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Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

  • 1.  Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-22-2016 12:55

    In reviewing musicals for this coming school year, Hairspray has continually come to mind as the perfect fit for my students. 2 queries continually come to mind:

    1. In considering cast, not to pre-cast, but  I have an African American male who would be PERFECT for the role of Edna Turnblad. Knowing that one main purpose of this musical is the defeat of racial segregation, would casting him in this role interfere with the climax or that aspect of plot development throughout? 

    2. I often turn aside from considering musicals that are over done or hyper-exposed to the students. Being that it will be aired live in December (our performance is in March) and a nearby school has just produced it, should I consider other options? However.....being in Orlando, 2 blocks from the mass shooting, could this be a vehicle at an appropriate time to help further unify our city?

    As you can tell, I'm torn and covet your advice!

    ------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Troupe Director
    Orlando, FL
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-22-2016 16:14

    I'd say you're over-thinking things - especially #2. I don't have an answer for #1, but if you think it best fits the talents of your students, you should do it.

    ------------------------------
    Ken Buswell
    Drama Teacher
    Peachtree City, GA
    http://mcintoshtheater.org/

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-22-2016 20:39

    I really appreciate that advice. Thank you!

    ------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Troupe Director
    Orlando, FL

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-22-2016 22:09

    We just finished a wonderful production of Hairspray this past Spring. Here's what I learned (and I have been directing school shows for over 40 years).

    This is the first show where I couldn't cast color-blind. The show makes it's statement about race when casting lines up the way the show is written. I tried my hardest to cast people regardless of color, but during the auditions, it just didn't make sense. The scenes were flat, and confusing. I know the authors allow you to ignore color when casting, and they want you to ask the audience to do the same, but if you want a show with real impact (on the audience AND the actors), it works best when sticking to the colors of the characters. Now, that said, here was a bigger problem for us. What do you do with kids who aren't black or white? We have a large Asian, east Indian and Hispanic population at our school, and I certainly didn't want to eliminate these very talented kids. It was truly difficult to figure out where to use them. And then it hit me. At call-backs, I handed each one a blank notecard and explained my dilemma.  Since Hispanics are not Negro, and east Indians and Asians are not Caucasian I asked them "Where do you fit in?" "Where do you see yourself in Hairspray?" I asked them to write down that answer - and to really think about it. Yes, there were some kids who said they would play any part - any time, but that didn't help me in casting and I told them so. "Where do you feel you best belong?" 

    I gave them overnight to really think about it. Many kids said they had great conversations with their parents that night. We are a middle school, and these years are the perfect time to begin thinking about "where and how you fit in". "How do you see yourself in this world?"

    Kids responses were predictable and surprising. Some kids with clearly darker skin said they were white. Others said they could play either part because they are bi-racial (and I didn't know that!). It made casting easier because I didn't have to guess.

    I ended up casting some Hispanic kids as "white" others as "black". A very talented east Indian boy played Seaweed. Some Italian kids were dark enough to play negroes and said they had no problem doing so. They had a ball. We did not use makeup to change anyone's race. We had some incredible discussions, not just about the history the show is based on, but race relation/issues now.

    The whole experience was enlightening and positive. The show worked and the message was loud and clear. 

    My biggest fear was offending anyone. I believe in color-blind casting all the time. But in this case we went with "TV Kids" (who were "white") and "Record shop kids" (who were "black"). It worked really well.

    Perhaps your really good "Edna" can play Motormouth Mabel? or Seaweed?

    I hope this helps, and I hope I have not offended anyone by explaining (as simply as I could) this interpretation. It might work with color-blind casting, but I wanted to recreate the time period authentically and make a strong statement doing so.

    Just my two sense.

    ------------------------------
    Ron Wells

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-23-2016 08:29

    i directed Hairspray in the spring of 2015, and I love the idea of naming the groups T.V. kids and the record shop kids. I called those groups the Council Chorus and the North Ave Kids and was never really happy with those names. I know that a middle school teacher who didn't want to limit her casting choices so she had the blues and the reds.  My area of the country is filled with diversity too, lots of mixed race, Hispanic, and Asian Americans. (Most of the "T.V. kids" in my show were Asian.)  When casting I also told the boys that if they didn't want to be considered for Edna to write it on there audition sheet. (One boy did this). Another student who was mixed ended up being Mr. Pinky and then after someone dropped out he filled in as a  T.V. kid.  I asked his mother (who is black) if she was okay with him playing the part, and she was fine.

