadway.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/time.com\/4062110\/spring-awakening-broadway-deaf-west\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_11').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_11', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Actors with this disability were accompanied by speaking actors on stage to provide voice to the character. Unlike many other musicals that feature disability, this revival\u2019s intentions were not necessarily focusing on disability as a part of the storyline, nor attempting to provide a solution to its \u201cproblem\u201d.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the stars whose second-from-left in this picture made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to perform on Broadway. This accomplishment was made in 2015.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_12');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_12');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_12\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">12<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_12\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Apr 19, Emily Kranking, 2019 Hollywood Inclusion, and Press Releases 6 comments. \u201cPhysical Disabilities Take the Rare Spotlight on Broadway.\u201d Respect Ability, April 19, 2019. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.respectability.org\/2019\/04\/physical-disabilities-broadway\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_12').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_12', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Which is shocking because there have been plenty of roles before now that could have easily featured a disabled body actor in a wheelchair, not to mention roles that actually call for individuals with this particular disability such as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">A Little Night Music\u2019s <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Madame Armfeldt or President Franklin D. Roosevelt in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Annie. <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">One of the reasons why we could possibly justify the underrepresentation of actors in musical theatre is because it wasn\u2019t until 1990, in which the ADA was passed into law requiring theaters to accommodate their buildings with physical aids such as ramps and elevators.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_13');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_13');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_13\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">13<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_13\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_13').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_13', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>\u00a0<\/span>Not to mention the additional challenges that disabled individuals face in their performances. In an interview with <i>Vulture,\u00a0<\/i>Ali Stroker, the disabled actor in <i>Spring Awakening\u00a0<\/i>said<i>, \u201c<\/i>Usually, the first day of rehearsal, whether we\u2019re working on choreography or not, I always introduce myself to the choreographer. It\u2019s important, if you move differently, to have a good relationship.<i>\u201d<\/i><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_14');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_14');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_14\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">14<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_14\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Apr 19, Emily Kranking, 2019 Hollywood Inclusion, and Press Releases 6 comments. \u201cPhysical Disabilities Take the Rare Spotlight on Broadway.\u201d Respect Ability, April 19, 2019. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.respectability.org\/2019\/04\/physical-disabilities-broadway\/.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_14').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_14', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_405\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-405\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-405 size-medium\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-10-at-12.42.17-PM-300x203.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-405\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A scene from Suzan-Lori Parks&#8217; <em>Venus<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Next, we look to see how disability is portrayed differently than what we commonly see in musicals. African American women playwright disability (coupled with race and gender) in order to \u201cgive voice to the lived experience of being a disabled person of color, to call attention to common experiences, and to enhance an understanding of identities as socially constructed\u201d.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_15');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_15');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_15\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">15<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_15\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Fox, Ann M. \u201cA Different Integration: Race and Disability in Early-Twentieth-Century African American Drama by Women.\u201d <i>Legacy<\/i> 30, no. 1 (2013): 151\u201371. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5250\/legacy.30.1.0151.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_15').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_15', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> In addition to these objectives, many playwrights feature disability to \u201crecount history, pain, sexual violence, \u2026 and the intersecting and stigmatized experiences of color and the disabled\u201d.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_16');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_16');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_16\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">16<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_16\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Fox, Ann M. \u201cA Different Integration: Race and Disability in Early-Twentieth-Century African American Drama by Women.\u201d <i>Legacy<\/i> 30, no. 1 (2013): 151\u201371. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5250\/legacy.30.1.0151.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_16').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_16', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> For example, Suzan-Lori Parks\u2019 <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Venus, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">portrays the story of Saartjie (Sarah) Baartman, a South African woman whose body was put on display for objectification in 19th century Europe. Despite being disputed, it is believed that in 1810, Baartman allegedly \u2018signed\u2019 a contract with an Englishman to work as a domestic servant for entertainment purposes. Baartman\u2019s large rear and distinct coloring, which was considered to be an impairment, made her a sight to see for British audiences throughout Europe.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_17');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_17');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_17\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">17<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_17\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">\u201cSara \u2018Saartjie\u2019 Baartman | South African History Online.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.sahistory.org.za\/people\/sara-saartjie-baartman.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_17').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_17', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Rather than Parks attempting to be historically accurate, she was more so concerned with using Baartman\u2019s career to highlight colonization, racial objectification, and the historical sexualization of black female bodies in <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Venus.<\/span><\/i><span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_18');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_18');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_18\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">18<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_18\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Catanese, Brandi Wilkins. <i>The Problem of the Color(Blind): Racial Transgression and the Politics of Black Performance<\/i>. Theater&#8211;Theory\/Text\/Performance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2011.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_18').