Admissions by Joshua Harmon

This show reminds me a bit of Third in its liberal school setting and themes of liberalism gone somewhat awry. In some ways, this show suffers from exactly what it discusses: a dearth of diversity. In a company where we are trying to present more diversity on stage and offer opportunities to a more diverse population of actors, a show where a bunch of white people talk about race may not be the best choice. And yet, if we are honest with ourselves, that is what the majority of our audience is: a bunch of liberal white people who, when prompted by a show such as this, will be talking about race. That being said, I rather liked the show. It pokes fun at liberals trying so hard to “do good” and be politically correct that they are actually horribly incorrect. The son's diatribe about what exactly constitutes diversity and the absurdity of the categories it creates strikes me as cathartic for all of us struggling with those things but too politically conscious to vocalize such thoughts. The show does not entirely break down or dismiss liberalism and the idea of striving for diversity, but it addresses the challenges it presents and the fact that, ultimately, a biological imperative means that, at the very least, we need to strive for ourselves and our families...even if we are not a minority.