“[I thought], we can only do shows that are the all-black version of something, or we can do a show that is a musical revue that has no book, or you can be the one black person in an all-white show. Well, I can complain about it, or I can do my best try to do something about writing a show that has a book so some of these performers can do more than that.”
We talk with Kirsten Childs about creating new narratives for actors of color, exploring her life experiences through music, and increasing visibility for black musical theatre writers.
Recommends: Black Boy by Richard Wright, anything by Ntozake Shange, Walter Mosley, Kara Walker, Jacob Lawerence
Shout out to: Robert O’Hara, Michael R. Jackson, Masi Asare, Deepali Gupta
Follow her on Twitter.