I am really excited about this blog post because I got to interview two students who had roles in South Pacific, and I got some truly amazing insight into other actor's view of the show.
First is Gracie Anderson, who plays Nellie Forbush, who initially refuses to marry Emile DeBeque because of his two Polynesian children
Were you nervous to portray a character with racist viewpoints?
I never approached Nellie as a racist. I saw her as naive and not one to challenge the values that were instilled in her from her culture in Arkansas. However, I was nervous for the audience to see her only as a racist and hate her, but its important that the audience hates her in that moment, so then at the end when she overcomes her culture, she is redeemed.
What difficulties did you have while preparing and rehearsing the role?
I was nervous for the scene where she runs away from her chance at love because of the pressure she feels from her mother about race, because it was really hard for me to grasp. However, interracial relationships are a reality for me, and just thinking about the fact that had I met my boyfriend 70 years before, we couldn't be together because of what was to be accepted at the time. The potential loss of that made the scene real for me.
What purpose do you think your character held in the play?
Nellie's purpose in the play is to show that there is hope for people to change. Joe Cable can't get over his hang up and it leads to his ultimate unhappiness, for him and Liat. With Nellie, she overcomes her hang up and it leads to a happy life and family. Its was a message to the audience of the day that getting over racism can lead to a happy life.
Did you feel any repercussions from the audience?
In this production, I didn't feel any repercussions from the audience. The audience had other things to think about, at least that is the feedback I got from the multicultural talk back.
Second is Kaio Kealoha, a senior born in Hawaii, who was cast to play Henri, the Polynesian servant to Emile DeBeque.
Kaio: Um, at firs it was nice to think that I would be playing my own ethnicity
Something that I don't think I'll be doing very often in the real world
Andrea: That's cool, I had never thought of that.
Kaio:However,
I didn't read the play cause I didn't think I would get cast in the musical
so when I found out I was a servant it was extremely bitter sweet
Because its cool that I'm play south pacific islander but ironically bitter because servants or "utility" roles are usually something brown people play.
I was watching a interview with Denzel Washington commenting on being in Fences by August Wilson and he commented on the fact that Uta Hagen has said that the best acting is that of someone playing a fully realized human.
He said he was grateful because in Fences he got the opportunity of play a fully realized human of his ethnicity instead of playing a utility character that people of darker ethnicity get type cast in.
What a great insight on a difficult situation.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Shrek the Musical continued
I opened up my May 2010 Theatre Journal (I get them used from the theatre, so I'm a litttttle behind on issues) and the very first article was entitled "Let Our Freak Flags Fly": Shrek the Musical and the Branding of Diversity (written by Jessica Brater, Jessica Del Vecchio, Andrew Friedman, Bethany Holmstrom, Eero Laine, Donald Levit, Hillary Miller, David Savran, Carly Griffin Smith, Kenn Watt, Cahterine Young, and Peter Zazzli. Phew.) The writers defend Shrek the Musical, comparing it's opening on Broadway and Barack Obama's inauguration as first black President of the United States (only a few months apart), and supporting the musical's theme of tolerance and diversity. I wholeheartedly agree with their statements here.
They go on to directly discuss the issue I talked about last blog post-Why is Donkey Black?
Jessica Brater et al. say, "The short answer to the question is that Donkey is black because the musical, despite its message, is appealing to comic yet retrogressive racial stereotypes." (p. 167). They go on to highlight how once again, the black character is portrayed as a servant...but I'd like to point out, not to a white man, and not against his will. Donkey willingly clings to Shrek, as anyone who has seen the movie will remember.
Also, I'd like to point out what Shrek the Musical is doing with it's music. It is purposefully bringing 60s and 70s funk to the Broadway stage, which I applaud. Who fronted the funk movements? African Americans like Little Richard and James Brown. So, by having Donkey be representations of these men, they are accurately portraying the musical history. How angry would society be if the James Brown/Little Richard character was portrayed by a white actor? Pretty angry, I bet. However, I am all too willing to see the other side of the argument, at Jessica Brater et al highlight,
"One might note as well that as beasts of burden, donkeys' close kin, mules, have historically been associated with African Americans, because of the need for mules in sharecropping and the false promise of "40 acres and a mule" for every former slave. Casting DOnkey as black, then, has layers of racial significance even before the performance starts" (168).
