What do you think of this casting listing?

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 10:08pm

I was looking through some auditions tonight online and saw a listing that stated they were taking submissions from "Any Ethnicity other than Caucasian". I am not going to give my opinion because I don't want to sway the conversation, but does anyone else see anything in this listing that some might find offensive?  It's for a show that will be playing at NYMF

Updated On: 5/26/15 at 10:08 PM

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 10:17pm

Nope.  I know a very smart person who is always being asked to be part of important panel discussions and she decided over 20 years ago that she would no longer appear on panels that were all white.

I think more places should do it.  More businesses should do it.  More talk show producers should do it.  More shows should be less all-white.

It's really hard for me to work up many tears when the dominating culture feels left out.  Awww, too bad.

[ggersten]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 10:55pm

Ethnicity other than caucasian may be an important characteristic of the dad.  

Or the creatives may using ethnicity to make some other point.  

So, no.  I do not ascribe "offensive" motives to people I don't know about a project about which I know nothing.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 10:57pm

^ You took the words right out of my mouth.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:13pm

So basically they want Norm Lewis without actually casting Norm Lewis?

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:14pm

Nope, not offensive in any way.

 

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:21pm

Not offensive in the slightest. Didn't Hamilton's casting call also have a similar requirement? 

[songofendlesswondder]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:22pm

I suppose I can understand a person looking to only cast someone of color if it was an important plot point, but I just don't understand all this discrepancy over race in the first place. I mean, imagine if this said, "Looking for all races except for black." People would be outraged. I just don't understand why we can't just ignore race and cast according to talent. Not looking to stir any trouble, just putting my opinion here. 

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:24pm

"I just don't understand why we can't just ignore race and cast according to talent. Not looking to stir any trouble, just putting my opinion here. "

LOL. Go back to hugging your #AllLivesMatter sign.

[songofendlesswondder]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:30pm

""I just don't understand why we can't just ignore race and cast according to talent. Not looking to stir any trouble, just putting my opinion here. "
LOL. Go back to hugging your #AllLivesMatter sign."

 

I knew I'd get flak for my comment. I'm just trying to provide a new perspective to the message board. I'd appreciate it if we could discuss this diplomatically. 

[playbill-love]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:43pm

It sounds pretty obvious to me that the character being a person of color is somehow meaningful to the show, but that what specific race the character is isn't as important.

The difference between this and "no black actors" is that black people are marginalized in society and underrepresented in theater. If the production were looking for a performer of a certain race, they would say they were seeking African American, Latino, Asian, white, Native American, etc actors.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:47pm

Songof, that's not a new perspective at all.  In fact, it's the old perspective.

"I just don't understand why we can't just ignore race and cast according to talent."

Because when people say to ignore race they ALWAYS mean white is the default.

The casting notice specifically says there is no white default.

[songofendlesswondder]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:52pm

"It sounds pretty obvious to me that the character being a person of color is somehow meaningful to the show, but that what specific race the character is isn't as important.
The difference between this and "no black actors" is that black people are marginalized in society and underrepresented in theater. If the production were looking for a performer of a certain race, they would say they were seeking African American, Latino, Asian, white, Native American, etc actors."

 Again, I can understand a casting director wanting to cast a person of color. It's just weird that certain races are, as you put it, "marginalized in society". It just seems like, as a society, we should be over that by now. Excuse my hippie-ness here, but people are people for God's sake. Time to stop letting race be a factor in everything. I suppose this isn't the proper platform for this sort of talk, but I just thought I'd put it out there. Don't wish to offend anyone.

[songofendlesswondder]

Posted: 5/25/15 at 11:54pm

Actually I disagree. Ignoring race would mean to me that there is no default. 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 12:07am

But that's not what happens.  There's a dominant culture, see?  And it dominates!  And it's white.  And since it is literally, as the kids like to say, impossible to "not see race," wise people try to take corrective measures to insure that there is more representation.

 

[songofendlesswondder]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 12:18am

If you truly aren't racist, you can absolutely "not see race". These "corrective measures" are more like racism in a reverse form. Because people think that the white culture is the dominant culture, they kinda ignore the fact that it's racist not to look at everyone for a part even if they are part of the "dominant culture". 

AGAIN. This particular instance might have needed that part to be played by someone of color in order to properly pay homage to the plot. However, if this sort of thing were to pop up in casting just because people don't want to cast white people anymore, that would be completely biased and inappropriate. 

[starcatchers]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 12:44am

"Not offensive in the slightest. Didn't Hamilton's casting call also have a similar requirement? "

 It did.

 

And no, I don't find Norm Lewis (who is clearly what they're looking for with that oddly specific breakdown) offensive.

[A1st]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 1:17am

This is really funny, they are literally asking for Norm Lewis.. :)

[CurtainsUpat8]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 7:04am

I mean, imagine if this said, "Looking for all races except for black." People would be outraged.

This is exactly how I feel.  If they posted "We are looking for a Black Actor", or "We are looking for an Asian Actor"... I would be fine with it.  It's true that we don't know too much about the project but here is the synopsis...

SYNOPSIS: When Evan’s twin brother Charlie suddenly passes away, all Evan wants to do is forget their complicated relationship and move on, but the tangled relationships Charlie left behind keep Evan from truly letting go. As he falls into a spiral of self-destruction, Evan must make a stark decision: either accept and forgive his dead twin brother, or become him. Set to a lush, contemporary musical theatre score, Wearing Black explores how people grieve, and the different ways they accept and reject love. Death ends a life, not a relationship.

It seems to me it's a random casting decision. They want anyone but a White person. That's incredibly random. It certainly isn't specific

I think it is both offensive, and racist, to write "Anybody BUT...".

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 7:23am

Exactly.

"Anybody BUT......" means no preference for any race. It just means an aversion to caucasian.

 

Updated On: 5/26/15 at 07:23 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 7:48am

I think this thread itself is giving pretty good examples as to how the experiences of a white person vs. a non-white person can be different.

There is likely a very good reason these folks are looking for someone who isn't white (other than their hilarious attempt at saying Norm Lewis without Norm Lewis).

[Kad]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 8:38am

What if it is a theatre company aware that its shows and casting disproportionately favor white actors and is attempting to fix that?

Because... that is the case of a lot of theatre companies. A lot.

And I love the "well, you should only cast the most talented people, regardless of race!" arguments- because where the hell are those arguments when a person of color is cast in a period piece, or when one member of a family is a person of color, and people here are saying it's distracting?

The fact is: the vast majority of casting for roles that are not race-specific will go to white actors. Why do you think there are all-black, all-Asian, etc. theatre companies? It's not to keep whitey down.

Unfortunately we are not at a point where "cast the most talented person regardless of race" is a thing yet, because too many directors and people running theatres will default when reading a play to seeing all white actors in the role and making that their "vision" for a production.

 

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 8:52am

There were people here outraged at the multi-racial Billy Elliots.

 

SHOULD we be able to look beyond race?  Yes.  Are we there yet?  Not even close. 

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 9:54am

It's impossible.  For further reading, I suggest "Race Matters" by Cornell West.

If you truly aren't racist, you can absolutely "not see race".

What white person isn't racist? The only people who don't see race are blind.

 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/26/15 at 10:17am

Choosing "not to see" race is still an acknowledgment of race.