Friday, July 27, 2012
Facing Criticism for Lack of Asian Artists in Musical, La Jolla Playhouse Hosts Panel Discussion
Playbill.com: La Jolla Playhouse is offering a July 22 community panel discussion to explore the idea of multicultural casting following criticism of its casting choices for the current production of The Nightingale, a musical set in China but not employing a fully Asian cast.
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3 comments:
People should not be judged by the color of their skin or their ethnicity and the same goes for actors. Actors should be picked not only how well they can fit the role but how well they perform. It should not be so outrageous that Caucasians are playing asians in a play if the issue is indeed about racial insensitivity as the AAPAC is complaining. Also, is the AAPAC not being "racially insensitive" in calling for an all Asian cast and denying opprotunities to other races?
I understand where this argument is coming from, but I don’t necessarily agree with it. I think with every theatrical production, it’s a purely artistic choice that belongs to the director of who to cast in the roles, based on talent and race, given his or her unique vision of the show. To me, the argument in this article is just someone disagreeing with an artistic choice. That being said, I also think there is a certain point at which, because of talent, the casting process should overlook race and just cast whoever fits the role best, but that’s part of theatre. It’s a visual art form and so how people look in order to tell the story will always be part of it.
The goal of theater is to create a world in which a story is told. That world is completely dictated by the director, and the creative team. Even if a show is set in China, in the world of the show, Chinese people might not be physically Chinese. I do appreciate that type-casting is a method employed to make the story into a more cohesive and believable entity, but occasionally, directors with a new or different view offer a change of perspective.
In today's world, the majority is obsessed with being politically correct. Being accused of racism or discrimination is a common phenomenon, which is disheartening. Another question comes to mind when hearing about criticism of casting choices. If critics wanted to see an all Asian cast, that too is racially insensitive. Every Asian country has its own, if not multiple identities, and they should not be combined or blurred together. The racially offended critics are themselves racially insensitive.
It will be interesting to read about this panel; I would love to hear a director say, the actors are not Asian because they were better at being Chinese.
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