The Great White Way

The audience enters the theatre, the feeling of anticipation lingering over everything. As
they take their seats they look up at the stage, the grand drape veiling the evening ahead. As the
conductor begins to lead the band through the overture, the lights dim, and the
audience transports themselves to another day and time. This is the magic of the theatre. You
never forget your first time, the other-worldliness of it all. This magic is something that cannot
be expressed or explained; and it is a magic that everyone should be allowed at least once in their
life experience, whether in the seats or on the stage. Unfortunately there is a dark underside to
this beloved all-American art form. If you look underneath the glitz, glamour and excitement of
it all, you see a lack of color, literally.

From the beginning of theatres history, from Greek tragedies to the latest hit on
Broadway , it has been seen over and over, actors of color being denied the right to advance and
experience the pinnacle of their career. Somewhere along the way, as theatre as an art form
became the success that it is today, it seems that white has become the norm when it comes to
casting, and any other nationality lays outside that norm. Where is the magic now? Even the

blatant racism underlying the term non-traditional casting shows there are deep racial prejudices
in the theatre. As an African-American actor, the idea that the color of ones skin should be an
obstacle in the way of pursing their passion is terrifying. In the theatre industry there needs to be
a greater effort to diversify and create more opportunities for the African American actors
struggling to find their place in a white washed society. This change boils down to the fact that
educators need to instill in our young performers, playwrights and directors of tomorrow the
knowledge needed to end this blatant form of discrimination.

In 1820, the African Grove Theatre was the first successful African theatre company in
America, founded by William Alexander Brown. (Wilson and Goldfarb 1988). As a business they
faced much backlash from white audiences at the time, and faced such criticism like the fact that
due simply to the color of their skin they did not have the necessary skills to truly understand this
complex art form. Three years later they were driven out of business, and year after that, the
theatre burnt to the ground. This story, as shocking as it is, is not meant to send the position that
African-American actors need and deserve equal integration into the theatre., but merely to stand
as the foundation for the argument to follow. That story comes about 160 years later.

Myra Evans was a 17-year-old Junior at Rogers High School in Spokane, WA in 2002.
Throughout her high school career she had been an active participant in her drama program, and
even planned on furthering her education in acting after high school. But on December 13th,

2002; the day of auditions for their spring musical Little Women, Myra received shocking news
that no one at any age, but especially at an age when you are trying to find yourself, should ever
hear. Her director told her that she would not be offered a part in the upcoming show because he
wanted and all white cast( Smith 2004). Of course this deeply angered her parents and much of
the community. However there was still the voice of opposition, the few people who seem able to
justify inequality when it comes to race in theatre, trying to justify the directors actions in two
words. Copyright laws.

The biggest opposition against color blind casting is a simple phrase, playwright intent.
Essentially what playwright intent states is that the director/troupe is obligated to do the
playwrights show in the way that it is written, unless given specific permission from the
playwright( Copyright USA 1991). As is now obvious, this creates several issues. First of them,
how is it possible to ask a writer their intentions or for a chance to alter the story once they have
passed away. The simple answer is that it isnt. The copyright law of 1976 gives authors
protection up until their death and 70 years afterwards.( Jones 2005) Under this false disguise,
major theatres continue their white washed casting habits, knowing there is no author to
question or challenge their practices. In the early 2000s, blacks played 15 percent of roles in
theatre. Today, it has fallen to 13 percent (according to SAG). This outright confirms the
isolation that black actors are experiencing is growing on a daily basis, a direct contradiction to

those who say that theatre casting is becoming more diverse on its own, and that a push for color
blind casting is unnecessary.

Amid the current tensions over race at the moment, there still have been many moments
that have proven to society that not only is color blind casting a great way to diversify our
theatres and offer opportunities for minority actors that did not exist before, it can also result in
great works of art, such as Hamilton; written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda. Opening on
Broadway early last year, this show has already become the biggest blockbuster musical of our
time, grossing over 52 million dollars in advanced ticket sales, shows completely sold out since
until late August this year( Broadway.com 2015). The cast, completely composed of minority
actors, who are portraying the white historical figures of American history have been thrust into
the spotlight and stardom. This show single-handedly makes the strongest case for color blind
casting that has ever been seen. The thousands of people who make up the audience night after
night come from many different backgrounds, social classes and economic prosperity. When the
lights rise on the stage they do not stop and go Oh my, they arent white!. What they see is
unimaginable talent and dedication to such a precious art form. And that is exactly why roles
need to be opened up to minorities that have previously been closed to them. There is so much
talent out there that we are cutting ourselves off from by ignoring them and casting them aside,
literally.

