The musical theatre rehearsal space is one that is not immune to systemic racism. By taking an in depth look at the history, and some of the systemic issues, in the rehearsal space we can begin to name and claim how to lead rehearsals from a space of antiracism. The job of the music director is to craft the sound and musical integrity of a piece. As many black shows and narratives in the musical theatre canon are not written by black people the antiracism work must be done in the rehearsal space to ensure equity and safety for all performers. Through research and application this article lays out history of the black musical theatre sound, systemic issues that arise in the music rehearsal, and concludes with practical pedagogical tools for music directors on how to combat racism in the music rehearsal.
