Comments on: Is Colorblindness Possible? http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:21:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: J. Mickelson http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-560 Fri, 22 May 2009 20:42:19 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-560 I think Brendan Averett is on to something. Lately I've been pondering a corollary to the colorblind-casting question. When Steppenwolf did "Harriet Jacobs" a while back, all of the characters--slaves, former slaves, and slaveowners--were played by black actors. I was surprised by the choice, but as the show progressed I found it remarkably effective. By removing the most glaring "us" vs. "them" demarcation, they forced the audience to observe invidual people rather than representatives of a larger group. A patron of Babes With Blades' all-female "Macbeth" had a similar reaction to our removal of gender demarcations. Is it fair, then, to say that preventing us from categorizing characters can sometimes allow us to humanize them? Can it remove a distraction and allow us to engage with them on a more personal basis? Conversely, can non-traditional/colorblind casting sometimes undermine its own egalitarian intentions by calling attention to race or gender, especially if such casting decisions are publicized as a selling point? Does it inherently invite the audience to read intentions into the production? How do we identify the circumstances in which non-traditional/colorblind casting is an asset vs. a distraction? (Full disclosure: I am a pasty-white actress and a company member at Babes With Blades; here I am speaking only for myself and not for the company. I have not seen this production of The Tempest.) I think Brendan Averett is on to something.

Lately I’ve been pondering a corollary to the colorblind-casting question. When Steppenwolf did “Harriet Jacobs” a while back, all of the characters–slaves, former slaves, and slaveowners–were played by black actors. I was surprised by the choice, but as the show progressed I found it remarkably effective. By removing the most glaring “us” vs. “them” demarcation, they forced the audience to observe invidual people rather than representatives of a larger group. A patron of Babes With Blades’ all-female “Macbeth” had a similar reaction to our removal of gender demarcations. Is it fair, then, to say that preventing us from categorizing characters can sometimes allow us to humanize them? Can it remove a distraction and allow us to engage with them on a more personal basis? Conversely, can non-traditional/colorblind casting sometimes undermine its own egalitarian intentions by calling attention to race or gender, especially if such casting decisions are publicized as a selling point? Does it inherently invite the audience to read intentions into the production? How do we identify the circumstances in which non-traditional/colorblind casting is an asset vs. a distraction?

(Full disclosure: I am a pasty-white actress and a company member at Babes With Blades; here I am speaking only for myself and not for the company. I have not seen this production of The Tempest.)

]]> by: Marvita Jones http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-559 Fri, 22 May 2009 14:17:40 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-559 The director made several inconsistent choices that broke the play's spell. At first I felt the non-traditional casting choices were made without commentary on racial issues however I have to agree with Nakrya above that the minstrel jig competely changed that for me. All of a sudden I began to see Ariel's entire performance within the context of minstrel show and the "performance of identity" . . . what did the use of "hip-hop/R&B" music mean now? What did it mean to have an Andre 3000-esque Ariel? And for Miranda to approach indoctrination to the spirit world by "hip hop" dancing with her new white boyfriend? While I felt the cast was solid (only a few stumbled with the language) and while I was excited by several of the design ideas in print . . . however in practice the show overall lacked cohesion. For me the "drunkard world" was vastly more exciting, dangerous and magical than the spirit world . . . which raises serious doubts about the vision behind this production. The director made several inconsistent choices that broke the play’s spell.

At first I felt the non-traditional casting choices were made without commentary on racial issues however I have to agree with Nakrya above that the minstrel jig competely changed that for me. All of a sudden I began to see Ariel’s entire performance within the context of minstrel show and the “performance of identity” . . . what did the use of “hip-hop/R&B” music mean now? What did it mean to have an Andre 3000-esque Ariel? And for Miranda to approach indoctrination to the spirit world by “hip hop” dancing with her new white boyfriend?

While I felt the cast was solid (only a few stumbled with the language) and while I was excited by several of the design ideas in print . . . however in practice the show overall lacked cohesion. For me the “drunkard world” was vastly more exciting, dangerous and magical than the spirit world . . . which raises serious doubts about the vision behind this production.

]]> by: Nakyra Solis http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-558 Thu, 21 May 2009 04:27:28 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-558 When I saw the show, I wondered if the director had given much thought to the story she was telling by casting black actors in those roles. Then I thought of course she has. This is Steppenwolf and the directors here take purposeful risks that are, more often than not, rewarding for the audience. But when Ariel expressed his frustration with Prospero by doing a short minstrel jig, I was appalled by just how much it had been considered. In otherwords, the director and actor clearly recognized implications of the casting choices and then the production all but patted itself on the back for being so witty. I agree with the earlier post, the production created a race issue where one did not exist before. A black person who goes to see a Shakespeare play where the racial tensions are purposefully enhanced through casting choices doesn't need it to be spelled out to them. It's condescending and though the production was good, I was dissappointed by this inconsiderate choice. When I saw the show, I wondered if the director had given much thought to the story she was telling by casting black actors in those roles. Then I thought of course she has. This is Steppenwolf and the directors here take purposeful risks that are, more often than not, rewarding for the audience. But when Ariel expressed his frustration with Prospero by doing a short minstrel jig, I was appalled by just how much it had been considered. In otherwords, the director and actor clearly recognized implications of the casting choices and then the production all but patted itself on the back for being so witty. I agree with the earlier post, the production created a race issue where one did not exist before. A black person who goes to see a Shakespeare play where the racial tensions are purposefully enhanced through casting choices doesn’t need it to be spelled out to them. It’s condescending and though the production was good, I was dissappointed by this inconsiderate choice.

