Actors refused to 'Brown-Up'.

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail....efusing-black-up.html

Since it seems obvious this theatre group had no dark skinned actors to play these parts, were the organisers wrong to ask white actors to use dark brown make-up, so as to make them look like South Sea Islanders?

[anotheoldgit]

My remark regarding using gays instead of straight actors was in reply to this

/// I would say really it is more about equal opportunities than human rights. I really dislike TV progs that use able-bodied actors to portray disabled characters, when there are disabled actors desperate for work. For example, the 'blind' female character on Emmerdale. ///

So I can't quite see why rojash, made a good point, mrs-overall.

[mrs_overall]

Matter of personal opinion AOG

[chaptazbru]

Nor can I AOG.

[naomi24]

Jno, //Perhaps they could try hiring a few brown people?//

This is an amateur group – and since amateur groups don’t hire actors they often find it difficult to attract people who will do it for nothing. Hence they make the best of what they have, and if that means using make-up to achieve the desired effect, that’s what they do.

[Zeuhl]

Perhaps they should have been more creative and 're-imagined' the story near Yeovil.

A young american serving at a wartime base in SW england falls for a peat-digger's daughter.

The songs would need some adjustments; are The Worzels still going?

[anotheoldgit]

Close Gromit

http://www.lamaisonsh...D300x300%5Bekm%5D.jpg

[sasskins]

No AOG - actors would not have to put there sexual orientation on their CV's, the actor's have the choice to audition/accept any part that is beyond their capacity.

[dave50]

Anyone else here sick to death of hearing about alleged racism? Some people are obsessed with it. I'm sure these people go out of their way to find it in every situation they possibly can and I bet the vast majority are liberal whites who feel it is their duty to be offended on the behalf of others.

[naomi24]

Zeuhl, haaaa! your finale there made me snort with laughter - and snorting is something I'm not accustomed to doing. :o)

[naomi24]

Dave, //Anyone else here sick to death of hearing about alleged racism? //

Yes, me - and every other alleged 'ism'. I'm sick of people taking 'offence' at every opportunity!

[Zeuhl]

I am amused that the idea of bringing in some 'brown actors' would be better.

If polynesian actors aren't available, why would it be any better for their parts to be portrayed by afro-caribbeans/asians etc pretending to be polynesian than white people pretending to be polynesian.

Isn't it all governed by an ability to make an audience suspend disbelief anyway?

[naomi24]

Zeuhl, //why would it be any better for their parts to be portrayed by afro-caribbeans/asians etc pretending to be polynesian than white people pretending to be polynesian.//

Errr .... pass.

[sp1814]

I wonder exactly what kind of make-up the director had in mind?

Let's say he'd provided curly wigs, thick prosthetic lips and clip-on bones (to adorn noses) - the actors would be well within their rights to say, "This looks ridiculous".

Now - say the colour they were asked to put on was a very dark brown...rather than enhancing the naturalism of the play, it would become a distraction, and may even cause people to laugh along the lines of:

"I've seen South Pacific, and at no point were the Black & White Minstrels involved".

Personally, if I went to see a performance of South Pacific (and I wouldn't because I think it's an awful musical), I would know which are the natives and which are the sailors based on who were wearing grass skirts and who was in white uniforms.

[sp1814]

Oh, and with regard to the straight actors playing gay roles...it's only fair, seeing as there are so many gay actors playing straight roles...you just don't know who they are...!

[naomi24]

sp, //the actors would be well within their rights to say, "This looks ridiculous".//

That's a different thing entirely. The actors here aren't saying 'this looks ridiculous', are they.

[Zeuhl]

sp

I think then the point is that there is nothing intrinsically wrong in theatre about people pretending to be what they are not; even if that involves wigs and make up.

The issue is how well it is done.

An inherent problem in my experience with white people 'blacking up' is that it usually looks unconvincing and ridiculous.

[sp1814]

naomi24

But isn't that what she's saying here:

"We would have been happy to have had a light tan colour but the darkness of the paint was totally inappropriate"

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me. People from the South Pacific, and specifically, the characters in the film South Pacific were not black! They have the same skin tones as Malaysians.

[sp1814]

Zeuhl

Exactly - only when it's done well, and that's rare - does it not become a distraction.

Angelina Jolie pulled it off when she played Marianne Pearl in 'A Mighty Heart' as did Robert Downey Jnr (for reasons of comedy) in 'Tropic Thunder'. Eddie Murphy was convincing as an elderly Jewish chap in 'Coming To America' but most of the time, because of physiological differences it's difficult to play other races (without heavy prosthetics).

[sandyRoe]

And then there was the time an armed robber was described as looking like the boxer, Nigel Benn.
The Sun ran the story with a picture of the boxer and added that the thief looked like this.
Soon after some old git tried to effect a citizens arrest.
You couldn't make it up.

[Zeuhl]

Ben Kingsley could have done it - he's Indian and he made that lovely film about Gay Andy