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| author | Haviland Marie Atha-Simonton |
| title | Plays about New York City's Gentrification: The Gentrifier, The Gentrified, and the Tension in-Between |
| abstract |
As many cities worldwide are changing before our eyes, urban dwellers have become familiar with the term "gentrification." The term is often associated with
local delis being replaced by Whole Foods, and an influx of new, typically white, faces into previously low-income neighborhoods housed by people of color.
There are oftentimes many benefits to gentrification, such as improved public services, better access to grocery stores, decreased crime rates, etc. However,
these benefits are often coupled with the closing of local stores, displacement of indigenous residents, demolition of historic monuments, and a lower
collective efficacy. Thus, being a "gentrifier" can easily be seen as a label that automatically leads to these negative outcomes. This thesis will explore
gentrification in New York City through the lense of three modern plays in order to voice the experiences of the gentrified and their anxiety about their
changing neighborhoods, as well show how the actions of gentrifiers can lead to positive or negative outcomes in gentrifying neighborhoods. Overall, I
conclude that the three plays reveal an anxiety about legacy among the gentrified, that gentrification is embedded in race, and that one can be a gentrifier
without negatively affecting their community by taking specific actions to become aware of its pre-existing culture and history. I urge artists, especially
artists who are gentrifiers, to create, perform, and produce plays about gentrification alongside the gentrified to give them a platform to speak on and to
educate gentrifiers on the impact of their actions or lack thereof. I urge gentrifiers and scholars to read and study these plays, the ones that have yet
to be created, and the conclusions that can be drawn from each, because underneath the quantitative data of rent prices and the wealth inequalities in
gentrifying neighborhoods, there is a distinctly human story that is explicitly about race, culture, and history that can either be valued or ignored.
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| school | The College of Liberal Arts, Drew University |
| degree | B.A. (2018) |
| advisor | Rosemary McLaughlin |
| committee | Kimani Fowlin
Kesha Moore |
| full text | HMAtha-Simonton.pdf |
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