]]> by: Cheryl Singleton http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-557 Wed, 20 May 2009 19:28:41 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-557 The term "color-aware" is precisely where I think we should be. As an Black actress, I hope to be cast in roles where my skin color does not bring elements of the script into question. However, I can understand that the sensitivities to our history in this country can make one hyper-aware to a situation like the casting of "The Tempest". Had I seen this production, I would have questioned the casting as well and possibly been offended by it. However, I probably would have questioned as to whether it had been done to make a statement on/reminder of our history and why. I recently saw a production of "Cabaret" in which a young Black man sang the lead on "Tomorrow Belongs to Me". It was jarring to me and exactly a case where I felt color mattered. Perhaps the director was making a statement on our new administration and the hope that some people feel as a result. I don't know. But I do know that the casting totally took me out of the piece in a negative way. Our industry should be open to performers of all shapes, sizes, colors and genders. We should be willing to push boundaries and challenge ourselves and our audience while being aware of the effect those decisions may have. The term “color-aware” is precisely where I think we should be. As an Black actress, I hope to be cast in roles where my skin color does not bring elements of the script into question. However, I can understand that the sensitivities to our history in this country can make one hyper-aware to a situation like the casting of “The Tempest”. Had I seen this production, I would have questioned the casting as well and possibly been offended by it. However, I probably would have questioned as to whether it had been done to make a statement on/reminder of our history and why.

I recently saw a production of “Cabaret” in which a young Black man sang the lead on “Tomorrow Belongs to Me”. It was jarring to me and exactly a case where I felt color mattered. Perhaps the director was making a statement on our new administration and the hope that some people feel as a result. I don’t know. But I do know that the casting totally took me out of the piece in a negative way.

Our industry should be open to performers of all shapes, sizes, colors and genders. We should be willing to push boundaries and challenge ourselves and our audience while being aware of the effect those decisions may have.

]]> by: Brendan Averett http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-556 Tue, 19 May 2009 21:18:20 +0000 http://blog.steppenwolf.org/2009/05/19/is-colorblindness-possible/#comment-556 A successful, truly colorblind production would be one that you could do with an entire cast of one race, an entire cast of multiple races or with only a few of one particular race and it would have little to no thematic impact. I think Shakespeare's plays - with some exceptions - are plays where you can do this successfully. Someone told me about a relatively recent production of "Romeo and Juliet" where an actor asked the director if his white character, Lord Capulet, had adopted his black daughter, Juliet. The director's response was something along the lines of, "I'd like to think we're beyond having to make that justification." But what do you do in plays where race plays a thematic role? Could you successfully use colorblind casting in "Of Mice and Men"? I don't really think you could. Even in Shakespeare, could you use colorblind casting in "Othello"? I mean, truly colorblind casting? What do you do in plays written to be set in a particular era with characters of a particular class where race does play some silent role. Could you do color blind casting of "The Dining Room"? Sometimes the thematic impact is irrelevant and can easily be dismissed, but in some cases, it can be jarring. You end up watching characters saying a lot of lines that you would think shouldn't be coming out of their mouth. This means that the play itself is not colorblind. It will be interesting to see the thematic impact of having Phylicia Rashad play Violet in "August: Osage County"... if there is one, and I think there might be. In this production of "The Tempest" the black men are a servant, a slave and a villain. In this case, it seems that the casting choices introduce a racial element where one did not exist before. Many may not see that element, but, as you say, people have their histories and values and these inform their experience of a play. Is that tragic? Eh, it's human nature. Maybe, rather than being simply colorblind, we should be color-aware. Aware of when we can say, "this does not need to be justified," and when we need to tread carefully in our colorblindness. . A successful, truly colorblind production would be one that you could do with an entire cast of one race, an entire cast of multiple races or with only a few of one particular race and it would have little to no thematic impact. I think Shakespeare’s plays - with some exceptions - are plays where you can do this successfully. Someone told me about a relatively recent production of “Romeo and Juliet” where an actor asked the director if his white character, Lord Capulet, had adopted his black daughter, Juliet. The director’s response was something along the lines of, “I’d like to think we’re beyond having to make that justification.”

But what do you do in plays where race plays a thematic role? Could you successfully use colorblind casting in “Of Mice and Men”? I don’t really think you could. Even in Shakespeare, could you use colorblind casting in “Othello”? I mean, truly colorblind casting? What do you do in plays written to be set in a particular era with characters of a particular class where race does play some silent role. Could you do color blind casting of “The Dining Room”?

Sometimes the thematic impact is irrelevant and can easily be dismissed, but in some cases, it can be jarring. You end up watching characters saying a lot of lines that you would think shouldn’t be coming out of their mouth. This means that the play itself is not colorblind. It will be interesting to see the thematic impact of having Phylicia Rashad play Violet in “August: Osage County”… if there is one, and I think there might be.

In this production of “The Tempest” the black men are a servant, a slave and a villain. In this case, it seems that the casting choices introduce a racial element where one did not exist before. Many may not see that element, but, as you say, people have their histories and values and these inform their experience of a play. Is that tragic? Eh, it’s human nature.

Maybe, rather than being simply colorblind, we should be color-aware. Aware of when we can say, “this does not need to be justified,” and when we need to tread carefully in our colorblindness.

.

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