Color Blind Kowalski?
Color Blind Kowalski?
#1Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:56am
As a writer, I usually dislike color blind casting. A character's race, gender and age have everything to do with who the character is in the time and place of the play.
A black Stanley Kowalski seems utterly ridiculous to me unless you're going to shift the time period of Streetcar. If the story were to take place today it would work, but the play itself probably wouldn't - it depends too much on the mystique of the old South.
To the calls of racism that may follow, I'll simply say in advance, "Nah, not so much."
CurtainPullDowner
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/4/04
#2Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 2:10am
I wonder how Tenn would feel about this, he wrote about rather specific types of people and distinctive time periods.
Personally, I don't know any African American Polacks, but I also don't see why these roles could not be performed by any person of any race is the acting is thrilling.
#2Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 2:15am
Curtain --
They 'can' be performed by anyone of any race or gender. But should they? Or is it disrespectful to the intent of the author? There are characters out there who don't need to be a specific race, of course.
Where Kowalski is concerned, it would distract the hell out of me.
I think it was Boyle's recent FRANKENSTEIN where Frankenstein's father was a black actor and Dr. Frankenstein was white. Pulled me out of the piece.
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 02:15 AM
dramamama611
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/4/07
#3Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 5:30am
When a poster (a while back) had issues with a dark skinned Billy Elliot, people jumped all that poster as racist and not "getting" color blind casting.
When it was announced that Phylicia (sp) Rashad was taking over in August: Osage County, people argued the same thing as this OP. But those that got to actually see it, though she was great and were able to ignore.
I understand the concern, but isn't the point of color blind casting simply that: being blind to any ACTOR'S race? Only seeing the character? I guess my thought is that we just need to wait and see -- maybe it will be wonderful. (Maybe it will suck eggs, too.)
Psst...there is already another thread on this.
Okayfine
Stand-by Joined: 6/2/08
#4Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 10:18am
I disagree that so-called "color-blind casting" is simply disrespectful to the playwright. That idea takes as a given that the playwright is supreme. I know some Meisner adherents would would laugh out loud at that thought.
It IS, however, an unnecessary distraction for the audience. Anything that takes the audience out of the show is a bad idea. When George Wolfe cast interracial couples on "On the Town", I kept saying to myself DURING the scenes, "That simply wouldn't have happened". One could argue that I was distracted because it was such a painfully bad production, but I felt the same way about watching bizarre casting in shows I loved, liked or tolerated: Les Miserables (Melba Moore as a character nicknamed The Blonde?? Lea Salonga the daughter of 2 white people? etc.), Miss Saigon (an Asian wife COMPLETELY changed the subtext of the relationship), Billy Elliott & many other shows.
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 10:18 AM
#5Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 10:25amSo Okayfine (and others), you're saying that the playwright's intent or the basic story shouldn't depend on things like race even when it does? In other words, you'd be fine with a Caucasian Othello and a Caucasian Desdemona, or perhaps Japanese-American Tony AND Maria in West Side Story? If a show's intent and believability are dependent upon two characters being of different backgrounds or races, shouldn't it also be logical that intent and believability could be dependent upon two characters being of the same background or race?
#6Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:18am
This arguement came up during the all black production of CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF that played Broadway a few years back and what I think a lot of people ultimately felt (including the Tennessee Williams estate which has to authorize these non traditional castings) is that these works, (STREETCAR now almost 70 years old) are enduring and seminal pieces of American literature that are, like Shakespeare, at this point above and beyond the scruitny of productions necessitating historical accuracy.
Like CAT, STREETCAR is not a story in which race is a major theme. Actors of color deserve a chance to play these roles.
There was actually a very interesting forum conducted during Williams' lifetime (in which he participated in)that explored scenes from his plays as performed with casts of integrated ethnicities. So he clearly didn't have a strong aversion to the idea (and was known to be incredibly intolerant of racism).
But all that said --It's been indicated that this is going to be a *multi-cultural casting.* That is not the same as color blind casting... For all we know, Emily Mann intends to cast the roles in a way in which ethnicity is used to highlight the themes of superiority/class that ARE major themes of STREETCAR.
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 11:18 AM
#7Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:23am
There's also no reason to pretend that history never happened, unless you actually think it's better that people remain ignorant of the things that have happened in the world.
If Stella and Blanche are white, it would make no sense for Stanley to be of color, because they would acknowledge it - miscegenation would be far too important to ignore or treat as everyday.
If everyone in the production is of color, it might work, but I think the historical inaccuracy of a family of color (Blanche & Stella) being impoverished after generations of plantation ownership would just ring untrue (or at least confusing).
#8Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:33am
To that end, newintown, I would argue that any audience that is going to be so limited as to scrutinize those kinds of historical details would be missing the point of the exercise at hand. Wouldn't that kind of literal mindedness essentially deflate any type of existential or experimental theatre at all?
