Non-Traditional Casting

The debate over non-traditional casting has become more heated in recent years.  Non-traditional casting, of course, is "defined as the casting of ethnic minority and female actors in roles where race, ethnicity, or sex is not germane", according to Actor's Equity Association's collective bargaining agreement with Broadway producers. 

A non-traditional cast of Okalahoma in Washington D.C.

For some, the debate is centered around equal opportunity employment for ethnic minorities and female actors, who obviously have much less opportunity for employment than white male actors in traditional theatre.

However, for some individuals, non-traditonal casting is not the answer.  In 1996, a prominent black playwright by the name of August Wilson stated that he saw non-traditional casting not as a favor but an insult to black Americans:

"(A)n all-black production of a Death of a Salesman; or any other play conceived for white actors is to deny us (black people) our own humanity, our own history, and the need to make our own investigations from the cultural ground on which we stand as black Americans."

Perhaps Wilson has a point - perhaps we should not look to turn a blind eye to a black or hispanic woman portraying a role intended for a white actress, but instead provide more opportunity for the culture of all minorities to be represented in full beauty onstage.  Film certainly had done so in recent years, and we as theatre professionals should be ashamed that we are so far behind.  After all, are we not overdue for such a brilliant production like A Raisin in the Sun?

Productions like A Raisin in the Sun are far too rare.