Open Forum

How do u deal with characters/moments that, in comedy. are defined by some people as racist?  

I don't feel we are being racist by having kids play the parts in a show, but some people seem to be uncomfortable with racial/language elements of a show.

I'll give you a particularly up-to-the-moment real example:  The Character Bun Foo and Ching Ho in Thoroughly Modern Millie.  They are supposed to be Chinese and are mostly comic foils, but they do have some deeper moments.  And some people interpret the dialects, plot connections, and costumes as racist.   I even have a student right now who is thinking of pulling out of MIllie b/c she feels like it will be offensive. 

There are characters who do racist things or say racist things out loud on stage and we can use those moments/characters as learning moments, but how can I explain this...

help...

How do u deal with characters/moments that, in comedy. are defined by some people as racist?  

I don't feel we are being racist by having kids play the parts in a show, but some people seem to be uncomfortable with racial/language elements of a show.

I'll give you a particularly up-to-the-moment real example:  The Character Bun Foo and Ching Ho in Thoroughly Modern Millie.  They are supposed to be Chinese and are mostly comic foils, but they do have some deeper moments.  And some people interpret the dialects, plot connections, and costumes as racist.   I even have a student right now who is thinking of pulling out of MIllie b/c she feels like it will be offensive. 

There are characters who do racist things or say racist things out loud on stage and we can use those moments/characters as learning moments, but how can I explain this...

help...

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[Drama] [Dan] []
[Drama Teacher/Director]
[Dublin Coffman HS]
[Dublin] [Ohio]
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Hi Dan,

This is an incredibly sensitive subject, and I applaud your bringing it to the forum.  I feel strongly that, as white-identified teachers, it is our responsibility to prioritize the experience and points of view of our students of color.  And when you say that some people find the depiction of Asians to be racist to the point that they may withdraw from the play, I'm reading into that statement that those people are possibly your Asian students (or students from other marginalized communities).  If that's the case, you may have to ask some hard questions of yourself and your students, and be willing to hear the answers:  Is the learning moment provided by a racist depiction or statement the actual intent of the script (like Lindner in Raisin in the Sun), or is it really about mining the comic potential of a racist stereotype (which some argue is the case in Millie)?  Do your students of color feel that audiences are going to get something important from this depiction, or is it a laugh at their expense and in which they are being asked to take part?  Does it create a conflict for students of color in which they feel that they are appropriating or misrepresenting themselves and their culture?  In the end, is the play an acceptable choice, and if not, what should happen next?

I hope this is helpful.  Let us all know how the conversation develops.

How do u deal with characters/moments that, in comedy. are defined by some people as racist?  

I don't feel we are being racist by having kids play the parts in a show, but some people seem to be uncomfortable with racial/language elements of a show.

I'll give you a particularly up-to-the-moment real example:  The Character Bun Foo and Ching Ho in Thoroughly Modern Millie.  They are supposed to be Chinese and are mostly comic foils, but they do have some deeper moments.  And some people interpret the dialects, plot connections, and costumes as racist.   I even have a student right now who is thinking of pulling out of MIllie b/c she feels like it will be offensive. 

There are characters who do racist things or say racist things out loud on stage and we can use those moments/characters as learning moments, but how can I explain this...

help...