Carleton University’s student-run theatre company, Sock ‘n’ Buskin, has a lineup of five shows this year. All of these five shows were written by white males. Four of them feature male leads in the original play, though several leads are played by female performers in Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s performances.
The selected shows are all celebrated works which are worth performing, but the lack of diversity in the lineup as a whole means that fewer cultures are represented.
If the only shows that were submitted to Sock ‘n’ Buskin’s call for submissions were male-centred or lacked diversity, the company should look into revising the submission process to encourage more diverse submissions.
Sock ‘n’ Buskin has authority to select their own shows and needs to take the initiative to make sure these shows offer opportunities to all would-be performers at the university, and represent diverse cultures.
With Sock ‘n’ Buskin putting on five shows a year, more of these plays should represent the cultural diversity we have at Carleton.
