I want to share some thoughts on how we can write plays that truly celebrate diversity. The stage, when it’s at its best, really does reflect all of us. But for too long, what we’ve seen on that stage has been pretty narrow, a very specific slice of life.
Writing a play that genuinely embraces and celebrates diversity isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s absolutely essential for art. It makes our stories richer, helps us understand each other better, and really connects with audiences today who want to see their own experiences, and the experiences of others, portrayed honestly. I’ve put together a guide here, a sort of roadmap, for playwrights like us who are committed to weaving a really rich tapestry of voices into our theatrical work.
More Than Just Checking Boxes: Why Real Diversity Matters
Before we get into the “how,” let’s talk about the “why.” When we talk about diversity in playwriting, it’s not about just ticking off boxes, or dropping in a character of a different race or gender just for show. True diversity actually makes our narratives better. It adds complexity and reveals universal truths through specific, nuanced perspectives.
Think about it: when characters from different backgrounds interact, clash, and connect, their unique viewpoints illuminate the human condition in ways a homogenous cast never could. It helps break down stereotypes, builds empathy, and creates a more vibrant, authentic theatrical experience. This isn’t just about representation; it’s about telling better stories, period.
Starting Point: Deep Listening and Intentional Research
Writing diverse characters starts long before we even put pen to paper. It begins with genuine curiosity and a real commitment to understanding.
Opening Our Minds
Our own lived experiences, while valuable, are naturally limited. To write beyond them, we have to approach it with a learner’s mindset. That means actively challenging our own biases, assumptions, and preconceived notions about identity, culture, and experience. Self-reflection is so important: what stories have we absorbed about certain groups? Are they based on truth or just stereotypes? We need to be ready to dismantle those.
Immersive & Respectful Research
This isn’t just about reading articles or watching documentaries (though those are great starts). It’s about engaging with real people, real communities, and real experiences.
- Read Widely and Deeply: Seek out literature, memoirs, and non-fiction by authors from the communities you want to represent. Understand their internal struggles, their joys, their historical contexts, and their cultural norms. For instance, to write a compelling deaf character, don’t just research ASL; read deaf poets, watch deaf theatre productions, and learn about deaf culture beyond the obvious.
- Engage in Respectful Dialogue: When it’s possible and appropriate, look for opportunities for respectful conversation. This isn’t about just extracting information for your play; it’s about genuine human connection. Attend community events, visit cultural centers (if you have permission), and listen much more than you speak. If you’re writing about elderly characters, spend time in senior centers, not as an interviewer, but as someone genuinely interested in their stories and perspectives.
- Consult Experts and Sensitivity Readers: For specific cultural, historical, or identity nuances, seek out individuals with lived experience or academic expertise. A sensitivity reader (someone from the community you’re writing about) can offer invaluable feedback on authenticity, help us avoid tropes, and point out potentially harmful portrayals. For a character experiencing homelessness, consult with social workers, advocates, or individuals who have lived that experience, offering appropriate compensation for their time.
Character Development: Moving Beyond Surface-Level Traits
Diversity isn’t a costume; it’s woven into the very fabric of a character’s being.
Identity as One Facet, Not the Whole Picture
A character’s race, gender, sexuality, disability, or socioeconomic background is a vital part of who they are, but it’s not their entire identity. Just like a white, cisgender, able-bodied character is more than those labels, so too are diverse characters. They have hobbies, fears, dreams, quirks, and flaws that go beyond their identity markers.
- For example: If you’re writing a queer character, their sexuality should inform their experiences, relationships, and worldview, but it shouldn’t be their sole defining characteristic or the play’s only conflict. Maybe they’re also an aspiring astrophysicist with a fear of heights and a penchant for terrible puns. Their sexuality is a lens through which they see the world, not the only thing they see.
- Another example: A character with a disability shouldn’t be defined by their impairment. Perhaps they are an accomplished artist navigating accessibility issues in the art world, or a brilliant computer programmer whose primary conflict is a strained relationship with their sibling, completely unrelated to their physical condition. Their disability is a part of their reality, not their entire reality.
Nuance Over Stereotype
Stereotypes are just lazy shortcuts; nuance is the mark of sophisticated writing. We need to actively identify and dismantle common stereotypes related to the groups we’re portraying.
