Open Forum

We did Hairspray last year and had a ethnically mixed cast.  We had an Asian girl as one of Corny's kids and had hispanic kids mixed in with the record shop kids.  To us it was about how the different ethnic groups are perceived in our community.  We are a small school in a very rural area and were not trying to make a political statement it is just the way it worked out.

The interesting thing was that not one student in the cast or anyone who saw the show questioned why an Asian was part of the Corny kids or why the Hispanic students were mixed in with the African American record shop kids.

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Andrew Kidd
Teacher
Levy County School Board
Chiefland FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2018 13:13
From: Joshua Long
Subject: Hairspray

So, we are in the midst of our casting process for Hairspray.

My question is regarding the casting of the kids who are at the record shop with Seaweed and Motormouth.  Should we put kids of other ethnicities besides just African-Americans or other black kids in that group? Some of my directing team wants to put some of our indian, polynesian, hispanic, and middle eastern kids in that group as well.  Basically, making it a 'non-white' group.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Obviously, our Seaweed, Motormouth and Inez will be African-American, but should I keep their group all African-American as well?  

Thoughts on this? Is it culturally insensitive to cast students of other non-white ethnic backgrounds in this group?

Thanks!

Any ethnicity will work in those roles.  I had African-Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and mixed-race students in those roles and it worked out fine.  No one questioned it.  The parents, especially, appreciated how the kids were so welcomed and cared for in our arts program.

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Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 08-29-2018 13:13
From: Joshua Long
Subject: Hairspray

So, we are in the midst of our casting process for Hairspray.

My question is regarding the casting of the kids who are at the record shop with Seaweed and Motormouth.  Should we put kids of other ethnicities besides just African-Americans or other black kids in that group? Some of my directing team wants to put some of our indian, polynesian, hispanic, and middle eastern kids in that group as well.  Basically, making it a 'non-white' group.

I'm not sure how I feel about that.  Obviously, our Seaweed, Motormouth and Inez will be African-American, but should I keep their group all African-American as well?  

Thoughts on this? Is it culturally insensitive to cast students of other non-white ethnic backgrounds in this group?

Thanks!