Introduction

 Hello, my name is Rachel Espinal. 

    My purpose for this blog is to bring awareness to the challenges women face within the theatre industry. I intend to inform others on some of the history of this field which isn't often spoken about.

    This topic interests me because it specifically affects me now and for my future career. Women today in the theater continue to be affected by the effects of traditional roles. It displaces them even when they might have worked just as hard or harder as men to receive those roles. As a woman myself in theater, I also might face similar struggles.

Rachel Espinal as a stage manager at their high school's production of Harry Potter & the Cursed Child

    To achieve this goal, I will research the experiences women faced in theatre during this time and how the system of this field affects them from receiving any roles/jobs. Furthermore, this includes interviews with theater professionals or historians specializing in theater history. I will also draw comparisons between the history of gender norms in theater and those in contemporary theater today. I will dive deeper into this topic by explore how these gender norms intersected with other social factors like class, race, or nationality in 19th-century theater. I will present this information with sources to further prove my claim. 

    The outcome of my research will be to inform my audience with a presentation and bring awareness to the constant fight against traditional gender norms, especially in the theatre industry. 


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