Twentieth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

Identity and the dynamic tension between inclusion and exclusion can be seen in the American musical theatre as far back as “Oklahoma!” A great deal of contemporary musical theatre deals head-on with the concept of identity as it impacts the individuals’ inclusion or exclusion from society. The green witch Elphaba in “Wicked” and Evan in “Dear Evan Hansen” are two examples among many. The former discovers her comfort with herself and eschews society, escaping it; and the latter shifts the nature of “truth” and “social reality” in a desperate attempt to redefine himself and find inclusion. This paper examines the common popular tropes in which this issue is central, and contextualize them with similar tropes from earlier musicals.