American musical theater

2 pages MLA formatDescriptionResearch Paper Thesis and Outline.
Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you for the writing of your 2500+ word research paper on a BIPOC in musical theatre history or a BIPOC-centered musical theatre show. Please refer to those guidelines in Canvas for specific information about the research paper. See below for an excerpt. Developing a thesis statement and an outline will make the writing of the paper more organized and fluid –and will provide you with a source to guide the flow of the paper. 
Task: Create a single, defendable, thesis statement, and a detailed research paper outline. A thesis statement is a declarative sentence that asserts the position a paper will be taking. This statement should be both specific and arguable. Generally, the thesis statement goes at the end of the first paragraph of your paper. The rest of your paper will support the thesis. A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process, providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized. A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to organize your thoughts, understand the flow of information and how ideas are related, and ensure nothing is forgotten.

Assignment Name: Research Paper Thesis and Outline

Due Date: Friday, Nov 6th, 2020 before 11:59pm

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to prepare you for the writing of your 2500+ word research
paper on a BIPOC in musical theatre history or a BIPOC-centered musical theatre show. Please refer to
those guidelines in Canvas for specific information about the research paper. See below for an excerpt.
Developing a thesis statement and an outline will make the writing of the paper more organized and
fluid – and will provide you with a source to guide the flow of the paper.

Task: Create a single, defendable, thesis statement and a detailed research paper outline. A thesis
statement is a declarative sentence that asserts the position a paper will be taking. This statement
should be both specific and arguable. Generally, the thesis statement goes at the end of the first
paragraph of your paper. The rest of your paper will support the thesis. A research paper outline is a
useful tool to aid in the writing process, providing a structure to follow with all information to be
included in the paper clearly organized. A quality outline can make writing your research paper more
efficient by helping to organize your thoughts, understand the flow of information and how ideas are
related, and ensure nothing is forgotten.

As per the guidelines for your research paper: You must develop a thesis statement for your research paper.
This is one sentence that expresses the main idea of the research paper. From that statement, you must develop
an outline that covers topics of research and your ideas you will present.

“Hamilton is a story about an immigrant who becomes a founder of our nation,” is not a thesis statement. That’s
the start of a “book report” on the topic of a musical. That’s not what needs to be done.

“The success of Porgy and Bess greatly revealed an acceptance of burgeoning tolerance between white and black
Americans in the 1930s.” is a thesis statement that I look forward to you arguing for 2500 words or so. Likewise,
“Without Diosa Costello’s performance in Too Many Girls, we’d not have ever seen a Latina win a Tony Award,” is a
thesis statement I’d like to see you prove over the course of several pages.

Criteria for Success: Your thesis is a single, arguable sentence. Your outline should be set up to help you
defend your thesis.

Please see this site for an example of the versions of an outline: https://paperpile.com/g/research-
paper-outline/

Recognize that your outline can change – you’re not locked in to any one idea. I don’t mind at all if your
research pulls you in a different direction than what is stated in your outline. Your thesis can change,
too, as you do your research. You might find a brilliant new idea to pursue!

Your submitted assignment should be typed and free of spelling and word choice errors. It can all be one
document – the thesis is just one sentence but the outline likely will take up multiple pages (you might
fit it on one). All of it should be a single submission via Canvas.

Plan ahead – allow time for this process. Rushed work is easily noticed. If you have questions or
concerns, please contact your T.A. or professor WELL IN ADVANCE of the assignment’s due date.

https://paperpile.com/g/research-paper-outline/

https://paperpile.com/g/research-paper-outline/

Assignment Name: BIPOC (or BIPOC-centered Show) Research Paper
Due Date: Sunday, Nov. 29th, 2020, before 11:59pm

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to share the contributions of Black, Indigenous, and
People of Color in the history of American musical theatre. You may choose to focus on a single
person or on a show that highlights the voices/stories of BIPOC. The person must have
contributed to American musical theatre or the show must have premiered on Broadway or off-
Broadway or regionally in America between the year 1866 and the present day. Identifying
unique voices from communities too often overlooked by traditional textbooks is crucial to
broadening the understanding and appreciation of storytelling from new and varied
perspectives.
This assignment will also help you become familiar with the following:

1. Independent research in musical theatre history.
2. Struggles, obstruction, and erasure of different cultures and voices in the theatre

industry.
3. The role of musical theatre in connecting with an audience.
4. Paradigm-shifting creators, composers, writers, and performers who have contributed

to a vibrant and diverse modern musical theatre industry.