Still, I have to point out that all actors willingly portray their written characters. No one is forced into doing anything they wouldn't want to do, and at the end of the day, actors are the ones who control their creations. I highly doubt the amazing African American actor Daniel Beaker would have taken this role if he thought he would be offending his own race. If anything, the show is preaching tolerance (for color, creed, and sexuality, as heard in the song "Freak Flag" )and while I actually didn't like the musical a whole lot, I liked it's message.
They go on to directly discuss the issue I talked about last blog post-Why is Donkey Black?
Jessica Brater et al. say, "The short answer to the question is that Donkey is black because the musical, despite its message, is appealing to comic yet retrogressive racial stereotypes." (p. 167). They go on to highlight how once again, the black character is portrayed as a servant...but I'd like to point out, not to a white man, and not against his will. Donkey willingly clings to Shrek, as anyone who has seen the movie will remember.
Also, I'd like to point out what Shrek the Musical is doing with it's music. It is purposefully bringing 60s and 70s funk to the Broadway stage, which I applaud. Who fronted the funk movements? African Americans like Little Richard and James Brown. So, by having Donkey be representations of these men, they are accurately portraying the musical history. How angry would society be if the James Brown/Little Richard character was portrayed by a white actor? Pretty angry, I bet. However, I am all too willing to see the other side of the argument, at Jessica Brater et al highlight,
"One might note as well that as beasts of burden, donkeys' close kin, mules, have historically been associated with African Americans, because of the need for mules in sharecropping and the false promise of "40 acres and a mule" for every former slave. Casting DOnkey as black, then, has layers of racial significance even before the performance starts" (168).
Still, I have to point out that all actors willingly portray their written characters. No one is forced into doing anything they wouldn't want to do, and at the end of the day, actors are the ones who control their creations. I highly doubt the amazing African American actor Daniel Beaker would have taken this role if he thought he would be offending his own race. If anything, the show is preaching tolerance (for color, creed, and sexuality, as heard in the song "Freak Flag" )and while I actually didn't like the musical a whole lot, I liked it's message.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Racism and Disney go hand in hand
Disney has long been known for controversial material being put into their classic musicals. From the Crows in Dumbo, Sunflower the Centaur in Fantastia who acts as a slave to the white Centaurs, Uncle Loui in The Jungle Book, the Merchant at the beginning of Alladin, and, of course, the Native Americans portrayed in Peter Pan. Not a super track record for Disney.
So, what made us think things were going to change that much when Disney expanded onto the Broadway stage?
Disney's Broadway musicals have been some of the most popular and long running shows in Broadway history. This Wikipedia list shows Disney's Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King to be numbers 7 and 8 of longest running shows in history. Beauty and the Beast is pretty clean of Racial themes, and focuses on looking at the beauty inside of a person instead of what's on the outside. The Lion King as well was a huge step forward for Disney's image-a cast of all African and African American actors, puppeteers, and singers, singing authentic (sounding) African music that incorporates authentic African dancing. Never mind that it was composed and lyrics were written by two wealthy middle aged white men....that's not the point, really. The point is it was a pretty good representation and something many people are very very proud of.
Disney recently has been getting into a little trouble with their Broadway musicals.
First there was Tarzan the musical. The outcry of the public after a few of the black actors in the company were cast as apes was ridiculous. There is no racism here, in my opinion. It's simply a mater of casting the best actor for the role he or she fits into. Needless to say, Tarzan was canceled early in it's run.
Then came The Little Mermaid. A classic story with some Caribbean music themes that only ran for a year on Broadway. Again, some backlash-Sebastian, the crab-servant to the royal family, is one of the only black actors in the company. Once again, I do not see this as an issue. The fact of the matter is, Tituss Burgess, the actor who played Sebastian, has an outstanding tenor voice and the vocal tonality necessary to sing Sebastian's island-influenced solos.
