A super exciting interview!

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.