How big a deal is race in theatre?

Question: How big a deal is race in theatre!?

If your trying out for a role and it requires a different skin color, how big a deal of it is it!? If a white person auditions for the role of a latino or asian is it as big of a deal if they try out for the role of a black person!? I'm curious because it seems like a thing that can be easily fixed but might offend some people!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

This is a really delicate question, and I don't have much of an answer to the dilemma!. But here are a few of the issues: There are very few roles written specifically for Asian or Hispanic actors!. You would think that if a race was not specified for part, directors could cast anyone, but in fact that doesn't happen as much as it should (called open casting--and the same is true for casting women in parts where it doesn't matter, too!.) So actors of color are limited to parts written specifically for them, there aren't enough parts, and it is rather galling when one of those few parts is played by a white actor!. There was a big conflict between Actor's Equity and the Miss Saigon director several years ago, because the director wanted to give a leading role to an Englishman, not an Asian actor!.

The downside of only using actors of the specified race is that it might mean that the play gets produced less!. A theater in NY can always find auditioners of every background, but a college theater in Iowa can't!. So do they avoid Roosters because they don't want a white actress playing a caricatured Latina!?

I would avoid ever doing black-face!. I think it is more offensive than a white person playing another race, because there's a historical context there of American theater demeaning blacks!. If a white actor plays a black character, they should be very, very careful about avoiding caricature!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i dont think so, i think an asian person played the role of the hispanic guy in a chorus line on broadway!.
im asian, and i get the most random roles so i dont think race really matters!.Www@QuestionHome@Com