Color Blind Casting — Page 3

If race is crucial to the plot, then there should be no color blind casting, especially if its a drama. I hate seeing pictures of high school productions of Dreamgirls with a white girl as one of the members of the Dreams. It doesn't make sense in terms of plot development. That's why I'm thankful when my high school put on Ragtime years ago, we had black actors play Coalhouse and Sarah. Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.

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Just because an actor is a certain race...doesn't mean their character is.

Theatre is all about suspension of disbeleif. The minute you walk into the theatre you are already willing to loosen that connection with reality and watch people, who you know are actors, pretend to be someone they are not. Does the colour of their skin really matter. If someone were to complain: "But a person like Javert would never be black during the period of the French Revolution", I could only laugh and respond that a person like Javert wouldn't randomly break out into song to express his obsession with finding Valjean.

Again there are exceptions to this with regards to shows specifically about race (Ragtime, Hairspray, etc.). There are shows that a lot of people think are about race but aren't though. The struggle in Aida doesn't have to do with race, rather than culture and social stature. As long as the costumes were clear enough to differentiate the Nubians from the Egyptians, I can't say I would have any problem watching a production with a white Aida or a black Radames or Amneris.

Akiva

Updated On: 10/25/06 at 03:00 PM

What I'd like to see happen is instead of color blind casting, go with "blind body-type casting" - why not get a chubby Elphaba up there? If the girl can belt the sh*t out of the notes, who cares?

but anotherr thing about millie...i hate how innitially a show is blind casted...and then can NEVER be changed...ever notice how ever since...all muzzys are black? the character doesnt have to be...it started as blind casting...but now isnt anymore...cuz the character is always played by the same race...i find that odd...and annoying...why not experiement with different blind casting for that show????

Hell yes I've noticed this. Even if I could pull off those backflips, I could never play Angel in Rent.

Ok,IMO, there are race specific shows [Ragtime/Hairspray/The Color Purple] where color blind casting dosen't work. Then there is the long list of shows [The Drowsy Chaparone/The Last Five Years/Cinderella/etc] where it dosen't matter one iota. Some shows go with a fully ethnic cast [Guys and Dolls 70's/Hello Dolly Pearl Bailey cast] but this usually is done with much greater frequency on Broadway as opposed to community theatre [as far as I know]. Then there are roles that are looked at differently because of there original casting [Muzzy in Thoroughly Modern Millie]. It kinda makes me wonder if people would question the deep historical possiblitlies of a black Muzzy if it were originally cast white. [I have not seen the show, saw the movie, own the CD, and I'm not a history major, so I'm not sure] But also this tends to create a black role, and whites/asians/hispanics can't play it just because its a black role [which is a ridiculous problem we have in today's theatre] Those who have seen them seem to be of the opinion that all-white casts of traditionally black shows do not work, so that indicates such transfers are difficult if not impossible. But the trickiest kind of show to decide if an race consience cast is necassary is one that dosen't deal with race and is set in the past [Les Miz] [which includes "current" peices written in the 50/60's]. For these shows it really depends on the production and the director [plus the audience members personal opinion] and really on the show itself. I think decisions of this nature are hard to judge, it really depends on the director. And usually people forget what there watching, esp. if the preformer is talanted [which they seem to be usually, just think, they had to be soo good so that the director could see past the most obvious of physical aspect, I mean, we all have our preset images] Another thing is to consider is the historisty of the piece. One example of how important the production is, I CANNOT imagine the original/tour production of Sweeney with a black beggar woman, I think I would find that distracting. However, MAYBE in a different production, it might work. But if it dosen't work, it dosen't work, period. They are ways that people of different ethnic backrounds can play any part, IMO, but it has to work.

[metaphor]The trick is pressing play on both Avenue Q and Hairspray at the same time. . .[/metaphor]

And if you want to get technical, Radames and Amneris (and all the Egyptians) would have been dark skinned. I highly doubt there were any blonde-haired, blue-eyed (a la Sherie Rene-Scott) ancient Egyptians.

Thank you, I was just about to mention this, I for one would LOOOOOOOOOOVE to play Mereb someday . . .

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Updated On: 10/25/06 at 03:47 PM

Has anyone seen West Side Story where the Maria and the Sharks were actual Puerto Ricans?

Most likely not.

This subject comes up regularly and I guess the only safe answer is: "it all depends". If the role is typically done by whites, but a Black or Asian actor does so while successfully suspending disbelief, then fine. If on the other hand it is distracting to the audience then maybe it's not such a good idea.

The better the actor the less likely it is to matter. The more universal the play the less important it is likely to be, so Shakespeare should be colour blind. On the other hand, period pieces are probably more vulnerable

The subject of The Sound of Music has been raised. In that case I think it would be better to have an all black cast or an all white cast. My reason? The von Trapps fled from Nazi Germany because they were *politically* opposed to Nazism and the Anschluß. If you had a black Maria, it might mislead some in the audience into thinking they were fleeing racial persecution rather than political persecution. In a sense, it's the reverse of the argument advanced by others in respect of the Color Purple

"But while race isn't central to the plot in Les Miz, it is historically inaccurate to have a black officer of the law and I think it impacts the story being told.

As for Color Purple, I don't believe that race is central to the story. You could easily subsitute poor white folk and tell essentially the same story, except perhaps for Sophia's story."

Astounding. That is horribly hypocritical.

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"But while race isn't central to the plot in Les Miz, it is historically inaccurate to have a black officer of the law and I think it impacts the story being told.

As for Color Purple, I don't believe that race is central to the story. You could easily subsitute poor white folk and tell essentially the same story, except perhaps for Sophia's story."

Astounding. That is horribly hypocritical.

Plus, you'd have to change a few lines from the show. And you know which one's I'm talking about

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there are some shows (already mentioned) that it really does matter, but there are some instances that, despite historical inaccuracies blind casting works beautifully. Case in point; Chicago

I would truly love to see a white joanne, benny, and/ or collins in rent

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This is true, Rentboy, but that's because the general black audience does not see anything that they can relate to on Broadway. If they don't know what they want to see, they'll support something with an African-American cast.

Plus, The Color Purple is a hugely popular and important film within the community.

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Updated On: 10/25/06 at 10:26 PM

Yeah, I guess it's hard to understand from an outside perspective. White people haven't really undergone much oppression. It's not like all white people are flocking to Grey Gardens because it's a celebration of white people, ya know?

Please don't think I'm making a massive generalization about African-American theatre-goers, because I'm not.
Because I'm an African American theatre goer, and I certainly don't do that, and I hated the Color Purple.

But those bus loads of people from Cleveland, Ohio come to see Color Purple, because it's an event for them. It's an important movie in the African-African lexicon of films, especially with all the Oprah hype.

As to why there aren't many African Americans in the audience of other shows... I could not tell you. It saddens me too.

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