Some of the most thrilling revivals I've seen of the last ten years have been surrealist or non traditional stagings. These may not be productions for every audience, but for my tastes, these productions have been more illuminating to the text in their choices than detrimental.
I didn't hear anyone at, say, for example the recent (brilliant) avante garde staging of THE LITTLE FOXES at NYTW complain that they were completely taken out out of the play because they couldn't figure out why this family didn't have furniture, and a house only containing floor-to celiling purple velvet interiors.
As that revival also proved, in my opinion, you don't need to stay true to the time period a play was originally set in for the power of the piece to still be relevant (or perhaps even more relevant).
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 11:33 AM
#9Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:38am
Michael Bennett, you say that actors of (presumably) any ethnicity 'deserve' to play the roles in Streetcar. According to whom? Who is deciding what people deserve now? I need their number.
Regarding decisions made by an author's 'estate', they are always and only about money. Of course they want as many people as possible to do the play. I deal with estates in my line of work. The Martin Luther King Jr. estate, for example, is very much about 'preserving the integrity of his memory'.... until a number crosses their desk that they like. (I'm not speculating -- this was my direct experience with them.) I don't think an estate's willingness to license a property is an indication of the author's wishes in all circumstances.
#11Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:41amI think your point is excellent MB, and if we're discussing an experimental production based on Streetcar, then of course anything goes. But I believe the production under discussion here is a commercial straightforward Broadway one - like that Cat On a Hot Tin Roof which made little sense.
#12Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:41am
Idiot, as I've mentioned already, Williams was supportive of actors of color playing the roles in his plays. So that arguement if that is where you continue to want to take this thread is moot. If you want the answer to *who* decides people deserve to play roles - in this case it is the playwright.
Postscript: A link to a fascinating article about multi-cultural casting of Williams works including details of a 1958 Off Broadway production that was to have starred black actress Hilda Simms as Blanche. The production didn't happen, but the idea of a multi ethnic cast apparently met with Williams approval - going so far as that he apparently even authorized some textual changes to fit the roles being played by black artists. Now what would REALLY be interesting is if the new revival dug up THAT script...
WILLIAMS IN EBONY
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 11:41 AM
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#13Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:47amCan't deal with a black Stanley? Stay home. Problem solved.
#14Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:49amIm ok with a black Stanley as long as he's not TOO black. Like Obama black is ok but definitely not Chris Rock black.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#17Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 11:56amTracy Morgan told Barbara Walters he's always wanted to play Jim alongside Lisa Lampinelli's Laura Wingfield.
#18Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 12:28pm
Back that that article I posted - I was actually surprised to learn how many multi-ethnic/all black productions of STREETCAR have actually been staged - the first professional production featuring black leads back in 1965.
So as it turns out, what this production isn't charting unknown territory, merely being the first of its kind on Broadway.
#19Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 12:30pmIn all seriousness, how much of a draw is Blair Underwood? Theyre going to have to get a pretty big name for Blanche if this show has a chance.
#20Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 12:35pm
Supposedly the producers were approaching Angela Bassett - that was the word a year or so ago when this story broke. My only issue with Underwood isn't that he's black but he's a little old for the role - he's almost 50. Bassett is also too old, but they would work well together.
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 12:35 PM
#22Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:32pm
Michael Bennett, by your own link:
"But a week after the projected September 17th premiere of the “desegregated” Streetcar, Louis Calta announced that, at Williams’s request, this Streetcar was to be “shelved” until the following fall because he was concerned about its “proximity in time to a new play,” Sweet Bird of Youth, which opened on March 10, 1959. We may never unearth all the reasons why this multi-racial off-Broadway Streetcar never opened–financial technical, Williams’s possible apprehension sign."
So, Williams' stance on this is not as black and white (so to speak) as you're presenting it to be. Turns out, speaking for dead people is a bit problematic.
I do agree with the poster who says, essentially, 'just stay home'. Sure. But that doesn't address the issue.
Some roles are race specific. I consider Stanley KOWALSKI to be one of them.
#23Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:39pm
Color Blind Kowalski?????
Reading the title of this post again, I'm still confused why making Stanley color blind would add anything to the play. I mean, maybe if you made him a paraplegic, or perhaps actually blind, then it would affect the play, but color blind?
#24Color Blind Kowalski?
Posted: 6/20/11 at 1:56pm
Idiot, you clearly didn't read the entire article I posted, which among other things states (from the same article you quote): Speaking again for her client, Wood explained that Williams still considered Streetcar with black cast members in the central roles “an advance in relations and I look forward eagerly to it” (Calta).
The rest of article, which lists exhaustively black productions of STREETCAR that occurred during Williams' lifetime (at least half a dozen) - coordinated through his agent, seem to leave absolutely no doubt he approved non traditional casting of the roles in the play, and did NOT consider the role of Stanley to be race specific.
I'm not speaking for any dead man - the evidence speaks for itself.
Updated On: 6/20/11 at 01:56 PM
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