Fw: [Mb-hair] A Few Questions

[richard haase]

respectfully im not crazy
now look below
tell me where im misinterpreting
if he has enough people of color for a good tribe
i dont get the discrepancy visa vi the african american influence that his
group lacks and casting
why cant he use them then?
what is the issue then?
i dont quite get this

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <joseph.simon at fandm.edu>
To: <mb-hair at islandlists.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 11:44 AM
Subject: RE: [Mb-hair] A Few Questions


> Yes, I meant gender switching in regards to the diversity problem.
> Thank you very much for you suggestions.  My problem lies
> specifically in African Americans, I have enough people of color for
> a good tribe, there just really is not an African American influence
> in the organization I am a part of.  Thanks again for your help.
>
>
> >Hi Joe, and welcome to the Hair list.
> >
> >It would be hard to do a production of Hair without at least a small
> >amount of racial diversity in the cast. I have seen many productions
> >that had only a few people of color in the Tribe, and seen that
> >work, although the strongest productions are often those with a
> >larger mix. There are songs and lines in Hair that reference racial
> >equality, and this is one of Hair's messages. Even such simple lines
> >as in Claude's hallucination when a black man and a white man take
> >each others arms and say "Black and white go nice together, don't
> >they?" would have to be cut or changed. Not to mention the song
> >Colored Spade.
> >
> >Certain roles, and the songs those characters sing, are written
> >specifically to be played by African American actors and actresses,
> >while others are not specified. I have seen success with gender
> >switching in the role of Hud. Delores Hall understudied that role on
> >Broadway, and was good when she played it. Hud isn't necessarily a
> >man, but he is most definitely black. Your problem is not an
> >uncommon one, sadly, and I believe some companies have tried casting
> >this role with a caucasian actor. I would have a hard time thinking
> >that could work, but perhaps others here who have struggled with
> >this situation can tell you more about it than I can, never having
> >seen it done.
> >
> >There are other ways to fill in your company - perhaps you could
> >open auditions to faculty and staff? To people outside the school
> >community because of these special circumstances? I would strongly
> >encourage you to try and find some ethnic diversity if you are
> >mounting a production of Hair.
> >
> >I am not sure what you are asking in your last paragraph, when you
> >speak of vocal or gender switching. Do you mean to solve this
> >problem, or in the show in general?
> >
> >Nina
> >The Hair Archives
> >http://www.michaelbutler.com/hair/holding/Hair.html
> >
> >
> >_______________________________________________
> >Mb-hair mailing list
> >Mb-hair at islandlists.com
> >http://www.islandlists.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mb-hair
>
>
> -- 
> Joseph Simon
>
> "It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves."
> -Shakespeare
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