Chicago Theater Faces Persistent Equity Concerns Four Years After George Floyd Protests
Chicago, IL – Four years after the nationwide reckoning sparked by the murder of George Floyd, Black actors and directors in Chicago’s theater scene report limited substantive change in the types of roles offered and who is offering them, despite increased industry-wide awareness of racial inequities. While acknowledging a shift in conversation, many within the community say opportunities remain largely confined to roles depicting struggle or past periods, and are frequently enough concentrated wiht a small group of established Black theater makers.
The concerns center on a persistent pattern of typecasting and a lack of diverse storytelling. Actor Al’Jaleel McGhee, a Northwestern University graduate, observes that his career frequently defaults to roles like “man in the 1950s in a three-piece suit or, like, jail person,” spanning both television and theater. “If we’re not singing or crying, nobody really wants to see [us],” McGhee stated. He is currently performing a lead role as a prisoner in the Goodman Theatre’s “Revolution(s).”
This sentiment reflects a broader frustration that the post-2020 surge in diversity pledges hasn’t translated into significantly expanded opportunities for Black artists beyond narrowly defined narratives. McGhee notes a cyclical nature to the roles available,recently reprising a role from 2017 in Dominique Morisseau’s “paradise Blue” and preparing for two productions of August Wilson‘s “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” in the coming year – one at the Goodman and another directed by Lili-Anne brown.
Despite these limitations, some see the increased awareness as a foundational step. Director Lili-Anne Brown argues that raising awareness was the initial, crucial goal of the movement. “It’s naive to think that people in a bubble understand what is going on outside of that bubble. So the first thing you have to do is make people aware,” she said.
However, McGhee points to a continued reliance on a core group of Black directors - including Ron OJ Parson and Lydia Diamond - for the majority of available work. This concentration, while valuable, underscores the need for broader systemic change within Chicago’s theater institutions to foster more equitable depiction both on and off stage.
