Can I be in Broadway/off Broadway productions with food allergies?

I asked this in a Quora forum and got a lot of backlash that I shouldn’t bother being an actress with severe allergies. My only issue is that if I have to kiss someone in a role, I need to ask them if they could refrain from eating nuts or shellfish, just on the days of rehearsals that involve the kiss or close contact and the performances. Is that selfish or rude of me to ask? Should I expect to not get cast in roles because of my allergies holding me back? I’ve done theater since I was young, I am now 22. I usually always get a main or supporting role, but I’ve never had to do an actual kiss because it’s been pretty easy to get around it where I’ve done performances (black out during what appears to be a kiss or just cheek/forehead kiss). I know for those who don’t have food allergies, this is hard to understand but I also don’t want to sell myself short and not seek lead roles or avoid auditions all together because of something I was born with. I’ve been basically told to just give up by these people on Quora who do claim to be actors and directors. I am just trying to see if there really is no hope left for me or if anyone in the theater has these allergies too.

You absolutely can. I've had to prep food props for actors with allergies, and we keep those allergies/restrictions in mind when designing props for any other actors that come into contact with the allergic person. For example, if Lead 1 is allergic to dairy, we would use a coconut whipped topping in place of whipped cream for Lead 2's dessert, so that when they kiss later on, Lead 1 is still safe. It's very, very easy to work around, and just takes a few extra minutes of prop design time.

Obviously the actors you'll be working with can't be controlled outside of the theater, but the vast majority of actors I've worked with would be happy to assist you in any way they could, and asking them not to eat nuts or shellfish is a small accommodation that wouldn't be at all selfish or rude to ask for. Your health comes first.

Sounds like the people in that Quora forum had literally no idea what they were talking about!

Well. This taught us something...the people on Quora are idiots.

There is nothing about having allergies that should be seen as an issue, nor would it be a problem for your fellow actors.

Heck, I had a student write her college essay about this very thing: kissing another actor with a peanut allergy when she was Marion in Music Man in 8th grade. (There was more to it, but still....,)

Updated On: 8/25/21 at 07:15 PM

I wouldn't mention it until after you get cast.

Stage Managers and folks in the prop department are used to accommodating food allergies and such. It probably happens more often than one would think. I think one of the most common accommodations is for actors who are vegetarians and have to eat something onstage that's not normally in their diet. There are also people with diabetes. And there are plenty of singers that avoid certain foods or drinks that could negatively affect their singing voices.

Years ago I did a show where and actress needed to eat a fried chicken leg but she was a vegetarian. The props department created ceramic "bones" onto which they wrapped and shaped Pillsbury biscuits to look like meat. Then they would bake them until they were nice and browned and from the audience they were believable as meaty fried chicken legs.