Threaded Order Chronological Order
| Casting "Virginia Woolf" diversely | |
| Posted by: kieran 10:17 pm EDT 08/18/17 | |
|
|
|
| “Regarding your inquiry, the Albee Estate gave Chicago’s Pulse Theatre Edward’s own script edits that the playwright thought could be useful when George and Martha are portrayed by actors of color, as they are in the current Chicago production." | |
| Link | "Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" |
| reply to this message | |
| re: Casting "Virginia Woolf" diversely | |
| Last Edit: kess0078 01:36 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
| Posted by: kess0078 01:29 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: Casting "Virginia Woolf" diversely - kieran 10:17 pm EDT 08/18/17 | |
|
|
|
| Perhaps the most useful "sound byte" from this article, a direct quote from Jonathan Lomma of WME, Albee's agent, and now agent of Albee's estate: "While it has been established that non-Caucasian actors in different combinations have played all the roles in the play at various times with Edward’s approval, he was consistently wary of directors attempting to use his work to provide their own commentary by, for instance, casting only Nick as non-white, which essentially transforms George and Martha into older white racists, which is not what Edward’s play is about.” The current production at Pulse Theatre Chicago features black actors as George and Martha, while white actors portray Honey and Nick. I think this is important. Even if there is something brilliant a director might bring out of a production of "Woolf?" with an all-white-except-Nick production, this is a rare case in which those circumstances would turn it in to a different play. And as an artist myself, I have to respect the author's intent, especially during his/ her lifetime. |
|
| reply to this message |
| re: Casting "Virginia Woolf" diversely | |
| Last Edit: Delvino 05:36 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| Posted by: Delvino 05:33 pm EDT 08/19/17 | |
| In reply to: re: Casting "Virginia Woolf" diversely - kess0078 01:29 am EDT 08/19/17 | |
|
|
|
| Agree fully with your statement and those annotations in the piece. I lost Facebook friends over this very stand during the initial debate. People who don't even know the play, or understand its intricately shaped, period-specific gender and (academia-defining) class dynamics weighed in with sweeping generalities. I found the absence of nuance in many of the discussions breathtaking. People who only knew the play via clips or still shots from the film shook their finger in my face and called me racist. I find this article so welcome and the needed evidence to counter the new unfair assessment of Albee and his estate's protective but thoughtful measures. He knew his play, knew how casting one role in a specific way could throw the story into dangerous and racist territory. I'd love to see this production. |
|
| reply to this message | reply to first message |
Time to render: 0.012603 seconds.