White playwright wants to play black historical figures (1 Viewer)

[SNOWFLAKE]

Let's get the ball rolling, shall we?

I put this in the political discussion section rather than arts and entertainment because of the political slant of the story.

We have ALL read and heard about how a certain demographic gets wildly upset when a fictional character is portrayed as black instead of white as in the outrage we all read when Disney put out a black mermaid.

So, will the same demographic be equally outraged that a white person wanted to portray black characters - that are not even fictional?

I will be curious to see reactions on this one:

SAN DIEGO (CN) — A actress and playwright claims the San Diego County Library violated the Civil Rights Act by cancelling her one-person show that included performances of Black historical figures like Mary McLeod Bethune, and Harriet Tubman because she’s white.

In her one-person play, Annette Hubbell performs as a number of famous historical women, including 17th century Puritan poet Anne Bradstreet, Irish Christian missionary Amy Carmichael, abolitionist Harriet Tubman and others, she says in her complaint filed in San Diego federal court on Friday.

In May 2023, Hubbell netted a contract with San Diego County to perform her play in any or all of the county’s 33 branches. According to Hubbell, in December 2023, a manager at one branch requested Hubbell perform as three specific historical characters: Tubman, educator and activist Mary McLeod Bethune and Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin for $280.

Months later in March 2024, the same manager requested that she not perform as Tubman and McLeod Bethune, both of whom were Black, because they were uncomfortable with Hubbell, who is white, performing Black characters, Hubbell claims.

Hubbell refused and the library cancelled her performance, Hubbell says.

White playwright sues San Diego library for not letting her perform as Black historical figures

Annette Hubbell says a San Diego library manager initially asked her to perform as two Black historical figures in her one-person play and then backed out when they felt uncomfortable.

www.courthousenews.com

Is this a clear cut case of discrimination against a white person? I am sure someone is going to suggest that. What say you all?

 

[daeler]

I am always irritated by the changes to people in stories, I might skip a few movies depending on reviews, but some people have the acting ability to pull off the change enough that it doesn't completely ruin the movie.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

I am always irritated by the changes to people in stories, I might skip a few movies depending on reviews, but some people have the acting ability to pull off the change enough that it doesn't completely ruin the movie.

My take: a black actress playing a white fictional character is one thing but a white actress playing a real, historic black person is quite another.
Who said mermaids have to be white? But Harriet Tubman was black, so surely they can find a black actress to play her part.

 

[daeler]

My take: a black actress playing a white fictional character is one thing but a white actress playing a real, historic black person is quite another.
Who said mermaids have to be white? But Harriet Tubman was black, so surely they can find a black actress to play her part.

Sure, if you want to narrow it down to just those 2 instances.

If you read books it becomes kind of crazy how people are cast. Take the new harry potter remakes, they are casting a black person to play Severus Snape. He is fictional as well, but the description in the book makes him a Sallow skinned person. It doesn't make a huge difference but it is kind of jarring.

If you look at the political side, the problem with pushing a white person in a black role is one of discrimination, while the opposite is not true. The same is true with many nationalities. There are generally fewer black roles so people feel that they should be filled by black people when they come up.

Not sure how it all comes out with the numbers but generally politics pushes a different narrative.

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

but generally politics pushes a different narrative.

Hence why I posted this in political discussions.

 

[Jezcoe]

I personally have no problem with it.

I think that it is silly for a white woman to play Harriet Tubman… but also not knowing the context of the play, it is hard to make an informed determination

 

[Pound4abrown]

Let's get the ball rolling, shall we?

I put this in the political discussion section rather than arts and entertainment because of the political slant of the story.

We have ALL read and heard about how a certain demographic gets wildly upset when a fictional character is portrayed as black instead of white as in the outrage we all read when Disney put out a black mermaid.

So, will the same demographic be equally outraged that a white person wanted to portray black characters - that are not even fictional?

I will be curious to see reactions on this one:

White playwright sues San Diego library for not letting her perform as Black historical figures

Annette Hubbell says a San Diego library manager initially asked her to perform as two Black historical figures in her one-person play and then backed out when they felt uncomfortable.

www.courthousenews.com

Is this a clear cut case of discrimination against a white person? I am sure someone is going to suggest that. What say you all?

So a reverse Hamilton?
Are they going to awkwardly try to rap as well?

 

[americanwoman]

My take: a black actress playing a white fictional character is one thing but a white actress playing a real, historic black person is quite another.
Who said mermaids have to be white? But Harriet Tubman was black, so surely they can find a black actress to play her part.

Yeah kinda like the "Santa is white" BS. There is a huge different between a fictional and real person.

 

[roguenuke]

My take: a black actress playing a white fictional character is one thing but a white actress playing a real, historic black person is quite another.
Who said mermaids have to be white? But Harriet Tubman was black, so surely they can find a black actress to play her part.

this is just one woman playing all these characters. Sounds like she might put on little skits in front of a small audience (this is a library) to bring historical characters more to life.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as it does seem that there could be a case here but also that there could be more to the story. I kinda wonder if she perhaps was putting on makeup or something that attempted to identify her as black while playing those characters. that could easily be seen as offensive.

I think we need more info about this.

 

[vanceen]

It's very hard to see this as a big deal either way.

When I've watched things with "changed" racial casting, I usually only notice it for a few minutes, then the character is just the character.

I don't like it when it feels as if casting has been done to teach me some kind of lesson. No thanks. But apart from that, who cares?

 

[SNOWFLAKE]

this is just one woman playing all these characters. Sounds like she might put on little skits in front of a small audience (this is a library) to bring historical characters more to life.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one, as it does seem that there could be a case here but also that there could be more to the story. I kinda wonder if she perhaps was putting on makeup or something that attempted to identify her as black while playing those characters. that could easily be seen as offensive.

I think we need more info about this.

Either black face or playing Harriet Tubman as a white woman. Depends on the audience, if any are black themselves, they could easily be offended. Wouldn't be too much to ask a black woman to just play those two black parts, unless Hubbell insists on making this a one person show.

 

[roguenuke]

Either black face or playing Harriet Tubman as a white woman. Depends on the audience, if any are black themselves, they could easily be offended. Wouldn't be too much to ask a black woman to just play those two black parts, unless Hubbell insists on making this a one person show.

I do agree that simply asking for help may be a better option, not sure though if she's getting paid, which can influence that decision.

 

[Tettsuo]

If the race of the character is integral to the characterization, then the race is too important to alter.