Task: You will need to decide on a single person to focus on, or a single show. The person must
be BIPOC or the show must highlight BIPOC voices and storytelling. For concerns or for approval
of topics, please inquire with your professor or T.A.
Please utilize the resources at our library and the expertise of Lindsay Hansen Brown, our
librarian specializing in this area, as needed.

This is not a report. It is more than that – thorough, organized research and persuasive and
clear writing is required to earn high marks on this assignment.

You must develop a thesis statement for your research paper. This is one sentence that
expresses the main idea of the research paper. From that statement, you must develop an
outline that covers topics of research and your ideas you will present.

This thesis and outline combination will be due before the final paper and will be graded.
(BEFORE 11:59PM on FRIDAY, NOV. 6TH, 2020)

Then, you are to present information and persuasive arguments that attempt to prove your
thesis statement, citing external sources, as appropriate.

So, no – “Hamilton is a story about an immigrant who becomes a founder of our nation,” is not
a thesis statement. That’s the start of a “book report” on the topic of a musical. That’s not what
needs to be done.

“The success of Porgy and Bess greatly revealed an acceptance of burgeoning tolerance
between white and black Americans in the 1930s.” is a thesis statement that I look forward to

you arguing for 2500 words or so. Likewise, “Without Diosa Costello’s performance in Too Many
Girls, we’d not have ever seen a Latina win a Tony Award,” is a thesis statement I’d like to see
you prove over the course of several pages.

You will need to present research and analysis in this assignment. I expect you to cite any
source you use appropriately. Spend most of this paper asserting that you are right (about your
thesis) and show me a bunch of reasons why you’re right.

This paper must be, at minimum, 2500 words long. Feel free to write more if you like. This
paper should be as long as it takes to present your ideas thoroughly – and 2500 words in length
(not including your name, the date, or any part of your heading), minimum.

Error-free, proofread, clear essays addressing the topic in full will receive full credit. Points will
be deducted due to typographical errors, vagueness, incompleteness, or failure to meet the
length requirement of the paper. Also, papers that fail to include specific research and citations
will be marked down. No hard copy submissions will be accepted – please submit your
assignment through the Canvas module. Late assignments will not be accepted.

Criteria for Success: Your paper must be typed, double-spaced, and follow basic MLA style
guidelines. Spelling and grammar count toward your grade and so does sentence structure. This
isn’t an English class, but you’re in college and need to be writing college level work. (Your
professors will thank you for it.) Make sure you write about what resonates for you, personally.
“I liked it/him/her,” is NOT satisfactory. Tell me why you liked it/him/her and why they made a
difference – and use concepts and terms we have covered in class, as appropriate. Consider the
following questions to be explored in your paper:

a. Why did you choose the person/show that you did?
b. What did you learn during your hours of research?
c. Describe the artists’ ability to utilize the techniques/elements we’ve discussed in
class, if applicable.
d. Did you recognize anything from your reading in the piece/person you researched? If
so, what?
e. What impact did this piece/person have on you? What further thought did it/they
spark in you? Would American theatre be better or worse off without this
person/piece?
f. Is it just this person’s Broadway contributions that matter or is their personal life
crucial to the point you are making? Does the show live on, through revivals and home
viewing, in a way that continues to make an impact?

Note the composer and the writers of the book and lyrics, as appropriate. Refer to cast
members by character names if discussing the plot/story but by their actual names when
describing their performing ability.
EXAMPLE: “General George Washington sends Hamilton away.” vs. “Christopher Jackson shows
gravitas and vocal talent in his role as George Washington.”

Lastly, plan ahead – allow time for this process: notetaking, developing a thesis, creating an
outline, researching, writing, and rewriting are all a part of this process. Rushed work is easily
noticed. If you have questions or concerns, please contact your T.A. or professor WELL IN
ADVANCE of the assignment’s due date.