Diversity on Broadway — Page 7

Jane2 writes: Anyone watching the new tv series Code Black? interesting casting there. The actor playing the lead role, which is the head Dr. of the Emergency Ward of a hospital, is Luis Guzman. It's interesting because Guzman's an actor who is typically cast as a villainous character, and looks very much the part. I wonder how he'll do with this transition.

I'm rolling my eyes. Mr. Guzman was cast in the role because the creators and producers thought he could play the role!

Chiwetel Ejiofor is a black British actor with parents of Nigerian descent. I don't know why we're having an argument whether he is Indian or not. He's just not. It's like asking if Kristin Chenoweth is Mexican. She's not.

The King and I may not have 50 actors of Thai heritage on the stage, but at least they are Asian. Again, not sure why this is used as an argument against what I said.

I don't think people realize that "colorblind casting" is primarily meant to help actors of color. If you are putting on a show with characters of a certain ethnicity, you better see all the actors of that ethnicity you can before casting. It doesn't work really work the other way around, to whitewash before bringing in people of color. Black does not equal Indian. Latina doesn't equal black. In today's world, Asian does equal Asian heritages other than their own (same for black, Hispanic, and even white actors playing within their ethnicity), but there was a big stink when Zhang Ziyi and Gong Li, Chinese actors, played Japanese characters in the film Memoirs of a Geisha. It is lazy, ignorant casting, and these kinds of situations won't end until people speak up about it. We can't rely on the mentality of "well, this is the way it's always been done" and put a white person in dark makeup as Otello (I can't believe we are still arguing BLACKFACE of all things...just don't do it and don't make seasoned NYT critics look like idiots when discussing whether it's wrong or not). Complacency really is part of the problem. It's letting these seemingly small things (to you) perpetuate the movement of visibility of actors of color onstage, on screen, in society. Be accountable for your privilege. Help and support those who don't have it. Just don't stand in the way.

But then why would you even cast someone who would bring up questions like this? If he's 1/64th Indian but can't pass as one onscreen, why not just cast an Indian actor, even if it's that same guy from Slumdog Millionaire and Life of Pi?

ETA:

Let's all remember when Jonathan Pryce was cast in Miss Saigon and they tried to pass him as Eurasian. It kind of feels like that in this situation. It's not about being a slavish adaptation, but it is the creative decisions about WHY ethnicities have to be bent and changed to what we see as "normal." While Mr. Ejiofor is a great actor (hello, Kinky Boots anyone?), he is not Indian and was cast because people on the creative team were lazy. Just like the people behind Pan chose Rooney Mara to play Tiger Lily or to make that role white in the first place. Or the brilliant idea to cast Emma Stone as a Hawaiian woman who happens pass as white, how convenient is that!

If it really is about money, expand your audience! I dare you to imagine the new audiences on Broadway we will have BECAUSE there are shows like Color Purple, On Your Feet, Allegiance, Hamilton, even Spring Awakening. Imagine if you could bring those audiences to other shows BECAUSE you cast JHud as Paulette in Legally Blonde (random example, but I hope it gets my point across).

Updated On: 10/14/15 at 08:46 AM

An even more important point here is one of adaptation: the character in the source material may change in an adaptation. An Indian character in the novel The Martian became African-Indian in the film. A white character in the film Thoroughly Modern Millie became African-American in the stage musical adaptation. Adaptation is not slavish adherence to the source.

You seem to see this particular example of adaptation as a negative - the taking away of opportunity from an Indian actor, but others might see it as a positive - providing an opportunity to an African actor.

I have a blond, blue-eyed friend who is 100% Mexican; she was born and raised in Mexico to parents who were born and raised in Mexico. I also know a blond, blue-eyed 100% Cuban gal. There is such a thing as a Celtic-Latin lineage. Which just goes to show that if you think you know someone's "race" by merely looking at their outward, superficial appearance, you're not thinking enough.

"Which just goes to show that if you think you know someone's "race" by merely looking at their outward, superficial appearance, you're not thinking enough."

But it isn't required tohave to do lots of research, and learn the lineage of an actor when seeing a show. The stage and screen are visual and if someone is blond and blue eyed, but has Indian somewhere in their heritage, it is still a valid point to assume they're not Indian.

Updated On: 10/14/15 at 09:48 AM

Well then, we really are on different pages. I'm on the page with the casting director who, for example, is casting SCARFACE. He chooses Al Pacino, who is pure Italian, because he can appear to be Cuban.

You are on the page with the casting director who chooses Hulk Hogan, who has Panamanian in his heritage.

Then it's a good thing you're not a casting director.

I think the distinction of Guzman playing a nurse as opposed to a doctor is an important one. Medical dramas have a history of casting nurses and lab technicians with POCs, and this isn't meant to downplay the schooling/hard that nurses do, but the head honcho doctors and doctors in training are mostly white. It's great that women are women are now portrayed more prominently as doctors, but it would have been more interesting (for me) if Guzman was the chief of staff rather the head nurse.

"It's great that women are women are now portrayed more prominently as doctors, but it would have been more interesting (for me) if Guzman was the chief of staff rather the head nurse. "

I agree. Now that you mentioned he's playing a nurse, it's less of a stretch for my imagination.

I don't know why we're having an argument whether he is Indian or not.

It's because you made the mistake of engaging with newintown.

You seem to have confused resentment with dislike, lady.