POWER TRIO

ALL THREE STUDENT THEATER GROUPS AT RUTGERS–NEW BRUNSWICK ARE LED BY STUDENTS OF COLOR

By Lisa Intrabartola Courtesy of Rutgers Today

For the first time in 48 years, all three student theater groups at Rutgers–New Brunswick are being led by artistic directors of color.

It’s no coincidence, said the trio – Cabaret Theatre’s Uchenna Agbu, College Avenue Players’ Kyle Cao, and Livingston Theatre Company’s Kira Harris. Their diversity reflects a growing trend toward inclusion both at Rutgers and in the arts, media, and society at large, they say.

“For the first time, especially in America, we are finally seeing ourselves and friends and families in the stories that get told on TV, on Broadway, and in the movies,” says Cao, who is first-generation Chinese American and a senior majoring in music and minoring in Italian at the School of Arts and Sciences. “Our culture is starting to realize that people of color are a part of the population, and we have talent and voices and stories that people want to hear.”

It is noteworthy that this is believed to be a first for Rutgers–New Brunswick student theater, says Agbu, a junior theater major with minors in creative writing and human resource management at the School of Arts and Sciences. The fact that it took this long reinforces the importance of ensuring students from all backgrounds can envision themselves in the performing arts, whether it’s on stage, in the orchestra pit, or working behind the scenes, she says.

“The first thing I did when searching for theater organizations on campus was look at their Instagram pages and their pictures for anyone who looks like me,” says Agbu, who is the daughter of Nigerian immigrants. “When people always see the same people they think, why should I try?”

The three say they used their platforms this year to select productions and assemble casts that reach broader audiences.

“I think I bring a really important perspective,” says Harris, who is Black and a senior at Mason Gross and New Brunswick Honors College majoring in music and minoring in theater and organizational leadership. “Viewing theater through the lens of someone who historically is not the most represented in theater, I feel even more committed to my role.”

Read the full story at go.rutgers.edu/mgsamag