- Avoid the “Magical Minority”: The character of color who exists solely to enlighten or assist the white protagonist.
- Avoid the “Inspirational Disabled Person”: The character whose only purpose is to overcome their disability for the able-bodied audience’s comfort.
- Avoid the “Sassy Gay Friend”: The queer character who serves as a flamboyant sidekick for comedic relief.
- Avoid the “Angry Black Woman”: A reductionist portrayal that denies a character rightful emotion and complexity.
- Here’s a tip: Once you’ve drafted a character, ask yourself: If I removed their identity marker (e.g., race, sexuality), would the character still have agency, desires, and a compelling arc? If their existence relies solely on their identity marker, you’re likely falling into a stereotype.
Internal & External Conflicts from Diverse Perspectives
A character’s background informs both their internal and external conflicts. Let’s explore how their identity shapes their challenges and aspirations.
- Internal Conflict: A first-generation immigrant might grapple with cultural assimilation versus preserving ancestral traditions. A character navigating gender transition might face internal struggles around self-identity and societal expectations.
- External Conflict: A character of color might face systemic racism in housing or employment. A character with a non-visible disability might struggle for accommodation in the workplace. A character living in poverty might make difficult moral choices driven by economic necessity.
- For instance: Instead of a generic romantic conflict, consider how a character in an interracial relationship navigates cultural differences between their families, or how a polyamorous character balances the needs of multiple partners against societal monogamous norms. These are specific, lived conflicts.
Dialogue: The Voice of Authenticity
Dialogue is where character truly comes alive. Diverse dialogue isn’t about using slang or an accent; it’s about voice, rhythm, and worldview.
Voice, Not Accent
Let’s avoid reducing a character’s speech pattern to a caricature of an accent, especially if we ourselves don’t speak with that accent. Focus instead on:
- Vocabulary: Does a character from a specific educational background use different words than someone who didn’t finish high school?
- Sentence Structure: Does someone more formal speak in complete, complex sentences, while another uses fragments or more colloquialisms?
- Rhythm and Pacing: Some cultures have conversational styles that are more indirect; others are more direct. Understanding these subtleties is key.
- Cultural References: What colloquialisms, idioms, or cultural references would this character naturally use?
- Example: Instead of writing phonetic “street talk” for a Black character, demonstrate their unique voice through their choice of words, their humor, their specific references to Black cultural touchstones, or the way they code-switch between different social contexts. A college-educated Black character will sound different from an elderly working-class Black character, just as any other group’s members will.
Code-Switching
Many individuals from marginalized groups engage in “code-switching” – adapting their language, mannerisms, and even emotional expressions based on the environment and the people they are interacting with. This is a very powerful and authentic element to include.
- For example: A character who is a recent immigrant might speak perfect, formal English at their professional job, but revert to their native language and a more casual, informal style when speaking with family members at home. This isn’t about broken English; it’s about linguistic versatility and self-preservation.
- Another example: A queer character might speak with more flamboyant expression and use specific queer slang when with their chosen family, but adopt a more subdued, “straight-passing” demeanor in a conservative professional environment.
Silence and Subtext
What isn’t said can be as powerful as what is. Cultural norms around communication vary wildly. Some cultures value indirect communication, subtext, and silence more than others.
- For instance: In some East Asian cultures, direct confrontation or overtly emotional expression might be considered impolite. A character from such a background might communicate displeasure through subtle gestures, changes in tone, or meaningful silences, rather than shouting.
- Another example: A trauma survivor, regardless of background, might communicate through metaphors, non-sequiturs, or an inability to articulate certain feelings, rather than direct statements.
Plot and Theme: Beyond the Obvious Narrative
Diversity isn’t just about who is on stage; it’s about how their presence shapes the story itself.
Intersectional Storytelling
No one lives as a single identity. People reside at the intersection of multiple identities: a Black queer woman, a disabled Asian man, an elderly Latina immigrant, a working-class trans youth. We should explore how these intersecting identities create unique experiences and challenges.
- For example: A play about a Black woman facing workplace discrimination could gain immense depth by also exploring how her experience is compounded by her age, or by being a single mother, or by the specific cultural nuances of her Caribbean heritage. Her “Blackness” is not separate from her “womanhood” or her “motherhood.”
