Hi
We just closed our Legally Blonde last weekend. My school is the opposite and is not diverse. Jamaican me Crazy we just played as frat boys dressed in Hawaiian shirts and khakis. We explained to the students that in college especially in frats and sororities they throw themed parties. This is just one of the theme parties UCLA had. There was talk about our students wearing Jamaican beanies with dreads but we tossed that b/c of the cultural appropriation.
I had 2 females play Nikos and Carlos and they were dressed as men. One was a white female in a wig and the other was an African American female who pulled her braids back into a bun. My Sundeep was a white male and we dressed him in casual Harvard attire, turtle neck, jeans, and jacket.
You should check out the videos and photos from the West End production of Legally Blonde that closed in July 2022. They had a very diverse cast and Elle was an African American female with blonde braids.
Not sure if any of this helps but thought I share.
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Kristen Bishoff
Dircecter & ITS Troupe Advisor
Chesapeake High School & Chesapeake Bay Middle School
Pasadena, MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-15-2022 12:18
From: Megen Gilman
Subject: Legally Blonde Cultural Appropriation
Hello,
We are slated to do Legally Blonde this Spring. I am worried about some of the cultural references in the show. I feel like much of it is done as a parody, but it can still feel weird. Our school is really diverse, and our Elle is not going to be the "White Blonde" nor might our Paulette even be a woman! So we are planning to turn many of the characters into something more culturally diverse. But I just want to know how we should deal with the other things.
In the newest version, They rename the pool boy, so that helps
But the two that stick out are the "Jamaican me Crazy" Grandmaster Chad- I just think it has to be clear that the Parody is not about being Jamaican, but being A Frat Boy!
The other one is the Harvard Variations- Sundeep Padanadan section.
Do you have any ideas on how to handle this?
Thanks for your feedback
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Megen Gilman
Theatre Director
North High School
CO
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