    Casting aside, for me the bigger problem with Hairspray is the reference to Tracy, Seaweed and his group being labeled as Special Education. In fact Tracy is called "retarded", which is a bad word at our school.  There is a huge Special Ed program at my school and that word would have offended people just as much as an "F" bomb. There are a lot of things to consider when casting Hairspray and that is even before you think about all of the wigs, costumes, and the big hairspray can!!! 

    When I chose the show for last spring, I thought that we were past some of this overt racism, at least in my part of the world where people celebrate each others differences. Then a month after the show closed the riots broke out in Baltimore over the death of Freddie Gray. My school district is in a suburb of the city, and all field trips including proms to Baltimore were cancelled.  So YES I think Hairspray, despite it's casting issues and other challenges, is a story that needs to be told over and over again, just like West Side Story.  Good luck!

    ------------------------------
    Marla Blasko
    Theatre Arts Director
    Columbia MD

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-23-2016 10:43

    I just directed this show last April and I can that it was a HIT with both my students and audiences. It's such an uplifting show with an important, relevant message. The fact you are planning on doing this in the Orlando area makes it all the more appropriate after recent events. 

    As to your other questions, I concur with what's already been said. You really can't get away with color-blind casting in this one. The white characters must be white and the African American characters must be back in order for the narrative to make sense. My kids understood this and it really made history come alive for them- I ended up calling the white kids the corny council and the black kids the record shop gang (similar to what was already mentioned). I am in central PA, so just having enough diversity for that was a miracle, but if you're fortunate enough to have a lot of diversity in your school, I could definitely see other minorities making sense fitting into the record shop gang with no problem. 

    I will also second the warning that there is a lot of insensitive language regarding special ed, since that is where the record shop gang and Tracy are placed. Alternative Ed would have been a slightly less offensive way of wording that, but I'm not the book-writer...

    Good luck!

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Cossitor
    Drama Director
    Altoona Area School Director
    Altoona PA

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-23-2016 10:48

    Oh and as for your talented African American boy- have you considered casting him as Motormouth? That could really be another drag role if his vocal range fits the part. She is larger than life in the same ways Edna is!

    ------------------------------
    Benjamin Cossitor
    Drama Director
    Altoona Area School Director
    Altoona PA

    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-23-2016 12:01

    Lizzy,

    Although we did "Hairspray, Jr." with middle school students, we cast a wonderful actress in the role of Edna.  She just happened to be African American.  I say "Go for it!"  

    Tim Reagan, Sidwell Friends School, Washington, DC

    ------------------------------
    Tim Reagan
    Washington, DC

    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-24-2016 06:37

    Good morning. 

    AND THANK YOU FOR ASKING. 

    Short answer is am emphatic no, but my coffee is percolating so I shall continue typing if you wish to continue reading. 

    This question about whether or not "Hairspray" and historically significant shows like it could... or should...  be cast color-blind came to an absolute boil in my area last year. There were two summer theater camps with ALL White students except for one Black boy. 

    Theater S decided they would allow all of the students to audition "color blind" except for the one Black child. He "just had to be Seaweed for it to make sense." Right there was where that Director lost her "color blind" argument because that little Black boy, if a truly "color blind" casting, should have been allowed to audition for Link. I read the posts from the parents on the camp's Facebook page later. They didn't "get it"; It being the whole point of the lessons mirroring modern day that that camp's Director was hoping her students would gather. It was a colorful, splashy extravaganza full of missed Appropriation. Period  

