Questioning the Canon in a Multicultural Classroom

Abstract

This second paper contributed to the ATHE Conference in Atlanta takes the form of a dialogue between its authors, who argue for the use of African American scripts in a multicultural classroomnot as the usual tokenist leavening of a ‘traditional’ dramatic canon but as one way of questioning and redefining the concept of the canon itself, thus encouraging a positive awareness of cultural identities within one's society. Ways in which non-traditional casting methods can reinforce this process are also explored and illustrated, as means of moving from acting in the classroom to action in building a truly multicultural community.