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_18', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Now to segway into how music is written differently for characters with a disability than music sung by other characters, we look to the musical, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Passion, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">which is set in 19th century Italy. Stephen Sondheim, the playwright for the musical, said in an interview that <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Passion <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u201cis about how the force of somebody\u2019s feelings for you can crack you open, and how it is the life-force in a deadened world.\u201d<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_19');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_19');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_19\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">19<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_19\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Henry, Shawn. \u201cSounding Disability in Musical Theatre: Sonic Markers of Mental Impairment for Female Characters on the Contemporary Broadway Stage,\u201d March 16, 2018. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/DalSpace.library.dal.ca\/\/handle\/10222\/73782.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_19').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_19', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> The musical focuses on themes of love, sex, manipulation, and illness. One of the main characters, Fosca, who frequently displays fits of hysteria (that is seen both onstage and offstage) suggests she is suffering from some form of mental illness. In fact, her illness is described as \u201can overly sensitive nervous system that is debilitating\u201d.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_20');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_20');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_20\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">20<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_20\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Henry, Shawn. \u201cSounding Disability in Musical Theatre: Sonic Markers of Mental Impairment for Female Characters on the Contemporary Broadway Stage,\u201d March 16, 2018. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/DalSpace.library.dal.ca\/\/handle\/10222\/73782.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_20').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_20', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Fosca\u2019s first song, \u201cFosca\u2019s Entrance Part 1,\u201d showcases a variety of differing musical sections which often compliments her constant mood swings and imbalanced emotional state. To give more of an understanding to how Fosca\u2019s music is characterized, here is a brief clip from the original Broadway musical in which we become introduced to Fosca. Fosca sings almost an octave and a half lower than Clara (another female character in the play), setting her in a much lower register that \u201csets the tone to establish both her exhaustion and illness\u201d.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_21');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_21');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_21\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">21<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_21\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">Henry, Shawn. \u201cSounding Disability in Musical Theatre: Sonic Markers of Mental Impairment for Female Characters on the Contemporary Broadway Stage,\u201d March 16, 2018. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/DalSpace.library.dal.ca\/\/handle\/10222\/73782.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_21').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_21', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> Throughout the musical, there is distinctness in Fosca\u2019s voice; there are irregular rests and jumps from note to note.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"I Read (Donna Murphy in Passion)\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gAGONVc4HAw?start=216&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_409\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-409\" style=\"width: 421px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-409\" src=\"http:\/\/blog.richmond.edu\/mus123\/files\/2020\/12\/Screen-Shot-2020-12-10-at-12.48.28-PM-300x67.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"421\" height=\"94\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-409\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">A line from &#8220;Fosca&#8217;s Entrance Part 1&#8221;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Above, lies a line from \u201cFosca\u2019s Entrance Part 1\u201d. As you can see, there are large intervals of rest at the ends of the two phrases \u201cI came to thank you for the books\u201d and \u201cI would have sooner, but I\u2019ve been so ill\u201d to evoke pity from Giorgio, the character she\u2019s talking to.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Nearly one in four Americans have a disability.<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_22');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_22');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_22\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">22<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_22\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">HowlRound Theatre Commons. \u201cDisability, Identity, and Representation.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/howlround.com\/disability-identity-and-representation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_22').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_22', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> There needs to be more representation of disabled characters in musicals that also portray these characters in a positive light; without the attempt to provide a solution to their problem. The Fries test, proposed by Kenny Fries, is a test to see if minimum standards are met in accurately representing disability in literature. This test can be applied to theatre and the questions to be asked are: 1) Is there more than one disabled character? 2) Do the disabled characters have purposes other than being there for the benefit or edification of the non-disabled characters? 3) Is disability not removed from the narrative through death or a cure?<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_23');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_139_1('footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_23');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_23\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">23<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_23\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">HowlRound Theatre Commons. \u201cDisability, Identity, and Representation.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/howlround.com\/disability-identity-and-representation.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_23').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_139_1_23', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script> If this test was to be considered by playwrights, this could potentially promote positive change in theatre and allow for inclusivity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>For Discussion<\/b><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you think of any musicals or operas that use disability as a narrative device?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400\">What are some ways in which we can promote inclusivity for disabled actors and characters to be represented on Broadway or on other musical platforms?\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>Bibliography\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Apr 19, Emily Kranking, 2019 Hollywood Inclusion, and Press Releases 6 comments. \u201cPhysical Disabilities Take the Rare Spotlight on Broadway.\u201d Respect Ability, April 19, 2019. https:\/\/www.respectability.org\/2019\/04\/physical-disabilities-broadway\/.<\/p>\n<p>blakemusicology. \u201cDisability Studies for Musicians: An Introduction.\u201d <i>Music and Disability at the SMT and AMS<\/i> (blog), November 20, 2013. https:\/\/musicdisabilitystudies.wordpress.com\/2013\/11\/20\/disability-studies-for-musicians-an-introduction\/.<\/p>\n<p>Catanese, Brandi Wilkins. <i>The Problem of the Color(Blind): Racial Transgression and the Politics of Black Performance<\/i>. Theater&#8211;Theory\/Text\/Performance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2011.<\/p>\n<p>Classical Music. \u201cWhat Is the Difference between a Musical and an Opera?\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-musical-and-an-opera\/.<\/p>\n<p>Fox, Ann M. \u201cA Different Integration: Race and Disability in Early-Twentieth-Century African American Drama by Women.\u201d <i>Legacy<\/i> 30, no. 1 (2013): 151\u201371. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5250\/legacy.30.1.0151.<\/p>\n<div class=\"csl-entry-container\">\n<div class=\"csl-entry\">HowlRound Theatre Commons. \u201cDisability, Identity, and Representation.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. https:\/\/howlround.com\/disability-identity-and-representation.