Andre DeShields plays the Gorilla in "Prymate." Poor choice?

Andre De Shields is playing a gorilla. The man has no pride. How can an African American actor of his stature agree to play that role. Is not like he wasn't around when Black folks were often compared to apes. He obviously has no conscience. It's self-inflicted racism. It's not like he isn't aware of the struggles our predecessors waged against the Black man being de-humanized. He's been around. What the hell was the struggle for if we ourselves degrade ourselves? I'm sure there are counter opinions out there, however, as a Black woman it sickens me.

Whatever happened to color blind casting ? He is an actor playing a role. It did not take long for the PC police to arrive on the scene

Personally, Sanford & Son & Redd Foxx's Fred Sanford were more degrading than this show & the role in question could ever be . Talk about stereotypes. What about the actors who portrayed Aunt Esther & Grady ?

Amos & Andy was funny. It was an African American Honeymooners. The Kingfish was Ralph, Sapphire was Alice & Andy Brown was Ed Norton. Same plots with the Kingfishs/Ralph's hairbrained schemes & Ed/Andy's being the comic foil. All that was missing From Amos & Andy was Trixie

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Updated On: 3/22/04 at 08:05 PM

To each his own, I always say. Both Andre De Shields & the cast of A & A are both talented actors playing roles. This is the connection. I assume Mr De Shields is not that desparate for money he would take a role he thought was demeaning. If a non african american were playing an ape ( & maybe making a fool of himself ) would we be having this conversation ? Just a thought

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Updated On: 3/22/04 at 08:27 PM

Bottom line is if Mr De Shields is comfortable playing the role, that should be sufficient for all concerned

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Discussion yes . Debate yes - We have had both & I am going to bed. Nighty Night

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oh yeah, Roxy? And he'll do a great job, get a Tony nom, the production will make a lot of money and everyone will think its OK and next season there'll be more of the same kind of casting offered to Black actors. And before you know it, we will have turned the clock back 100 years and be "yah-sir-ing" all over the stage. The fact that they cast a Black man as a gorilla is racist. The fact that he accepted the role is a step backwards for all Black actors. We, Black artists, have to take responsibility for how our actions affect our future. Our predessors did it and made changes. Change is still needed. And a Black man accepting "Gorilla" roles is not progressive no matter how you slice it up. And I don't expect you to understand.

FN, I did read that article. My question is did you? The character of Graham(the gorilla) was originally played by an actor in a gorilla suit. It was the director Ed Sherin's idea to cast the character as a Black man sans suit. And from the article the reasons for doing so are vague. The director did it to "infuse the play with racial overtones" For what reason? "The idea of Graham as a celebrity plaything to be gawked at, entertained by and ultimately demonized..." In this case audiences will see the Black man being demonized not the gorilla. Is that the point? To show white audiences how they demonize Black men? Or is just some tricky device by a director trying to be clever? From this my question becomes: Why did the play about a gorilla, scientists studying him, researching AIDS, their relationships have to be infused with racial overtomes? How does that make the story better. It seems only a device the director came up with to give the play some heat. It was not the playwrights intention for the gorilla to be a Black man. The director thought the play "flabby and timid" so he wanted to make changes. MR. DE SHIELDS REASONING FOR ACCEPTING THE GORILLA ROLE? To be continued.....

KJ - Yes my words are strong and I stand by them. I've read about this play and discussed it with friends. Some were offended just at the thought of it and some, like you, want to wait and see. And when it opens I will go see the production. I do not have to see this play in order to FEEL the way I do about a Black man being cast as a gorilla. Because as an African-American living in this country I have experienced all kinds of racism. Ignorance on your part is you seemingly being unaware that Black folks have been compared to apes, called apes, etc. As an attempt to dehumanize us. We have suffered that. Has Frank Langella suffered verbal racist attacks by being called a lizard in his life? No. As I stated in my previous post the playwright did not write the gorilla as a Black man the director worked that in. The play is not about African-American men being tested on medically it's about a gorilla being tested on. So why make the character a Black man? And as far as Black men being tested on medically. Let me tell you, KJ, that has happened. I suggest you read a play called Miss Evers Boys in which Black enlisted men were injected with the syphilis virus by the US government and left untreated to monitor the effects on the disease. True story, great play.

Kev - Check your post. You brought up the ignorant factor. I did not call you ignorant. Read what I said again about what you are ingorant of. You calling FL a lizard all the time as you wrote is no comparison. I took that as you trying to make a joke...a bad joke, however. Are you aware of African-American people being compared to and called apes in an attempt to dehumanize them? If not, than you are ignorant of that fact. All the characters in LK are animal so that's a bad comparison. And we don't yet know what the director of Prymate is trying to say by casting a Black man as gorilla, now do we? We will have to wait and see. But because I know the history of the ape thing as it applies to being used against Black folks, I feel the way I feel. I don't like it. I'm voicing it and when it gets closer to opening, a whole lot more will voice it, too. I won't calm down but I just might see Avenue Q.

Updated On: 3/25/04 at 01:06 AM

He should have won a Tony for THE FULL MONTY, he brought the house down

I will be seeing PRYMATE, its obviously a heated topic

Well said Mr Sum

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don't you people get it??? he's being used and manipulated by the man!! he's obviusly either not smart enought to realize he's being used, or worse, more insidious, he's turned his back on his people and sold out to the white man director in hopes of furthering his career. i hope that enough folks realize the crime that's about to be committed on broadway and have the good sense to picket and boycott this racist hateful experiment into jim crow theatre.

power to the people!

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true, sum, i usually prefer an axe handle for beating those things, or bull connor's old hose...or sarcasm.

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