"My point is that it is often hard to know whether a role in a new play has been filled by an actor of color because of or irrespective of that consideration so that the audience knows whether to notice or ignore it."
Agreed, and I don't think it only applies to new plays. I have already read and heard some people wonder if, for example, Joshua Henry will play Billy Bigelow as if the character is actually a black man, or if rather this should be viewed as "color-blind casting."
As you noted, it can be very hard to know the intent for sure unless the actor or the director makes a statement about it in interviews. Whenever this issue comes up for discussion, I remember what S. Epatha Merkerson said around the time she did COME BACK LITTLE SHEBA -- that she doesn't like the term "color-blind casting" because, she said, "It makes me feel like I'm not there." |
