Nontraditional casting
There are shows that are considered to be “white understood”
shows in which the show has traditionally be cast with Caucasian actors.
However, this is slowly not becoming a phenomenon. In the world of theatre,
there are more minorities that are auditioning for “understood white” shows.
Actor’s Equity has taken a stand on this issue saying that if a role in
question’s gender, sex, or race are not germane to the piece then casting is
open to all. The case that I found that exemplifies this is the casting of Phylicia Reshad
in the 1988 production of Into the Woods.
This is a show that is considered to be a show that is traditionally cast
white, but in this case the talent, and fame to a certain extent, over shined this issue and she replaced Bernadette Peters in this cast.
Nudity on Stage
Nudity on stage is an issue in American theatre. In other
countries, nudity in art is not as big of a controversy. Over a span of about
60 years the American idea of nudity in art forms has become slightly more
liberal. In films like, The Wolf of Wall
Street where there is nudity in over 50% of the film, viewers seem to be
more accepting of it because of the “distance” between the actors and the
views. However, with nudity that is “in your face” there is more discontent. In
cases like Hair which opened in1968,
there was so much of a problem with the full frontal nudity that the Supreme Court
had to get involved to allow a performance in Boston. Here is Actor’s Equity’s
stance on nudity on stage:
In Section 42 on Page 44, titled
"Nudity," Paragraph A lists the rules regarding nudity at interviews
and auditions -- namely, there shouldn't be any, with some exceptions. An
audition involving nudity requires that the producer get Equity's written
consent first. Further, an actor cannot be asked to disrobe, in whole or in
part, until after he or she has auditioned as a principal or chorus member; an
Equity representative must be present; and "the direct professional and
artistic capacity of all persons present must be attested to by the Producer in
writing to Equity at the time the written permission is requested."
Famous Lead Casting
This is not a new idea that casting a star in a piece can increase
earnings. In the case of the NBC Live broadcast of The Sound of Music there
were 2 featured stars in my opinion. The first and probably most obvious was
Carrie Underwood as Maria and the second was Audra McDonald as the Reverend
Mother. I watched some of the performance to see Audra McDonald and listen to
her amazing voice. I did see some of Carrie Underwood’s performance and it did
not live up to the hype created by the network. Carrie Underwood is an awesome
performer just not in the genre of musical theatre. This fact, however, had
nothing to do with her being cast. The fact that she is a well-known artist and
has some vocal talent is what got her cast. This is an issue because on
Broadway this is becoming a more practiced phenomenon which makes it harder for
actors who are not as well know or known at all to be cast and create a name
for themselves.
Theatre in schools
Because we are coming out of (hopefully) a recession,
people, especially governments, have been making cuts to budgets. The first
thing that seems to be on everyone’s chopping block is the arts. Fewer and
fewer schools have a theatre programs. Taking theatre out of schools is
damaging to the future of theatre. If theatre is introduced to children at a
young are they are more likely to go and see more performances and participate
in theatre. Disney is doing something about this issue. Disney Musicals in
schools is a program that institutes musical theatre in New York City
elementary schools. I think that this is an awesome initiative that should be
supported nationwide.
Live Music on
Broadway vs Off Broadway
There are several shows that are using tracks for performance
as fillers with a few live musicians. This is a tactic that is being used to
cut the cost of producing a show. This is a problem for me because having a 3
piece orchestra and prerecorded filler is not the same as having a 10 or 15
piece orchestra. This is also hurting other forms of art as a livelihood. Off Broadway however there are
several shows where the opposite is happening. Not only are they using live
music, but they are using the actors as the musicians. In a show that I really
want to see, Natasha, Pierre and the
Great Comet of 1812,they do exactly that. This is not as helpful to freelance
musicians, but it beneficial to musically inclined actors.