    Theater M's Director made the decision that she would not commit commit to the show until she had proper casting options in place. She and I chatted ourselves after our own audition earlier in the year. Then she worked all year with me to put in place transportation and camp tuition scholarship dollars from her Board of Directors to bring MY students of color up to her theater full of students who went to schools where they were always the majority or had zero interaction with people of color at all.  Further, she asked me to participate in leading some "this is what this show is really about" workshops with the entire cast. We didn't overthink it and just used the tried and true Boren Eyes/Blue Eyes Experiment Jane Elliot made famous on Oprah ( The Anti-Racism Experiment That Transformed an Oprah Show Audience | Where Are They Now? | OWN  There was discomfort, there were tears, and then, when we race-based the actual water fountains and vending machine access, ( !!!) there was OUTRAGE.... and then that Teacher-Crack ... The A-ha Moment. 😯

    🤗 It was personally uncomfortable for me for a few hours afterwards because as part of the workshop I told the White students they could A) ask me ANYTHING they've ever wanted to know about Black people 😳 and B) they could even touch my hair! 😑  

    In true sisterhood, the White director told the Black kids the same! 😹 Similarly to their White counterparts, they went to a school where they were the majority in their little piece of the world and didn't get many opportunities to hold regular conversations or open discussions with White people. (PS: We all already get that Intergration is a myth bygone, right?) Anyway, the questions she was lobbed were just as tough and uncomfortable as mine. 

    Parent Drop Off the next few mornings took a little longer because of the verbal gratitude and the non-verbal "I'd like to SEE my own child actually interacting with other humans who don't look like them."

    The point here is, "Hairspray" could indeed *just* be a flashy splashy show.

    Its just not *supposed* to be.

    😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕😕

    YouTube remove preview
    The Anti-Racism Experiment That Transformed an Oprah Show Audience | Where Are They Now? | OWN
    Tune in Sundays at 9pm/8c How would you feel if you were treated differently simply based on the color of your skin? Jane Elliott gave 'The Oprah Show' audience members a chance to experience racism firsthand when she divided them into two groups: those who have blue eyes and those with brown eyes.
    View this on YouTube >
    ------------------------------
    Donalda A. McCarthy
    Tweets @MissDonni
    IG @IntlTheatreTeacher

    Theatre Education
    Palm Beach Lakes High School
    West Palm Beach, FL, USA

    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-25-2016 02:43

    When we did the show our Edna was an African-American male, who albeit had a lighter skin tone -but was amazing and nobody batted an eye at it.

    ------------------------------
    Brandon Becker
    Denver CO

    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-25-2016 10:41

    I'm also a Troupe Director in Orlando. I don't think the casting of an African-American Edna Turnblad is a reason to have any concern at all. "Hairspray" is so irreverent already I think it would be welcome. As for it affecting the racial desegregation story line, I think it would be a fun wink at the audience is African-American. As for feeling that it's overproduced, it's a fun show and it never gets old.   

    ------------------------------
    Thomas Larkin
    Orlando FL

    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 06-29-2016 01:36

    Lizzy,

    Hi there! I actually just finished working on Hairspray last fall and our Edna was a very large, african-american male. Within the concept of the role, we thought this was a good choice for two reasons:

    1) The role of Edna is all about seeing beyond what meets the eye. It's about who that character is and how much she loves her child. I believe it added an additional layer to the already complex character.

    2) He was the best man for the role. Hands down. His talent was far superb and by the end of the show you neither remember nor cared what his ethnicity was. If you have a student who is going to embrace the role, approach it with humility, gusto, and heart, he or she will be successful. 

    I hope this helps and best of wishes on your forthcoming production.

    ------------------------------
    Richard Frazier
    EdTA Board of Directors
    Georgia Thespians
    Drama and Dance Teacher
    Northside High School
    Warner Robins GA

    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-05-2016 08:56

    I was in a production of HAIRSPRAY where we had a African American male play Motormouth and it was amazing.  Would your actor fit in that role?  It was very successful in our production and Motormouth has the pivotal song in the second act.  It brought down the house.

    ------------------------------
    Wendy Short-Hays

    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-11-2016 17:52

    http://www.playbill.com/article/atlanta-lyric-theatre-announces-new-ethnicity-and-casting-policy 

    Not everyone has a profile photo but it'd be an interesting study to learn of the Yesses and Nos are reflective of race. 

    I mention because I am receiving many private messages from White colleagues who agree but aren't posting as such here. Just an FYI and a bit of balancing. 