Finally, Dreamworks decides it is going to get on the film-to-stage action, with it's newest Broadway baby, Shrek the Musical. Here, we have a veiled racial theme...The ogre (whose skin is green, unlike the humans who rule the land)is stereotyped and it isn't until a princess herself turns into a green ogre that he is accepted or finds any happiness. This is a good message, like Beauty and the Beast's- Beauty doesn't depend on skin color.
But then, cries the audience, why did they have to make Donkey very obviously a jiv-talking black man? In a DONKEY costume? Scandal.
This where I say everyone needs to calm down. The Donkey is black because the actor chosen to play the Donkey happened to be black. His lines are "jiv"esque because that is how he was portrayed in the original film.
So, what made us think things were going to change that much when Disney expanded onto the Broadway stage?
Disney's Broadway musicals have been some of the most popular and long running shows in Broadway history. This Wikipedia list shows Disney's Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King to be numbers 7 and 8 of longest running shows in history. Beauty and the Beast is pretty clean of Racial themes, and focuses on looking at the beauty inside of a person instead of what's on the outside. The Lion King as well was a huge step forward for Disney's image-a cast of all African and African American actors, puppeteers, and singers, singing authentic (sounding) African music that incorporates authentic African dancing. Never mind that it was composed and lyrics were written by two wealthy middle aged white men....that's not the point, really. The point is it was a pretty good representation and something many people are very very proud of.
Disney recently has been getting into a little trouble with their Broadway musicals.
First there was Tarzan the musical. The outcry of the public after a few of the black actors in the company were cast as apes was ridiculous. There is no racism here, in my opinion. It's simply a mater of casting the best actor for the role he or she fits into. Needless to say, Tarzan was canceled early in it's run.
Then came The Little Mermaid. A classic story with some Caribbean music themes that only ran for a year on Broadway. Again, some backlash-Sebastian, the crab-servant to the royal family, is one of the only black actors in the company. Once again, I do not see this as an issue. The fact of the matter is, Tituss Burgess, the actor who played Sebastian, has an outstanding tenor voice and the vocal tonality necessary to sing Sebastian's island-influenced solos.
Finally, Dreamworks decides it is going to get on the film-to-stage action, with it's newest Broadway baby, Shrek the Musical. Here, we have a veiled racial theme...The ogre (whose skin is green, unlike the humans who rule the land)is stereotyped and it isn't until a princess herself turns into a green ogre that he is accepted or finds any happiness. This is a good message, like Beauty and the Beast's- Beauty doesn't depend on skin color.
But then, cries the audience, why did they have to make Donkey very obviously a jiv-talking black man? In a DONKEY costume? Scandal.
This where I say everyone needs to calm down. The Donkey is black because the actor chosen to play the Donkey happened to be black. His lines are "jiv"esque because that is how he was portrayed in the original film.
An Interview with Bill Payne, Director of South Pacific
Once again, South Pacific is done and over. I got to interview director Bill Payne to see how the process was for him. In my attempt to find out as much as I can about racial themes in musicals, I am happy that I've gotten the opportunity to interview so many people involved.
What drew you to the show in the first place?
Honestly, it was selected for our season. I've known the music forever, the play was new to me. But I love the challenge of musicals and I believe that text can be more effectively sung than spoken.
What, if any, were worries you had about dealing with the theme of racism in the show?
The show presents a very stereotypical, racist portrayal of a Chinese woman - Bloody Mary. I worried that, if not diligent, she could come off as very offensive. I also worried a little bit about the casting pool not being diverse enough.
What issues did you come up against in regards to the theme of racism, and how did you overcome them?
The actor playing Bloody Mary, Andrea Schmidt, did a great job of exploring her role. She is a careful, complete, and sensitive actor. I couldn't have asked for a better person to play the role. Her portrayal was filled with details that blew the stereotype into a three dimensional person.
The actors were a little uncomfortable playing racists, even though it was fairly tame by the standards of reality. They got over it.
What did you hope to achieve by putting the shoe on (ex. to educate, to be an example for society, etc)?
I wanted to entertain, first and foremost. Second, reach a broad audience. Third, make sure the script was done in a way that brought to life the darker side of this story. With every play I do, I recognize this is a public act. With a play like this, I attempt to connect with various communities regarding the content. I believe we did that with Veterans and the Asian American campus community
Did you feel you achieved this goal?
