Thoroughly Modern Millie -- Casting Non-Asians

It will certainly raise the audience's eyebrows.

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In my HS production both were played by white actors. I think it added to the production, because it was so funny.

Exactly, Reginald. That was my point. If the joke is that Mrs. Meers is pretending to be Asian, doesn't it kind of kill the whole point if the two guys are also (to the audience) white guys trying to play Asian?
I don't think this is an example of "color blind" casting -- as the two guys would simply HAVE TO BE played as if they were Chinese. I think of color blind casting as not playing up the race of the character.

I just finished a production of Millie, neither of our actors playing Ching Ho and Bun Foo were asian. I understand it does add to the joke, but if you have the actors to do it the do so. Are all the people Siamese in high school productions of the King and I?

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I understand it does add to the joke, but if you have the actors to do it

So don't do the show.

Would you do Ragtime if your school had no black students?

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I think the danger is that it can become the wrong kind of joke.

There's absolutely nothing wrong with color-blind casting; it's admirable.

The problem in this particular instance is that the characters are already dangerously close to what Alec Mapa calls a "ching-chong" kind of joke.

To cast white actors in yellow face pushes it dangerously close to offensive territory.

For some reason, racial humor about Asians is still often accepted today when the same types of jokes about any other ethnic group is frowned on. Maybe it's because they don't whine as much about it. Or maybe it's because they don't care because they know they will own the planet in fifty years, anyway. In any event, I was a white Ching Ho. To the wrong people, my performance probably would have seemed offensive, but I feel like it fit in with the rest of the show, making fun of the stereotypes of the time. It was fun and people loved the characters and weren't confused. They liked seeing these kids they knew doing something so outrageous, speaking in a different language that they had to learn, etc. The laughs would not have been as good if we had genuine Asians. It goes without saying that in a high school show, the audience of friends and parents isn't really looking for the same thing an audience at a professional show would have.

Updated On: 8/8/08 at 01:11 PM

My favorite is when all-white high schools to The Wiz and Once on This Island.

Just for the record, but I'm not sure it makes any difference, this is community/regional theatre, and not high school. No paid actors, however, which prohibits bringing in two people to play the roles.

For those who are comparing this situation to an all Caucasian production of The King and I or Miss Saigon, I think you're missing the main point which I expressed in my original post.

And yet again. Sorry.

Updated On: 8/8/08 at 03:46 PM

I don't really feel as though the King and I is a moot point. If high schools/community theaters can do a show where the vast majority of the cast is suppossed to be Siamese, what is the problem with two characters? It's not as though Ching Ho and Bun Foo are the central focus of the show. As another poster stated it is a great show for girls, if you have the people I don't see why you shouldn't do it. We had great success with white actors as Ching Ho and Bun Foo.

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