    Meanwhile, interesting story came across Playbill.com that a couple of LORT theaters have agreed to make conscious efforts to reach out to their communities and beyond to recruit ethnically-specific actors when “ethnicity is a central component of telling the story.”

    And my friends, "Hairspray" is definitely one of those. 

    It doesn't make sense if Tracy is mixed race.

    Dont you have a plethora of other works to choose from? If you don't have the cast, either get it, or just move on. Enough with the appropriation, please. 

    http://www.playbill.com/article/atlanta-lyric-theatre-announces-new-ethnicity-and-casting-policy

    ------------------------------
    Donalda A. McCarthy
    Tweets @MissDonni
    IG @IntlTheatreTeacher

    Theatre Education
    Palm Beach Lakes High School
    West Palm Beach, FL, USA

    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-12-2016 07:23
         I agree with you, Donalda. I am a caucasian male who was born overseas in Ethiopia, which doesn't make me an expert on the African American experience at all, but has made me very sensitive to the culture and I plan to visit my birthplace after I retire. Anyway, when I directed Hairspray a few years ago, I deeply felt this story. Beyond all of the campiness, there is a real historical event that is being depicted here and non-biased, non-gender, non-race casting, or whatever we seem to be calling it these days, just takes away from some story lines. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote his musical, so he can cast it any way he wants to, but chose to make it about "America's Melting Pot" and show where we came from. He admits that an African-American Jefferson may seem hipocritical to some, considering he was a slave owner, but he wrote it and his justifications make sense for the story he was telling. John Waters and the other authors of Hairspray made it clear that they were taking a moment in time and capturing the struggle of "Black America", for lack of a better term. I teach in a predominantly white school and had to sit down with African-American students at lunch and in the halls and try to convince them that I, a very white teacher, could bring this important moment in our history to the stage, but that I couldn't do it without them. I only convinced eight of them, but the show was a huge success and went on to really spark some meaningful dialogue in the classroom and in the halls.
         In closing, I fear that the PC Police may have pushed the envelope too far and, without meaning to, may be endangering our ability to tell stories of our history. When I went to Broadway last year, I spoke to a casting director who predicted that in ten years or less, they would not be able to exclude parts on the basis of race or sex and we could see a "male Cinderella or a black Velma Von Tussel," his words, not mine. I'm just as confused as the next director, but don't want to be vilified for trying to be true to the author's intent or to the historical accuracy of the piece. Waiting to see what the future holds, like all of us.

    Bruce Taws
    Mosley High School
    Lynn Haven, FL

    The information contained in this message may be privileged and confidential and protected from disclosure. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering this message to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please notify us immediately by replying to the message and deleting it from your computer. Under Florida law, e-mail addresses are public records. If you do not want your e-mail address released in response to a public-records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact this office by phone or in writing.




    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-13-2016 10:58

    I am actually a little shocked at the responses that were given. If you license the show properly it states very clearly what the author's intention is when considering color blind casting. In fact, as part of the contract, you are required to put a note from the author in the program that states that race should not be a factor when casting the show. Which seems strange at first, especially if you produce this show in the United States where there is usually some racial diversity to pull from. However, when they started licensing this show for amateur rights, everyone wanted to do it. So places like Japan or Norway where the racial breakdown is not as diverse started trying to produce the show. Denying these groups from producing this show based on the fact that they did not have the right racial breakdown would not be right. 

    You can read the whole thing if you like, the letter is here: 

    http://www.mtishows.com/show-full-billing/1701

    but the big takeaway for me was that it's a show about crossing racial lines and mixing things up, so why not cast based solely on talent? I live in Atlanta, so I could easily cast based on race, but I ended up with an African American Amber and a bunch of kids being cast in roles that would not have been cast that way if I cast based on race. It was a fantastic show. 

    I also cast a girl as Tracy who was not heavy. We had to give her a fat suit for the show. I actually had someone ask, "You have some heavier girls, why didn't you cast them instead?" Because she was the best person for the part. 