Yes.
Short and sweet, thanks to Bill Payne for this insight into the director's process.
What drew you to the show in the first place?
Honestly, it was selected for our season. I've known the music forever, the play was new to me. But I love the challenge of musicals and I believe that text can be more effectively sung than spoken.
What, if any, were worries you had about dealing with the theme of racism in the show?
The show presents a very stereotypical, racist portrayal of a Chinese woman - Bloody Mary. I worried that, if not diligent, she could come off as very offensive. I also worried a little bit about the casting pool not being diverse enough.
What issues did you come up against in regards to the theme of racism, and how did you overcome them?
The actor playing Bloody Mary, Andrea Schmidt, did a great job of exploring her role. She is a careful, complete, and sensitive actor. I couldn't have asked for a better person to play the role. Her portrayal was filled with details that blew the stereotype into a three dimensional person.
The actors were a little uncomfortable playing racists, even though it was fairly tame by the standards of reality. They got over it.
What did you hope to achieve by putting the shoe on (ex. to educate, to be an example for society, etc)?
I wanted to entertain, first and foremost. Second, reach a broad audience. Third, make sure the script was done in a way that brought to life the darker side of this story. With every play I do, I recognize this is a public act. With a play like this, I attempt to connect with various communities regarding the content. I believe we did that with Veterans and the Asian American campus community
Did you feel you achieved this goal?
Yes.
Short and sweet, thanks to Bill Payne for this insight into the director's process.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
A Talk Back about the Racial Themes in South Pacific
We've wrapped South Pacific at the theatre here at UMD, and it received very mixed reviews. As predicted, one of the major qualms spectators had about the production was the theme of racism, and how it was presented.
I'll take us back a little in the history of this play for me...
When I auditioned for South Pacific, I tailored my audition package to the role of Nellie. Obviously, I assumed that since I was the only blonde character actress in the musical theatre program, I'd be considered for that role. And I was! I was called back for the role, and I was so excited. South Pacific, my senior year, and I might (just might!) get the chance to be the lead.
But I was also called back for Bloody Mary. Ok, I thought, I get it. I've done mask work. I know how to create different physical bodies. The songs are in my range. I understand...But I didn't want the role. Who would willingly want to take on that burdon? I put it out of my mind until callbacks...which went, in my opinion at the time, to the dogs. I landed each Bloody Mary line, I hit the notes, and I left with the sinking feeling that I had just secured the role I had wanted least. And sure enough, the next day, I saw my name on that list, and I (honest to God) burst into tears. With the facebook incident last year, and how everyone handled that, how was I supposed to get away with this! I half expected people to bring eggs to the performance.
Flash forward to now. We've wrapped the show, and there was very little incident. And the one incident happened in a controlled environment, the Wednesday night of our pick up show, when the Multicultural Center brought students to see the show and then invited them with a talk back after the show.
Such highlights include....
"The girl who played Bloody Mary was really great! She cracked me up!"
Gee, thanks!
"How did you approach the role?"
Well, I wanted to do it sensitively, and so I researched the culture and I interviewed actual Chinese people and I did all this work...until I realized that Josh Logan wrote Bloody Mary as a character, not as a symbol for all Chinese people. She's just one instance of a million, she's not the entire culture. So I shouldn't feel bad or weird about performing her, because she is who she is.
"I didn't think it was funny."
I-wait, huh?
"I was really offended by the Bloody Mary character. For one, you cast only 4 people of color in the entire show..."
....but only 4 auditioned!
"...and you made the blonde, blue eyed girl put on Asian make-up and wear a black wig to play the part..."
...what would you have said if I had went out there just as I was and said all those lines? Would you be happy then?
"...and then there was the accent!"
Here we go.
" I didn't know if the audience was laughing at her accent, or her lines. But I didn't think the lines were funny, so they must be laughing at her accent, and I take offense to that."
