Did anyone read the thread on ATC...

[ruprecht]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:29pm

where they talk about the unbelievably stupid and racist statement Bernard Telsey made regarding African American actors in theater?? I'm not an actor or black and I'm offended. What could he have been thinking?

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:32pm

No but you could post a link.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:34pm

"Playbill.com: Once a show is on its feet, how much time does it take up?
BT: A lot. You get a show like Wicked, which, starting in January, has five companies, and we're responsible for four of them. There's a person in the office who does nothing but Wicked every day. There's something happening every day. There was a time Rent or Hairspray was like that. The Color Purple is very high maintenance. It's a big company and there's not a lot of African-American talent out there, and now we have the tour and Broadway company."

[kec]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:35pm

Here's a link to the ATC thread
ATC Thread

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:35pm

What is an address which I can write him a letter at?

[ruprecht]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:39pm

http://www.talkinbroadway.com/allthatchat/d.php?id=346491

Sorry, thought I had linked to the thread. My jaw is still on the floor.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:42pm

Wow, there are simply no words.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:45pm

Well, that is certainly an idiotic thing to say in print.
I am sure we will be hearing that it was taken out of context and get an apology very soon.

[brainpolice23]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:49pm

I think his comment is misinterpreted here. I think what he's trying to say, is that there's not a large pool of African-American musical theatre actors (talent). Not that there aren't a lot of talented African-Americans.

[Becoz_i_knew_you21]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:52pm

"My jaw is still on the floor."

Me too.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:52pm

I agree, brainpolice.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:52pm

Well that's not what he is "quoted" as saying.
He's in deep do do.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:52pm

http://bernardtelseycasting.visualnet.com/

http://www.castingsociety.com/Members/Bernard_Telsey/Credit.2003-09-24.0204

[FosseForever3]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 4:56pm

for all the shows he's casting, you'd think he'd have a little more sense than to let a comment like that slip.

I can see where this might be misinterpreted, but come on!!

[FosterChild]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:21pm

So, he's got questionable taste and poor interview skills. Misinterpreted or not, it was a thoughtless thing to say and he should know better.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:25pm

I'm not offended - he's saying that there is a small African American talent pool to chose from in NYC which is right.

[colleen_lee]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:31pm

I agree with brainpolice and MB. I am not the biggest Bernard Telsey fan on the planet, but I think that he is simply a victim of poor phrasing. The fact is, the number of black performers in the musical theater community is proportionally pretty small and the casting pool is going to be a heck of a lot smaller as a result. He's not saying that the race of people is less talented.

Updated On: 1/1/07 at 05:31 PM

[myManCape]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:38pm

I too am with brianpolice. What he said was stupid but I interpreted it to mean that there is not a lot African American talent (in this case talent meaning actors/actresses) to choose from. And now they are running 2 full companies of a Color Purple which means a lot of African American actors are needed, and there arent that many available. The way it was quoted on ATC was completely out of context.

[Type_A_Tiff]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:41pm

It seemed pretty clear to me that he was referring to the size of the black talent pool in New York and not to the quality of black performers themselves. When a seasoned casting pro such as Telsey uses the term "talent", it's a noun, not an adjective. And the noun means the pool of potential performers (who are typical with the union and represented by an agency/manager) whom casting directors consider for various roles. Nothing sinister.

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:44pm

i agree with brainpolice

[BroadwayBound062]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:44pm

i agree with brainpolice

[myManCape]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:44pm

100% Agree Tiff. Also I know its an interview, but you would have to assume that either playbill.com or Telsey's people would have stoped it from being published if he had in fact let a stupid comment slip.

[musicalsFan]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:47pm

Well, then maybe he should expand his talent pool to audition actors without Equity credit and/or an agent.

It's no different than the want ads I see with the gazillion requirements, and then the hiring company claims that there aren't enough "qualified" Americans who applied so the company is going to outsource the jobs to India and China.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:47pm

I also took it like that. I can see where it could be misinterpreted, but it seems like he just meant that there's not a lot of African-American actors out there.

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 1/1/07 at 5:51pm

He wasn't misquoted and he didn't slip up. Talent means "talent pool."

And a lot of the best New York talent pool of African American actors is already gainfully employed.

THE LION KING, THE COLOR PURPLE, RENT, HAIRPSRAY, the upcoming production of THE WIZ....