Does a murderer have a right to gripe when they cast- as they inevitably do- a non-murderer as Jack the Ripper? Or a non-vampire as Dracula?
Yes, it's a shame that out of the enormous pool of actors who have committed murder, none seem to be cast as either the Ripper or Dracula. The fact that you consider the subject to be facetious rather than worthy of serious consideration is duly noted.
But recall how many people in this very forum spoke about how meaningful it was when the recent Boys in the Band was cast entirely with openly gay actors. Could it have been done with an all-straight cast? Sure. But for many people, the casting itself had significance and brought authenticity to the performances. Joe Mantello said: "I think having an out gay cast really did inform the work and it took on a particular kind of tone because of that, which is not to say that's the only way to approach this material. But for this particular group, it did something that I think is very, very special. There's a chemistry that they have."
That's what people are talking about. It shouldn't be that difficult to empathize with the sentiment, even if you disagree with the practice. |
