HUNCHBACK high school production casting controversy

Well, here is my question. Was the student that wanted the role actually talented enough to do it.....Was she an alto when the part is a soprano......was she horrible with the dialogue, etc. You don't cast someone JUST because it matches the ethnicity of the character in question (unless it's integral to the plot or specifically stated). Now, if the student could do that character justice, and it was only cast the way it was because they wanted a white girl, then yes, we have a BIG problem.

And the alt-right threats...........*shakes head violently*

Updated On: 2/8/18 at 04:36 PM

“It shows you that theater wasn’t made for you," said Maddi, who is African-American. "And it shows you that, if you can’t get the parts that are written for you, what parts are you going to get?”

I find this to be a very interesting comment. This person, while a person of colour, is (as far as I know) likely not of Indian-type descent (i.e., it wasn't 'written for her'. It seems to be perpetuating this interesting dynamic we have right now where there are apparently only two ethnicities: white and people of colour. White people can't play any person of colour role, but any person of colour can play any person of colour role regardless of their background and the background of the character.

Does an African American have more moral right to play an Indian character than a white person?

If there was genuinely someone who matched (or was close to) the ethnicity of the character (e.g., Indian/Paki background) and was the best fit/most talented AND THEN it STILL went to a white person, the situation would be a lot clearer and there should be very strong protests. But I'm not sure this situation is as simple.

Updated On: 2/8/18 at 04:46 PM

And the only reason I responded with what I did, was from personal experience. Two years ago, I directed a teen production of "13:The Musical." During auditions, only 2 african american girls came and one was HORRIBLE - basically tone deaf and was completely wooden during the cold readings. The other looked WAY too old next to the other kids auditioning (I believe she was like 16 or 17 when the rest of the kids were 12/13) so she would have completely stood out among the cast. When the cast list came out, the theatre I was directing for got an email from one of the parents saying that I, and the theatre, were racist for only casting white people. It wasn't my goal to cast all white kids but should I have given one of them a role when there was another kid (who happend to be white) that deserved it more?

So, it's not always - for a lack of a better phrase - black and white. But, again, if there were kids of color that DESERVED to be a lead and they got pushed aside just because they wanted a white person..........TOTALLY WRONG.

Unless I missed it, I don't think the article stated how many non-white kids auditioned. Out of curiousity - the school may have 1,600 kids but how many actually came out for the show?

Correct. Many in this "school" assumed the Disney cartoon was the source material. Nonetheless the most talented should have gotten the part regardless of ethnicity.

This is important It's NOT just the number of students in the school, but how many of them are part of the show....and particularly how many actually auditioned. I dont have a 30+% POC rate (much less) and I had exactly ONE person of color audition for the musical. ONE. He is not "lead" material. (But I'd also never choose to do a show that required POC leads, and I DO believe in color blind casting, however)

The moment this all went wrong goes further back then the mob, the casting, and even the show's announcement. It goes back to the choice of the show itself.

If you have a high school with that many kids, likely a lot of them that are interested in your show being female..... why did the director pick a show with only ONE actually female leading role and NO supporting female roles beyond some ensemble parts that are basically chorus one liners?! Add to that that it's a POC female role and what the heck was this director thinking?

Rule number 1 of picking a show for a high school is working with what you got. Unless this director was 100% new to the program, they should KNOW what kind of pool of talent they will have showing up for auditions. How many girls. How many boys. How many seniors. How many juniors. How many kids have put in their time with past shows and have worked their way up to a chance at a part. Adapt the pick to what you have... and even if this ONE girl was the ONLY good female performer they have (which I HIGHLY DOUBT) this was not a good choice to make to be her star vehicle.

Here’s a link to the production the kids are performing in lieu of Hunchback.

spiderdj82 said: "And the only reason I responded with what I did, was from personal experience. Two years ago, I directed a teen production of "13:The Musical." During auditions, only 2 african american girls came and one was HORRIBLE - basically tone deaf and was completely wooden during the cold readings. The otherlooked WAY too old next to the other kids auditioning (I believe she was like 16 or 17 when the rest of the kids were 12/13) so she would have completely stood out among the cast. When the cast list came out, the theatre I was directing for got an email from one of the parents saying that I, and the theatre, were racist for only casting white people. It wasn't my goal to cast all white kids but should I have given one of them a role when there was another kid (who happend to be white) that deserved it more?

So, it's not always - for a lack of a better phrase - black and white. But, again, if there were kids of color that DESERVED to be a lead and they got pushed aside just because they wanted a white person..........TOTALLY WRONG."

I've been there too - it sucks when you're all excited about having a diverse cast and only white folks show up to the audition call.

But at the same time... what did you do to nurture that diversity, to seek it out, to foster it? Did you just put up posters in the usual spots and call it a day? My current show calls for an Indian lead, non negotiable. That meant having to get creative - cold messaging people in local actors groups, partnering with indian student unions, getting in touch with community organizers. Yes, it's extra work. You have to go out there and make sure people know that there is a place for them in this production.

The story here states specifically how diverse the school was. What did the director do to ensure that was reflected in the show? Were they talking up and engaging perspective actors? Providing info? Giving that extra support to an actress of colour who may not have had the same training as the usual favs?

Status quo is easy. Disrupting that takes work.

aimeric said: "...This whole debate becomes very odd when you rememberthat in Victor Hugo's original novel, Esmeralda was ethnically 100% white French by birth, and had simply been kidnapped by gypsies as a baby and then raised among them"

This is exactly what i thought of when i first saw this thread. The character wasn't colored originally.

bk said "White, BTW, is a color."

No it is not, don't be ridiculous. it's 2018. people who are white are not "colored."