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Thursday, November 30, 2006
Casting calls may violate federal law
Los Angeles Times: "A new report from UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center suggests struggling women and minority actors might want to bring something extra to their next audition besides a head shot: a civil rights lawyer."
5 comments:
Anonymous
said...
I understand where the need for anti-discrimination laws come from, but casting needs to be done along racial and gender lines, and I don’t thing any actor or actress would be willing to risk their career to bring suit against a casting agent because of these issues.
Gender and racial breakdowns are often specified by playwrights and sometimes breaking these breakdowns can result in conflict of copywright laws and other red tape. While it represents a small portion of shows done, there are shows (like pieces by August Wilson or The Color Purple) that are slanted against majorities. I would say that the conflict goes both ways and offenses can be claimed by minorities and majorities. Type-casting is very touchy when it comes to equal representation and opportunity but its not an issue that can be resolved in the courts. -- Maddie Regan
but didn't they put the casting as an exception for this? casting is just one of the most reasonable to devide the races. some plays are just written for the race issues and it's just neccessary to have specific races for specific roles.!
God help us if casting agents get to a point where plays such as Raisen in the Sun have to be opened up to multiple races. It defeats the entire purpose of the play. Granted it could be done with other races, but the AUTHORS intent was to write about a Black family. Does this mean that it could also be against the law if families in plays are one race. This just seems like actors are upset they couldn't get a role and are screaming rascism. ~Boyce
I completely agree. Casting HAS to be done with race and gender in mind. You cannot do a colorblind cast of A Raisin in the Sun, because it just won't work, and the only thing that it will do is offend people. Playrights write characters that they see will fit the part. And if someone is going in to a Lion King audition and they want Scar to be white, then Scar will be white. It is not up to an actor or an attorney to change artistic integrity.
5 comments:
I understand where the need for anti-discrimination laws come from, but casting needs to be done along racial and gender lines, and I don’t thing any actor or actress would be willing to risk their career to bring suit against a casting agent because of these issues.
-Kim Allen-Poole
Gender and racial breakdowns are often specified by playwrights and sometimes breaking these breakdowns can result in conflict of copywright laws and other red tape. While it represents a small portion of shows done, there are shows (like pieces by August Wilson or The Color Purple) that are slanted against majorities. I would say that the conflict goes both ways and offenses can be claimed by minorities and majorities. Type-casting is very touchy when it comes to equal representation and opportunity but its not an issue that can be resolved in the courts. -- Maddie Regan
but didn't they put the casting as an exception for this? casting is just one of the most reasonable to devide the races. some plays are just written for the race issues and it's just neccessary to have specific races for specific roles.!
God help us if casting agents get to a point where plays such as Raisen in the Sun have to be opened up to multiple races. It defeats the entire purpose of the play. Granted it could be done with other races, but the AUTHORS intent was to write about a Black family. Does this mean that it could also be against the law if families in plays are one race. This just seems like actors are upset they couldn't get a role and are screaming rascism.
~Boyce
I completely agree. Casting HAS to be done with race and gender in mind. You cannot do a colorblind cast of A Raisin in the Sun, because it just won't work, and the only thing that it will do is offend people. Playrights write characters that they see will fit the part. And if someone is going in to a Lion King audition and they want Scar to be white, then Scar will be white. It is not up to an actor or an attorney to change artistic integrity.
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