I'm Confused

When I proclaim that I'd like to be thought of in roles that allow me, as a woman of color, to be a whole woman. It is not just because pt1

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

I simply want to try something new, it is because in the majority, on stage, too often we are the mother, victim, slave, best friend Pt2

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

Maid, belting "Diva". Never or rarely ever the lover or the lawyer or business woman or the modern day woman. I put these questions out pt3

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

So that we can start to open up our imaginations about what it is black women are and can be, and to have a conversation about why pt4

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

those full bodied women roles are not the norm and are the reach. Are we not human? Do we not share in emotions like all others? Pt5

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

Do we not experience, love, lust, pain, envy, intimacy. Are we not strong enough to play the superhero. Are we not well read enough pt6

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

To Be the brain on stage? Maybe we want to be more tender than the diva, we want the high drama and guilt of lady Macbeth or passion of pr7

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

Cleopatra. Now I am clear that writing must be done, I'm also clear that it is being done and it is often overlooked, so those included, pt8

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

And noticed: Widen your horizons and cast the way you think might be a risk, because 9 times out of 10 it's probably a reality!! Pt9

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

As it pertains to me I am far more than my voice and the scope of my imagination spans past the standard idea of what is expected of me pt10

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

I like a challenge, I relish mess, I live for passion, I understand pain, I love my strength, and I have been bred with intelligence, pt11

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

I simply want to use ALL of it to tell a story. Actors, Singers, Performers, you are far more than you think you are, seek to learn ALL PT12

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

Of your facets. Stories are only really truly interesting when they are multilayered. Pt13 ❤

— Cynthia Erivo (@CynthiaEriVo) March 26, 2017

Ok... So I love Cynthia Erivo, but I am a little confused by these tweets. She says she wants more women of color to have a wider variety of roles instead of just the "mother, victim, slave, best friend, maid, belting 'Diva'." However (Now people please don't hate me for this, but) aren't most roles for women like that to begin with? Let's talk about some of the most well known female roles in theatre (I'm talking about roles for any race by the way not just for women of color). Including the role that Erivo won a Tony and Grammy for.

• Rose in Gypsy
• Mother
• Victim
• Belting "Diva"
• Violet Weston in August: Osage County
• Mother
• Victim
• Kim in Miss Saigon
• Mother
• Victim
• Slave (Kind of)
• Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes
• Belting "Diva"
• Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton
• Mother
• Victim (After Alexander has the affair)
• Best Friend
• Fantine in Les Miserables
• Mother
• Victim
• Slave (Kind of)
• Eponine in Les Miserables
• Victim
• Best Friend
• Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard
• Victim
• Belting "Diva"
• Elphaba in Wicked
• Victim
• Best Friend
• Belting "Diva"
• Effie White in Dreamgirls
• Mother
• Victim
• Best Friend
• Belting "Diva"
• Celie in The Color Purple
• Mother
• Victim
• Slave
• Maid
• Belting "Diva"

Now I'm not trying to hate on Erivo. Nor am I trying to get into an argument. I am honestly just confused at these tweets. Part of me does get where she's coming from because she wants women of color to play the smarter roles and that I do get. I understand that completely. She says that women of color are rarely the lover or the lawyer or the business woman or the modern day woman." or are not portrayed/written as having "love, lust, pain, envy, intimacy... strong enough to play the superhero... well read enough to be the brain on stage?" she says she wants "the high drama and guilt of Lady Macbeth or passion of Cleopatra" However let's go revisit the list from before with the added qualifications.

• Rose in Gypsy
• Mother
• Victim
• Belting "Diva"
• Love
• Pain
• Strength
• Smarts
• High Drama
• Passion
• Violet Weston in August: Osage County
• Mother
• Victim
• Pain
• Smarts
• High Drama
• Kim in Miss Saigon
• Mother
• Victim
• Slave (Kind of)
• Love
• Pain
• Intimacy
• Strength
• Smart
• High Drama
• Passion
• Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes
• Best Friend
• Belting "Diva"
• Love
• Lust
• Intimacy
• Strength
• Smart
• Passion
• Eliza Hamilton in Hamilton
• Mother
• Victim (After Alexander has the affair)
• Best Friend
• Love
• Pain
• Strength
• Smart
• Fantine in Les Miserables
• Mother
• Victim
• Slave (Kind of)
• Love
• Pain
• Envy
• Strength
• High Drama
• Eponine in Les Miserables
• Victim
• Best Friend
• Love
• Pain
• Envy
• Strength
• High Drama
• Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard
• Victim
• Belting "Diva"
• Love
• Lust
• Pain
• Envy
• Intimacy
• Strength
• Smart
• High Drama
• Passion
• Elphaba in Wicked
• Victim
• Best Friend
• Belting "Diva"
• Love
• Lust
• Pain
• Envy
• Intimacy
• Strength
• Smart
• Guilt
• Passion
• Effie White in Dreamgirls
• Mother
• Victim
• Best Friend
• Belting "Diva"
• Love
• Pain
• Envy
• Strength
• Smart
• Passion
• Celie in The Color Purple
• Mother
• Victim
• Slave
• Maid
• Belting "Diva"
• Love
• Pain
• Intimacy
• Strength
• Smart

Now can you see where I'm just a little confused? In my full honest opinion as an actor the women have all the juicy roles. They get to sing the best songs, they portray the most conflict and they have a range of characters from the comedic diva to the drunk whore to the starving mother trying to save her kid(s). All male roles (in my opinion) are about getting a girl in some way shape or form and the male roles that aren't about getting a girl are just comedic roles and have no depth. Anyway that's my semi-rant of sorts for the day. Sorry to talk your ears off. Please start a discussion below in the comics especially if I'm missing something.