Note: This is a slightly edited version of the form you will be asked to sign in order to participate in this project. You will need to sign this (full version provided by Ryan directly) before we can do the interview.

CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE IN A RESEARCH STUDY

You are being asked to participate in a research study because of your involvement in one of the Broadway musical productions covered in this study.

Purpose:

The purpose of this research study is to examine the relationship of the Broadway musical casting process to body type and fitness.

Procedures:

If you volunteer to participate in this research study, we will ask you to do the following:

• Participate in an open-ended oral history interview.
  • You will be asked to describe your role in a specific production and describe how this role relates to the casting process.
  • You will be asked to describe your perceptions of the roles that body type and fitness play in the casting process.
  • You will be asked to share anecdotes related to the above topics.
  • You may be asked to discuss your experiences in the casting process more generally.

Audio Recording:

•  To ensure accuracy, interviews will be audio-recorded for later transcription and review by the principal investigator. You can still participate in this study if you do not consent to the audio recording.

Time Commitment:

Your participation in this research study is expected to last approximately 45-60 minutes. You may be asked to clarify or expand upon your initial answers in a follow-up interview or via email.

Potential Risks or Discomforts:

• This study offers minimal risk and/or discomfort to participants, who may decline to answer questions they do not wish to answer and who may end the interviews at their discretion.
• There may be minimal risk of damage to the subject’s reputation, employability, financial standing, as well as potential emotional distress and discomfort associated with answering the research questions if/when the research is published.

Potential Benefits:

• You will not directly benefit from your participation in this research study, which aims to contribute to general knowledge and the academic field of theatre studies.

Payment for Participation:

You will not receive any payment for participating in this research study.

New Information:

You will be notified about any new information regarding this study that may affect your willingness to participate in a timely manner.

Confidentiality:

You will be identified by name in the final study, unless you request anonymity verbally or in writing to the principal investigator. This is not designed to be an anonymous study.

We will make our best efforts to maintain the confidentiality of any information that is collected during this research study. We will disclose this information only with your permission or as required by law.

We will protect your confidentiality by conducting interviews in private locations, and password protecting the audio recordings. Access will be limited to the principal investigator and faculty advisor.

The research team, authorized CUNY staff, and government agencies that oversee this type of research may have access to research data and records in order to monitor the research. Research records provided to authorized, non-CUNY individuals will not contain identifiable information about you. Publications and/or presentations that result from this study will identify you by name.

Participants’ Rights:

• Your participation in this research study is entirely voluntary. If you decide not to participate, there will be no penalty to you, and you will not lose any benefits to which you are otherwise entitled.
• You can decide to withdraw your consent and stop participating in the research at any time, without any penalty.

 

Questions, Comments or Concerns:

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about the research, you can talk to the principal investigator:

Ryan Donovan, rdonovan@gradcenter.cuny.edu, 917-402-4321

If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, or you have comments or concerns that you would like to discuss with someone other than the researchers, please call the CUNY Research Compliance Administrator at 646-664-8918 or email HRPP@cuny.edu. Alternately, you can write to:

CUNY Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research

Attn: Research Compliance Administrator

205 East 42^nd Street

New York, NY 10017