The Marketability of Young Adult Theatre in The United States

Abstract

The term "young adult" generally conjures up an image of the ever-growing YA Fiction at a local bookstore. Novels like Twilight, The Hunger Games, The Fault in our Stars, and The Perks of Being A Wallflower are among the many that have dominated this genre, both in terms of publication and their corresponding film adaptations. Even television shows have taken a big leap towards young adult programming with series such as The Secret Life of The American Teenager, Riverdale, Gossip Girl, and Thirteen Reasons Why. This paper will analyze the marketability of young adult theatre as its own genre in the United States and pose the question as to why it is not already its own subgenre of theatre. Through qualitative research, this study will explore the realms of theatre for young audiences, young adult representation in other artistic mediums, and professional theatre's representation of young adult topics and themes.