Underneath all of this inspirational talk of equality for all, and racial diversity in the
theatre, the process to get there isnt a easy one, that fact is completely understood. Still the work
must begin somewhere. Theatres need more people like Lin-Manuel Miranda, innovative, and
creative artists willing to push the boundaries of our work to challenge society and its values.
But if these old ways continue, there could be serious implications that at the moment arent
being considered.

Lets go back to Myra for just a quick second. The racial discrimination in her high
school theatre that led her to feel secondary and unimportant led her to abandon her dreams for
fear of the troubles and hatred that may lie ahead. She actually went on to major in Engineering
at Georgia Tech University, and although that is an outstanding accomplishment in itself, that
what if? still must linger around her at moments. How can one truly say that they are
innovators, creators and artists, when their beliefs seem so archaic and rooted in ideas that
havent been seen this strong since the pre- civil rights movement. Arts education in schools is
said to improve overall student achievement in school from extracurricular activities to their
performance in the classroom. 1 out 4 participants in extracurricular activities are minorities
(Riley 2002) This may be a possible explanation for why minority graduation rates are so low. If
only we could make minorities feel like they have a place where they can belong and flourish
beyond what they ever imagined they could, then color blind casting would transcend the subject

and theatre and offer a safe alternative to many other paths that youth these days are faced with
such as drugs, sex, and alcohol abuse. No child should be denied the chance at success. And in
doing so, that feeling of worthlessness and restriction will continue. They dont see people of
color. When theyre going to cast, it doesnt occur to them. We dont occur to them ( Trevell
Anderson 2016)

Of course, it would be unrealistic to pretend as though there is only one side to this story.
Aside from the voices who believe whole heartedly in color-blind casting and diversifying our
theatres , there also are those who detest it as a broach of creativity and personal artist freedom.
I agree that forcing an artist to do something outside of their norm may seem a bit intrusive and
wrong, but in order for one to actually believe that idea, directors, such as director Christopher
Ashley, would have to explain why him and other top-notch directors are perfectly fine with the
idea of color-blind casting, except when it means placing a minority in that role. Yes, there have
been many cases of directors actually stripping minorities of even the few roles that are actually
written for them. The most recent cast of color-blind casting gone wrong has to do with
Christopher Ashleys production of The Nightingale by Duncan Sheik and Steve Sater, where the
play, set in Ancient China, the lead character, a Chinese monarch was given to a Caucasian actor
( Williams 2012). So how can a group of people so against casting against the authors intentions
suddenly do it with such ease when a minority actor isnt to benefit? The simple answer is that

they can't. Minority actors, as it is have a hard time finding work, and directors such as Ashley
have the nerve to take away roles that, if we are going to play by the rules of race, should be their
birth right. These intolerant acts make it that much more obvious that there needs to be a larger
concerted effort to give all actors the opportunities that they need to succeed; especially when it
seems that directors seem content with denying them roles as well as robbing them of those they
should call their own. Directors cannot have it both ways. They cannot turn a blind eye to color
blind casting and yet practice their own twisted wrong version of it.

Despite the illogical argument that some make that color-blind casting is too difficult and
infringes upon artistic freedom; the opposing side will, and has said that diverse theatre just isnt
what the audience wants to see. First of all, this notion should offend audience members all over
the world who have even a drop of vested interest in the theatre community. An audience cannot
know what they want unless they have a chance to experience it and come to their own
conclusion. It is blatant racism to assume that audiences are the same that they were in the late
1820s when the African Grove theatre was practically drove out of business and their theatre
burned to the ground. Today, profile shows such as Hamilton, Chicago, and the of the Opera, all
of them showcasing minorities in the title roles, proves this idea wrong. Chicago and Phantom
of the Opera are the two longest running American musicals and they are as popular today as
when they first opened. Phantom in 1988 and Chicago in 1996.( Broadway League Inc.) Theatre

is not about the color of the skin of the character. Wait, a better phrasing of that sentence would
be that race isnt always the central issue. What lies beneath the surface of theatre is the human
connection, and that doesnt have a color.

To close this argument, once again lets return to the very scene that opened this essay, the
theatre right before the overture begins. The theatre is still full of excitement and anticipation for
the night ahead. In this moment, everything in the theatre is pure. There is no race, injustice or
diversity. It is just the darkness, the music, and yourself. The pure red curtain hasnt lifted, what
lays behind it still a mystery. Now imagine one more thing, imagine that you are a six-year-old
black boy, and this is your first Broadway show. The curtain rises and your excitement is at its
highest peak. But slowly you realize that no one up there looks like you, all you see is a sea of
white. If you can argue anything right about this situation, then so be it. But if you can't, then
maybe that is a sign that something isnt right. Lets not let the magic end the minuet the curtain
rises.