I'm probably going to open a real can of worms here, but here goes...

Part of our constitution is to give everyone from our local community the chance to become involved in amdram. We mention this whenever it comes to apply for lottery grants, and we're quite proud of it.

However, all of our group are white and pretty middle-class although we vary quite significantly in age, character and theatrical experience. In short, we don't have any non-white members, if you will permit me to use such a clumsy term.

But say for our auditons on Sunday for The Crucible, we suddenly got black and asian men and women turning up, and they are all brilliant actors. On acting talent alone, they deserve a part.

The director wants to keep the production as authentic and traditional as possible (ie the constumes and set will be faithful to the period), but at the same time not appear racist or prejudiced. He's got the group's constitution at the back of his mind and is keen to uphold it, but is worried how the audience might react to such a break with convention. When they see an asian woman playing Elizabeth Proctor, will they view it as a massive anachronism and fail to take the play seriously?

This is a totally hypothetical situation, but it may happen to us some day. I'm interested in how other people / groups would handle this sitution.

Also, if a black woman is needed to play Tituba, do you think it's acceptable to state specifically in a press releases that you're looking for a black woman to play Tituba, a slave from Barbados? That sounds awfully un-PC to me, but it's a fact, it's what we need. If we needed a small male with a beard to play a drunkard, that's what we would ask for. But the former doesn't sit so easily.

Your comments appreciated.

Alex Waddington
The Arcadia Players
http://www.communigate.co.uk/brad/arcadiaplayers

Where does it say Elizabeth Proctor was white?

This is a problem for your Audience... I saw a Panto last year where the good fairy was from a ethnic background. She was BRILL!!! Some of the comments in the break from the Audience were damn right rude.

Where's it written... That's what I saw... Unless the part calls for a "white lower class male" Directors can do what they want... However...

I did "hear" that Am Dram and Pros aren't allowed to do Showboat unless they use ethinic actors fo those parts.... You can't "make up" people as coloured if they are not so... So it could work the other way....

If your group has ethnic actors then you really need to look for plays/musicals which they can work in...

If the Actor is happy doing the part, and the Director is happy that it works and fits... If the audience aren't happy it's a tough call... Be polititcally correct and perhaps loose bums on seats in future productions, or be as racist as some of the audience and not allow good actors to work...

Given that most people are NOT racist I would take the risk and p*** off the racist audience.... Who needs them anyway there won't be many and in the end they will miss out on GREAT future productions... BUT you will gain a whole new audience from freinds and families of those you give parts to..

You are right - A can of worms!
As far as I am aware - The acting, dancing profession is the only one which is exempt from the sex/race/disability discrimination act.
Not an expert, but I believe that for an job advertisment for a dancer to put "female between 5'5 and 6' with blonde hair and green eyes" is not criminal as it is integral to the position which is being applied for.

I also think that if a part was definatly balck/white/asian male/female and it made a difference to the plot then people from other backgrounds/genders would not audition for that part.
e.g. I would not audition for Officer Krupkee as i am a 24 year Old girl.

We have one black guy in our society who wanted to audition for Bernado in West Side story - then he read the script, and realised that Bernardo was Maria's Brother, and so he would not be suitable (he was eventualy cast as Riff!)

It is an interesting point, though. Also refer to the guy who didn't get cast due to his Aussie accent...

I'm also available for the "small male with a beard to play a drunkard"...

Years of experience..

HEY!!! And who's to say Officer Krupkee wasn't a 24 year Old girl (I'd say woman of course).... Get an angle and it would work!!!

Historically of course.. There were few female police officers on the streets in those days, but if the production was "updated" a little, there's no reason why Officer Krupkee can't be a female...

I have been in a panto where a West Indian played the Good Fairy and I can?t remember it being a problem for anyone. Putting my director?s hat on, I would cast whoever played the character the best. And if the audience have a problem with it then it?s their problem, not yours.

This is a question I've also asked myself on many occasions, although I never been in the position of having to make the decision.

The last time I saw "Miss Saigon" (in Manchester), John was played by a black guy. But this is a part which is not race-specific (although age and gender are pretty much set in stone)

This show presents a good example. When the original West End show was being cast, the producers had considerable difficulty in finding orientals who could sing in tune!

Also, when the show was taken to Broadway, Equity USA insisted that The Engineer should be played by an oriental. The reply was, "if you don't have Jonathan Price, you don't get Miss Saigon" - guess who won?

I found it ludicrous that in "Jolson", Brian Conley was not blacked up. This is different t the Showboat thing - Al Jolson DID black-up, and that was partly the point of his act. A black artist would not have been allowed to perform at the venues where Al Jolson appeared at that time, so he effectively introduced black music to the whites. He is a hero for single-handedly making jazz music acceptable to the white man.