    ------------------------------
    Jake Dreiling
    Atlanta GA

    Original Message


  • 17.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-14-2016 05:50
    I suppose this is a case where everyone will not agree because it is based on what your priorities as a director are. When I produced this show, I wanted to represent the racial divide of the 60s as it actually was. Personally I feel that color blind casting in a show that is specifically about the mistreatment of blacks creates unnecessary confusion for the audience. However that's the beauty of theater- it's entirely the directors prerogative to decide how to represent the script onstage. I also read the rider and the note from the writers before selecting the show and fully understand why they would not want to exclude any theater companies [from purchasing rights for which they get royalties] based on lack of diversity.

    As for always casting the most talented kids, I agree to a point. My personal philosophy is that "making someone right" for the part should only be done as a last resort, only if there is no talent available that already physically fits the role. What I always tell my students before each audition is that not everyone is perfect for every part- they can be the greatest singer or dancer in the world and they wouldn't be right for everything. There are a variety of roles for the stage made for as many varieties of people. Further, it's important to make a sure as many kids are given a chance at the spotlight as possible, and to have this in mind when you are selecting a show for your talent pool. For example, my Tracy was a very heavyset girl that I knew I really wanted to feature because she just hadn't been right for any leads I had in the past.

    Mr. Benjamin Cossitor
    Instructor of English/Drama
    Altoona Area High School
    1415 6th Ave
    Altoona, PA 16602
    (814) 327-9076
    bencossitor@altoonasd.com


    Original Message


  • 18.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-15-2016 13:14

    Let me start by saying that when the topic first came up, I deliberately steered clear of it. I'm really not entirely sure how I feel about it. The one thing I will say is that choices matter, no matter how big or small. Never will I say it doesn't matter what ethnicity an actor is who's playing a character. For the audience, whether counciously or subconsciously it does. That is not to say that colorblind casting Hairspray is right or wrong. I'm simply say, it matters. My school is predominantly African and Latin American. So is my Theatre Department. I have never felt that Hairspray was an appropriate choice for me, because I feel I would be asking the audience to conceptualize so much, that the message and story would be lost. This from the guy who cast the only girl not of Latin American descent as Rosie Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie.

    Make sure you're choosing the right show for you, your students, and your audience. Is this the show you have to do or is there another that will highlight the talent you want to showcase? Will everyone involved grow from this production? Whatever artistic and casting choices you make, embrace them and own them. That's the only way you can substantiate them. 

    ------------------------------
    Hugh Fletcher
    Performing Arts Coordinator
    IS 229 Dr. Roland Patterson Middle School
    Roosevelt NY

    Original Message


  • 19.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-16-2016 07:46
    Hugh and Benjamin,
    I thank you SOO much for your replies and insight. Hugh, I'm glad you decided to weigh in on the discussion! I DO believe it is the right show. I combed through so many this summer, even trying to avoid Hairspray. Lol. It's just the perfect fit for our students, our school, our talent level, our community. For the record, I actually never intended to cast color-blind - not for the whole cast. It really was just for only one character - Edna. I know one character can make a difference. I just wondered it maybe.....but as it turns out, I now have several possibilities of people who could work for the role of Edna.
    Both of you made a point to be careful in making the casting intentional to the show and storyline. The students also have to really believe what they are doing and understand the reasons. If I were to cast Edna as black, it would be intentionally played that way to the audience because of the show itself. I wouldn't want to incorporate "suspension of disbelief". I want the message loud and clear of the story. Thank you for your insight!

    ---------------------------------
    Lizzy Brannan
    Theater Teacher
    Orlando, FL
    ---------------------------------



    Original Message


  • 20.  RE: Hairspray - African American Edna Turnblad?

    Posted 07-15-2016 18:27

    I have an African American make student who would also be perfect for that role- but I find it hard to colorblind cast that show because of the message. However, it wouldn't bother me to see a show with an American American Edna.  I tend to be much more literal as a director than a viewer (maybe I should reflect on this idea further? Idk. Lol) 

    But it I will say- Bring It On has an amazing transgender character that I really considered because of my particular student! You might want to read that! Plus Lin is so popular right now- people would get excited since he worked on that show too! 

    ------------------------------
    Brooke Jackson

    Original Message