I honestly apologized for offending the young man. I told him, if I had thought this role was simply designed to offend and be a spectacle, I wouldn't have taken it. But instead, I knew Mary is a teaching tool, showing the dangers of stereotype, and by watching how the sailors treated her, the audience would see how far we have come in how tolerant we are. And as for the voice, I defended myself...."If I went up on stage and said in a big Minnesotan accent, 'I'm goin' down to the church bake sale to sell some bars!" and it got a laugh, it would be because of the dialect. The line itself is not funny, it's how it is said that is amusing, because it is a cliche. The word "Lieutenant" is not funny on its own, but the word "Lootellen" is pretty darn funny. I see these two as the same thing."
Needless to say, the young man with the issue did NOT see these two as the same thing. But at least I got to defend myself, share my point of view, and I hope that everyone left a little more enlightened.
EDIT:
I was approached by several people at school during the next few days who had attended the talk back. They actually told me that they had approached the young man who had spoken out, and asked him why he had spoken to me so roughly. He replied, apparently, that he didn't know he was coming off very harsh, and that he was sorry....I guess some times people just don't know how their tone of voice effects their point of view.
I'll take us back a little in the history of this play for me...
When I auditioned for South Pacific, I tailored my audition package to the role of Nellie. Obviously, I assumed that since I was the only blonde character actress in the musical theatre program, I'd be considered for that role. And I was! I was called back for the role, and I was so excited. South Pacific, my senior year, and I might (just might!) get the chance to be the lead.
But I was also called back for Bloody Mary. Ok, I thought, I get it. I've done mask work. I know how to create different physical bodies. The songs are in my range. I understand...But I didn't want the role. Who would willingly want to take on that burdon? I put it out of my mind until callbacks...which went, in my opinion at the time, to the dogs. I landed each Bloody Mary line, I hit the notes, and I left with the sinking feeling that I had just secured the role I had wanted least. And sure enough, the next day, I saw my name on that list, and I (honest to God) burst into tears. With the facebook incident last year, and how everyone handled that, how was I supposed to get away with this! I half expected people to bring eggs to the performance.
Flash forward to now. We've wrapped the show, and there was very little incident. And the one incident happened in a controlled environment, the Wednesday night of our pick up show, when the Multicultural Center brought students to see the show and then invited them with a talk back after the show.
Such highlights include....
"The girl who played Bloody Mary was really great! She cracked me up!"
Gee, thanks!
"How did you approach the role?"
Well, I wanted to do it sensitively, and so I researched the culture and I interviewed actual Chinese people and I did all this work...until I realized that Josh Logan wrote Bloody Mary as a character, not as a symbol for all Chinese people. She's just one instance of a million, she's not the entire culture. So I shouldn't feel bad or weird about performing her, because she is who she is.
"I didn't think it was funny."
I-wait, huh?
"I was really offended by the Bloody Mary character. For one, you cast only 4 people of color in the entire show..."
....but only 4 auditioned!
"...and you made the blonde, blue eyed girl put on Asian make-up and wear a black wig to play the part..."
...what would you have said if I had went out there just as I was and said all those lines? Would you be happy then?
"...and then there was the accent!"
Here we go.
" I didn't know if the audience was laughing at her accent, or her lines. But I didn't think the lines were funny, so they must be laughing at her accent, and I take offense to that."
I honestly apologized for offending the young man. I told him, if I had thought this role was simply designed to offend and be a spectacle, I wouldn't have taken it. But instead, I knew Mary is a teaching tool, showing the dangers of stereotype, and by watching how the sailors treated her, the audience would see how far we have come in how tolerant we are. And as for the voice, I defended myself...."If I went up on stage and said in a big Minnesotan accent, 'I'm goin' down to the church bake sale to sell some bars!" and it got a laugh, it would be because of the dialect. The line itself is not funny, it's how it is said that is amusing, because it is a cliche. The word "Lieutenant" is not funny on its own, but the word "Lootellen" is pretty darn funny. I see these two as the same thing."
Needless to say, the young man with the issue did NOT see these two as the same thing. But at least I got to defend myself, share my point of view, and I hope that everyone left a little more enlightened.
EDIT:
I was approached by several people at school during the next few days who had attended the talk back. They actually told me that they had approached the young man who had spoken out, and asked him why he had spoken to me so roughly. He replied, apparently, that he didn't know he was coming off very harsh, and that he was sorry....I guess some times people just don't know how their tone of voice effects their point of view.