Mitchell Motivation

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Recommended: The representation of african american culture in media

In society, we commonly find that the majority of representation in the media is dedicated to Caucasian demographic. Particularly in entertainment, we generally hardly ever see a person of color who is playing a complex leading character with depth and emotional development. We are often sassy friends, working staff, or just not shown at all. Allow me to now describe to you my passions and pleasures. What I have always wanted in life is to be an advocate of music. Specifically I want to be a choral music educator, but I also have a passion for musical theatre. Although I never plan to pursue a career in that area, I am very involved in it at my school as I’ve played many leading characters both musical and straight play. I’ve played roles that …show more content…

Brian Stokes Mitchell. Mitchell is an African-American leading actor of Broadway, film, television and voice and he is also a composer and an astonishing vocalist. He is most widely-known in his roles as, Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the musical, Ragtime, Fred Graham and Petruchio in the musical, Kiss Me, Kate, and Don Quixote and Cervantes in the musical, Man of La Mancha. His work not only inspiring to me, but for many others. His characters are usually leading men who have deep and introspective struggles that and reflect anybody going through something similar. For example, Mitchell originated the role of Coalhouse Walker Jr. in the musical, Ragtime. Coalhouse was an African-American pianist in the year 1906 who had up until then been rather fast and loose in life and in love. He realizes the error of his ways and tries his hardest to win back the love of his life, Sarah who, unbeknownst to him, is the mother of his child. Once he realizes this he reunites with her and plans to travel the country with her and their child. Racial matters being prolific in the story, Coalhouse plans don’t go as expected when a group of bigoted white firemen harass him and destroy his car. When Sarah tries to appeal this to a higher power, she is shot in a crowd. Brian Stokes Mitchell’s portrayal of this level of anguish speaks to so many people in so many ways. This is what inspires me in my artistic

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