Challenging Dominant Narratives
Let’s use our plays as an opportunity to subvert traditional narratives and bring underrepresented stories to the forefront.
- Question Power Structures: Who holds power in your play? Who is marginalized? How can your narrative expose systemic inequalities?
- Reclaim History: Tell historical stories from perspectives that have been erased or silenced. For instance, a play about World War II could focus on the experiences of Japanese American internment camp survivors, or African American soldiers fighting for a country that didn’t grant them full rights.
- Show Joy and Resilience: Diversity isn’t just about trauma or struggle. Let’s show the joy, humor, love, and resilience within diverse communities. A play featuring a disabled character doesn’t have to be about their struggles; it could be a witty comedy about dating, where their disability is just one aspect of their life.
Universal Themes Through Specific Lenses
The most compelling diverse stories explore universal themes (love, loss, ambition, betrayal) through specific, culturally informed lenses. This makes the particular universal.
- For example: A play about familial obligation is a universal theme. But when that obligation involves a character from a collectivist culture navigating Western individualism, the theme gains specific, powerful nuance. The internal conflict becomes richer.
- Another example: A story about overcoming adversity. How does an Indigenous character’s connection to land and ancestry influence their response to adversity, compared to a character from a recent immigrant background who might draw strength from their newfound community?
Staging and Production: Embodied Diversity
Our commitment to diversity extends beyond the script to the physicality of the production.
Authentic Movement and Expression
Different cultures have different ways of occupying space, moving, and expressing emotion.
- Non-Verbal Cues: Research and authentically portray non-verbal communication like greetings, gestures, personal space, and eye contact nuances. For example, in some cultures, direct eye contact with an elder can be disrespectful, while in others, it denotes attentiveness.
- Embodied Storytelling: If a character’s identity involves physical differences (e.g., a character with a prosthetic limb, or a character who uses ASL), ensure the staging authentically reflects this, working with actors and consultants from those communities.
Inclusive Casting (When Appropriate and Thoughtful)
While this guide focuses on the writing, remember that thoughtful casting is the next crucial step. The script should offer opportunities for genuinely diverse casting.
- Avoid “Colorblind” Casting as a Default: Sometimes, a character’s race, ethnicity, or specific identity is integral to the story. If a character is written as African American and their racial experience is central to the plot, then casting an actor who is not African American would undermine the play’s intent.
- Intentional Open Casting: For roles where identity is not explicitly and integrally written into the character, be open to casting a wide range of actors, but always consider the overall tapestry you’re weaving. Does this casting choice reinforce a harmful stereotype or challenge it?
Accessibility Considerations
Think about the physical presentation of your play and how it can be inclusive for diverse audiences and actors.
- Sensory Issues: Are there elements (loud noises, flashing lights) that could be challenging for neurodiverse or sensory-sensitive individuals? Can alternatives be provided?
- Physical Accessibility: Does your envisioned set allow for actors with mobility aids? Are there ramps, clear paths, and accessible restrooms in the venue you imagine?
The Ongoing Journey: Humility and Evolution
Writing a play that truly celebrates diversity is not a one-time achievement; it’s an ongoing commitment to learning, self-correction, and evolving.
Embrace Feedback (Especially Critical Feedback)
Be open to notes, especially from individuals with lived experiences relevant to your characters. Critiques around authenticity or potential harm are not personal attacks; they are opportunities to improve your work and deepen its impact. Cultivate a circle of trusted readers, including those who can offer a diverse range of perspectives.
Acknowledge Limitations
You can’t perfectly represent every aspect of every identity. Focus on crafting compelling, authentic individuals whose specific identities inform their unique paths within your narrative. Understand that one character cannot represent an entire community.
Write Your Truth, Informed by Others’ Truths
Ultimately, your unique voice as a playwright is essential. But that voice, when informed by deep listening, respectful research, and a genuine commitment to understanding diverse human experiences, will produce plays that are not only deeply personal but broadly resonant. Your truth becomes richer when intertwined with the rich tapestry of others’ truths.
The stage is waiting for stories that reflect the vast, complex, and beautiful spectrum of human existence. By committing to authentic diversity, we don’t just write a play; we contribute to a more empathetic, understanding, and vibrant world.