Rent Race Question- Page 2

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 1:06pm

Marcy Harriell is light-skinned African American.

Race and ethnic categories have never been neat and tidy and are becoming less so as the years go by. People can belong to a certain group and have any number of looks. And how one identifies oneself by race and ethnicity, varies from person to person.

I have a first cousin who is technically biracial, but he identifies as African American because he was adoped by my aunt and uncle - an African American couple - as an infant.

So race is also a state of mind.

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 01:06 PM

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 1:09pm

Really, twang? How'd you find that out about Marcy? Interesting!

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:01pm

In North American casts, the actors cast in the lead roles have all been cast within fairly narrow parameters. Mark has always been a white man, as has Roger. The only *slight* exception to Roger which some make is Christian Mena, whose origins were in Argentina but who was raised in Canada. Joanne, Collins, and Benny have always been played by black actors. Angel has been played by Latino, black, or Asian actors (or a combination of those. Maureen has always been a white woman. Mimi has always been Latina or black or racially mixed. A white woman has never been cast as either Joanne or Mimi.

It is true that understudies have not stuck quite as closely to these types but overall, they have. And whomever said that Mimi is always played by a light-skinned actress, that is not at all true, e.g, Saycon Sengbloh, Krystal, Julia Santana and Simone.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:03pm

Have there been Latina actresses cast as swings that have played both Maureen and Mimi? (I don't know if we're even "counting" a case like that.)

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:07pm

emcee, Karmine is one such person. :)

Edited to add, my previous post dealt with actors being cast for actual roles, not swings. Swings are cast as swings so that they can cover virtually any same-gender role, also within certain parameters. Updated On: 10/23/05 at 03:07 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:08pm

Thought so.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:10pm

And Diana Kaarina!

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:13pm

I thought she was half Asian? People tell me I look like her.

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 03:13 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:13pm

That's still not full white...

[showbiz]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:15pm

I've been a fan of Marcy's for years and she is not a "light skinned African American", of course there is nothing wrong with being that. She can best be described as an ethnic mix.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:19pm

Right, BSo. But Diana's a swing, so like erinrebecca said, she can get away with playing both.

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:23pm

Well, whatever Marcy is, she's hot.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:23pm

bsobw2, I don't think anyone has said that there's anything rare about a 'non-white' being cast as a swing. In fact, most could be described that way. Those who have played both over the years have been many, including Karmine, Yassmin, Karen Olivo, Caren Lyn Manuel, Diana and Ava.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:24pm

Yeah, I saw Moeisha McGill on the other night playing Mark's mom. You don't get more "colorblind casting" than that.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:24pm

"I've been a fan of Marcy's for years and she is not a "light skinned African American", of course there is nothing wrong with being that."

Then the article I read was wrong because it definitely identified her as such. Perhaps the writer did not do his homework. As a matter of fact, that's not the only instance in which she was described as African American. Several reviews of Lennon referred to her that way.

Maybe it was an assumption made based on the song she sang.

Btw, 90 percent of people who consider themselves to be African American are racially mixed regardless of how they look.

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 03:24 PM

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:24pm

Amen to that, Bso!

Updated On: 10/23/05 at 03:24 PM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:25pm

I know.

You said Karmine, for example. So I just listed Diana (because we should all have a little Diana every day)!


Then I realized the question was about latina actresses...so, this is now me professing some love for DK.

"Yeah, I saw Moeisha McGill on the other night playing Mark's mom. You don't get more "colorblind casting" than that."

Have you seen 'IN MY LIFE'?... Updated On: 10/23/05 at 03:25 PM

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:33pm

Many black actresses have covered the Mark's mom track. Moeisha doing it is nothing new. Dominique, Shayna Steele and Dana Dawson all covered it, in addition to many of the swings who happened to be Latina.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:37pm

I know, I was just using that as an example of the "swings don't count" when it comes to standard race of the characters.

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:38pm

"Many black actresses have covered the Mark's mom track."

Rent is supposed to be somewhat realistic. Nobody complained a la John Simon, that this type of casting with no explanation (adoption, bi-racial parentage), took them out of the show?

I'm shocked. Updated On: 10/23/05 at 03:38 PM

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:40pm

tennessee, not sure what you're asking, but who would complain? And to whom? :)

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:41pm

I've seen non-white actresses on for Mark's mom. I thought about it, and I guess it's not a huge deal because of the way those scenes are portrayed. They're voicemails -- the characters aren't truly present, in that "voice from afar" sort of way.

[anne3]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:48pm

"I haven't seen the current cast, but my brother has, but he says that right now, no white woman is in the ensemble. By that I mean anyone not playing a main character. I mean the women who play Mark's mom and others and Alexi Darling, Roger's mom and others are both black currently. Whoa...surreal! "

That is not true. Nicollete Hart, the current Mark's Mom is a blond. She took over the role on 9/12. Before that Ava Gaudet has the role and although she has dark hair, she is of jewish decent. She took over the role on 7/14. Before that it was Caren Lyn Manuel who is of spanish decent. She is very light skinned though. Alexi Darling is played by Mayumi Ando. She asian. She was out for three months this summer. During that time Alexi was played by another Asian actress whose name is Sala. Maybe your brother saw understudies?

[TennesseeTwang]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 3:53pm

"tennessee, not sure what you're asking, but who would complain? And to whom? :)"

Some reviewers like John Simon take issue with this type of casting and some audience members do too. Even some fervent fans of particular shows. Believe me, I've seen it. Things have to be nice and neat and easily explained. And they complain in newspaer letter sto the editor, to production management and on message boards.

If you've missed that kind of thing, count yourself lucky.

When Kenneth Branaugh cast Keanu Reeves and Denzel Washington as half Brothers in his movie version Much Ado About Nothing, despite the fact that it is entirely be possible for them to be half brothers, some people took issue.

[matthew2]

Posted: 10/23/05 at 6:38pm

in london we have a black javert right now. ive never seen a black javert and its good to see that they have gone on talent instead of crudentials.