The Whiteness of Improv
Diagnosis sharpened 2016-2019
The critique, named in American Theatre's 'Improv So White? Yes, And' (2019), that American improv's cultural default, casting norms, and institutional habits center whiteness.
Known for
- Key arguments in the American Theatre feature: curricula built around white-middle-class life assumptions, audition panels without POC, 'diversity teams' as token.
- Follow-up reporting tracked institutional responses, some schools added scholarships and staff, others defaulted to statements without structural change.
- Related work: Amber Ruffin, Lilan Bowden, and others writing publicly about their experiences in the Chicago and NY scenes.