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>Henry, Shawn. \u201cSounding Disability in Musical Theatre: Sonic Markers of Mental Impairment for Female Characters on the Contemporary Broadway Stage,\u201d March 16, 2018. https:\/\/DalSpace.library.dal.ca\/\/handle\/10222\/73782.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\u201cSara \u2018Saartjie\u2019 Baartman | South African History Online.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. https:\/\/www.sahistory.org.za\/people\/sara-saartjie-baartman.<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"csl-entry-container\">\n<div class=\"csl-entry\">Time. \u201cHere\u2019s How Deaf Actors Are Breaking Boundaries on Broadway.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. https:\/\/time.com\/4062110\/spring-awakening-broadway-deaf-west\/.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_139_1();\">References<\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_139_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_139_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_139_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\">References<\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_1');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_1\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Classical Music. \u201cWhat Is the Difference between a Musical and an Opera?\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.classical-music.com\/features\/articles\/what-is-the-difference-between-a-musical-and-an-opera\/.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_2');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_2\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">LII \/ Legal Information Institute. \u201c42 U.S. Code \u00a7 12102 &#8211; Definition of Disability.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. \u00a0<span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.law.cornell.edu\/uscode\/text\/42\/12102.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_3\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_3');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>3,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_4\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_4');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>4<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">blakemusicology. \u201cDisability Studies for Musicians: An Introduction.\u201d <i>Music and Disability at the SMT and AMS<\/i> (blog), November 20, 2013. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/musicdisabilitystudies.wordpress.com\/2013\/11\/20\/disability-studies-for-musicians-an-introduction\/.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_5\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_5');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>5,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_6\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_6');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>6,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_7\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_7');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>7,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_8\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_8');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>8,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_9\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_9');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>9,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_13\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_13');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>13<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">queen city writers. \u201cQueen City Writers,\u201d April 15, 2016. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/qc-writers.com\/2016\/04\/15\/1000\/.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_10\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_10');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>10,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_11\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_11');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>11<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Time. \u201cHere\u2019s How Deaf Actors Are Breaking Boundaries on Broadway.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/time.com\/4062110\/spring-awakening-broadway-deaf-west\/.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_12\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_12');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>12,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_14\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_14');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>14<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Apr 19, Emily Kranking, 2019 Hollywood Inclusion, and Press Releases 6 comments. \u201cPhysical Disabilities Take the Rare Spotlight on Broadway.\u201d Respect Ability, April 19, 2019. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.respectability.org\/2019\/04\/physical-disabilities-broadway\/.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_15\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_15');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>15,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_16\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_16');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>16<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Fox, Ann M. \u201cA Different Integration: Race and Disability in Early-Twentieth-Century African American Drama by Women.\u201d <i>Legacy<\/i> 30, no. 1 (2013): 151\u201371. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/doi.org\/10.5250\/legacy.30.1.0151.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_17');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_17\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>17<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">\u201cSara \u2018Saartjie\u2019 Baartman | South African History Online.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/www.sahistory.org.za\/people\/sara-saartjie-baartman.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_18');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_18\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>18<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Catanese, Brandi Wilkins. <i>The Problem of the Color(Blind): Racial Transgression and the Politics of Black Performance<\/i>. Theater&#8211;Theory\/Text\/Performance. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2011.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_19\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_19');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>19,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_20\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_20');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>20,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_21\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_21');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>21<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">Henry, Shawn. \u201cSounding Disability in Musical Theatre: Sonic Markers of Mental Impairment for Female Characters on the Contemporary Broadway Stage,\u201d March 16, 2018. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/DalSpace.library.dal.ca\/\/handle\/10222\/73782.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi\" ><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_22\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_22');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>22,<\/a> <a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_139_1_23\" class=\"footnote_backlink\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_139_1_23');\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>23<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">HowlRound Theatre Commons. \u201cDisability, Identity, and Representation.\u201d Accessed December 10, 2020. <span class=\"footnote_url_wrap\">https:\/\/howlround.com\/disability-identity-and-representation.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_139_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_139_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_139_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_139_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_139_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_139_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_139_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_139_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_139_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_139_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_139_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_139_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_139_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_139_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In taking a course titled the Meaning and Music at the University of Richmond, the class took a look at disability and its portrayal in opera. 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