I too wish we had a wider representation of ethnic groups other than white but we have never had a one. Which is a real shame. However, at the risk of being un-PC, in my opinion if the "non-white" actor isn't as good as the "white" one, then you cast the latter. Unless skin colour is REALLY, REALLY important. I agree with all the views here which say that the majority of the time the parts you cast can be any colour under the sun! I certainly wouldn't be put off. I have seen a coloured Nancy (in Oliver) and she was fab and it worked beautifully.

This is a good topic. A black lady joined us last year. She got a small part in last play as she wanted to act and always turns up. The director always tries to cast people who are available to act and want a part. It turned a few heads in the audience when they saw her on stage. It was a nerve wracking experience being her first time on stage but she has a part in the next play we are doing and it is smaller but less demanding. I am sure she will be fine. She also sold lots of tickets and that was great morale boost for the group.

To the point of the topic, it has to be mentioned that it is unfair to leave people out because of their skin colour and I do know of groups where ethnic groups have not been cast to keep it all white. IF the actor/actress reads well and can do the part, they should be allowed to get a chance to try for the part. Everyone interested has equal opportunity. If you shun people, they will go where they are wanted (like all of us joining new groups) and if a part is not available this time, maybe there will be something on the next play or a job doing something else. Some areas do have drama/music societies which prefer ethnic groups or are set up by ethnic groups.

Best wishes to all

Louise

isn't it interesting. as mentioned earlier, white people are not now supposed to "black up". well what about a black person "whitening up" ?

Eeyore - would hope it would work both ways!!

Moving slightly off topic but not if you see what I mean..

Didn't Lenny Henry do a film about the exact same thing?

And Eddie Murphy has done it in many films.

I don't think AM DRam would be up to the makeup costs of each application.

Not sure if any film has been done changing a white person to coloured but I do have a vague recall of one by George Segal...

But anyway...

Sadly there are people in the world, of any colour, who just want to stir up things. I'm sure if Am Dram people use commonsense, good judgement and do it for the right reasons then there should be no complaints.

I don't care what colour anyone is or case, sex, or spiecies you are... IT'S STILL BOOKS DOWN BY 1 WEEK BEFORE THE SHOW!!!!!! *wink*

I have had to make myself darker in a show. Both I (who played Liat) and the lady playing Bloody mary in South Pacific had to apply make up every night - we didn't have anyone who could play native natives if you know what I mean. Bloody stuff got everywhere!
Bloody Mary also played a "white" Rose in Stepping out.

I once saw "Oliver" at the Palladium in London with a black dodger. I think it is okay to mix race the characters like that, in fact it gives diversity and I think you should do it.

O

Going back a few postings, its a sad fact of life that racism still exists as George mentioned with the audience members. Those type of people would probably find something to rubbish the production anyway. I would say the majority of an audience are there to enjoy the show and if an asian, black, chinese, pink, blue or red indian are fantastic in the part, it really doesn't matter!
Yes, some parts will need a specific type of person but all the rest could be whoever, as long as they are good. I wouldn't worry about audiences declining because for each new actor, they bring a new bunch of supporters, whatever the colour!
Amdram is an enjoyable hobby so why shouldn't it be enjoyed by everybody?

You are correct that amateur theatre companies (as well as pros) aren't allowed to do "Showboat" unless they use black actors or leave the white actors white these days. It's the blacking up (or whiting up in some cases) that isn't allowed. It's all to do with not doing something to stop a person from an ethnic minority from taking a part.

Where I live and direct, we have very few dark-skinned people. Several groups have done "Stepping Out" which calls for one black female. One group successfully cut her role, another group advertised in The Stage for a black skinned girl to play the role. She came from London every day, they had to pay her expenses, and she was mediocre. It did seem unfair they went to that expense I guess.

The only thing that galls me is that although the rules are in place for 'blacking up' and 'whiting up', it doesn't apply to Oriental roles in the UK (take "The Mikado", "Aladdin" and "Ali Baba" for instance). That always seems a little unfair. Also, to Oriental people it seems unfair that all the Vietnamese girls in Miss Saigon are played by Phillippino girls, who are particularly attractive to the Western eye - a fact that does not sit well with Vietnamese who often feel they have been slighted.

You see, there's no easy way around it all. Society and government has become to concscious of these things - they can't seem to see that acting is just that! After all, there's no rule to say that lesbian role can only be played by a lesbian actress and so on. Also, nothing to say that 'principal boy' in panto can't be played by the traditional girl.

There was also a case in the National press about a large lady who sued an amateur group who didn't give her a major part but gave it to someone slim, insisting they were illegally doing this because she was fat!!

Ah, people.....