In a production of Shakespeare’s King Richard III, the Royal Shakespeare Company made an unprecedented decision: for the first time in its 61-year history, the company casted a disabled actor in the role of King Richard III.
Many believe that because King Richard himself was disabled, the actor that plays the role should also be disabled; others, however, say that acting is “the art of pretending to be someone you are not”, so the part doesn’t necessarily need to be given to disabled actors.
The theater’s choice to cast disabled actors in such a high-profile role is clearly an important step in having a fairer casting process. Arthur Hughes, the disabled actor casted by the Royal Shakespeare Company, said, “Richard is one of the most famous disabled characters in the English-speaking world. To be playing him on one of the largest Shakespeare stages in the world and to be a disabled man doing it – it’s an honor. It’s also a good sign of where we’re moving towards.”
Ultimately, castings shouldn’t be purely based on physical condition, race, or even gender, rather focusing more on the actual ability of the potential actor. Directors should look for the skill that the actor must successfully channel the character to create the best performance.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that color-blind casting is the best way to ensure fair casting opportunities. According to Maz Do, an Indonesian-Vietnamese writer in New York, “Representation does not mean indiscriminately casting people of color into whatever subsidiary roles are available … True representation involves a lot of self-interrogation: why write this character, why write this story?”
The best way to cast fairly would be to use color conscious casting, which, according to The Guardian, “actively acknowledges and considers race when casting ‘non-traditionally’, rather than attempting to ignore it.”
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production is not the only performance which is casting the character of King Richard III in an unusual way. The Stratford Festival in Canada, casted Colm Feore, who is not a hunchback but does have a deformed spine. The Public Theater took an entirely different approach from the other two productions, casting Danai Curira, a black woman who starred in Black Panther, in the king’s role.
Link to Article:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658690023690x712249598683719200/Why%20Shakespeare%27s%20Richard%20III%20became%20a%20controversial%20villain%20-%20BBC%20Culture.pdf
Many believe that because King Richard himself was disabled, the actor that plays the role should also be disabled; others, however, say that acting is “the art of pretending to be someone you are not”, so the part doesn’t necessarily need to be given to disabled actors.
The theater’s choice to cast disabled actors in such a high-profile role is clearly an important step in having a fairer casting process. Arthur Hughes, the disabled actor casted by the Royal Shakespeare Company, said, “Richard is one of the most famous disabled characters in the English-speaking world. To be playing him on one of the largest Shakespeare stages in the world and to be a disabled man doing it – it’s an honor. It’s also a good sign of where we’re moving towards.”
Ultimately, castings shouldn’t be purely based on physical condition, race, or even gender, rather focusing more on the actual ability of the potential actor. Directors should look for the skill that the actor must successfully channel the character to create the best performance.
However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that color-blind casting is the best way to ensure fair casting opportunities. According to Maz Do, an Indonesian-Vietnamese writer in New York, “Representation does not mean indiscriminately casting people of color into whatever subsidiary roles are available … True representation involves a lot of self-interrogation: why write this character, why write this story?”
The best way to cast fairly would be to use color conscious casting, which, according to The Guardian, “actively acknowledges and considers race when casting ‘non-traditionally’, rather than attempting to ignore it.”
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production is not the only performance which is casting the character of King Richard III in an unusual way. The Stratford Festival in Canada, casted Colm Feore, who is not a hunchback but does have a deformed spine. The Public Theater took an entirely different approach from the other two productions, casting Danai Curira, a black woman who starred in Black Panther, in the king’s role.
Link to Article:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/appforest_uf/f1658690023690x712249598683719200/Why%20Shakespeare%27s%20Richard%20III%20became%20a%20controversial%20villain%20-%20BBC%20Culture.pdf
