Companies have trouble casting actors for minority characters; do they reserve the spot for disabled actors or give the role to an actor that is not disabled? Does a black character have to be played by a black actor? What about a gay character played by someone who is not gay?
Questions of representation within the entertainment industry have been around for a long time. Blackface, a type of make-up used to darken the skin to make someone look black, is now considered offensive and racist. Decades have passed since popular theaters used white actors to play a black character.
This summer, Shakespeare companies debated over which actors should play which roles in “Richard III.” King Richard III suffered from scoliosis, or the curvature of the spine. For the first time ever, the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, had cast a disabled actor to play Richard. The actor, Arthur Hughes, had radial dysplasia, a condition that gave him a shorter right arm and a missing thumb.
Many people were delighted that a disabled actor was finally given an opportunity, because it meant that more diverse people had a chance at getting vital roles. “I don’t think we are where we need to be where it comes to disability and inclusion. I’m proud to be the first disabled Richard at the Royal Shakespeare Company,” Hughes stated after playing the role. “My disability is the thing that I’m proud of and that pushes me forward rather than holds me back.”
However, other people worry that the authenticity of the actor as the character could also be limiting. “Acting, after all, is the art of pretending to be someone you are not,” says the New York Times.
“Colorblind” casting was a way to solve this issue. The type of casting was where the audience looked beyond an actor’s race and ethnicity. The opposite of “Colorblind” casting was “color-conscious” casting, where the actor’s race and ethnicity mattered and became the character being played.
“Color-conscious” casting is trendy nowadays, burying the “colorblind” casting away. Many actors from certain backgrounds hardly have the chance to play a role and get opportunities in their career. “We all want a level playing field where everybody can play everybody,” said Mat Fraser, a disabled English actor. “But my entire career I’ve not been allowed to play hardly anybody.”
Questions of representation within the entertainment industry have been around for a long time. Blackface, a type of make-up used to darken the skin to make someone look black, is now considered offensive and racist. Decades have passed since popular theaters used white actors to play a black character.
This summer, Shakespeare companies debated over which actors should play which roles in “Richard III.” King Richard III suffered from scoliosis, or the curvature of the spine. For the first time ever, the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England, had cast a disabled actor to play Richard. The actor, Arthur Hughes, had radial dysplasia, a condition that gave him a shorter right arm and a missing thumb.
Many people were delighted that a disabled actor was finally given an opportunity, because it meant that more diverse people had a chance at getting vital roles. “I don’t think we are where we need to be where it comes to disability and inclusion. I’m proud to be the first disabled Richard at the Royal Shakespeare Company,” Hughes stated after playing the role. “My disability is the thing that I’m proud of and that pushes me forward rather than holds me back.”
However, other people worry that the authenticity of the actor as the character could also be limiting. “Acting, after all, is the art of pretending to be someone you are not,” says the New York Times.
“Colorblind” casting was a way to solve this issue. The type of casting was where the audience looked beyond an actor’s race and ethnicity. The opposite of “Colorblind” casting was “color-conscious” casting, where the actor’s race and ethnicity mattered and became the character being played.
“Color-conscious” casting is trendy nowadays, burying the “colorblind” casting away. Many actors from certain backgrounds hardly have the chance to play a role and get opportunities in their career. “We all want a level playing field where everybody can play everybody,” said Mat Fraser, a disabled English actor. “But my entire career I’ve not been allowed to play hardly anybody.”
