Browned off luvvies!

I have a very faint personal interest in this story on two counts.  First, I am an amateur 'luvvie' myself although not of the operatic sort.  Secondly, this particular 'luvvie' outfit is based in Yeovil which is just down the road from me.  I will allow The Daily Mail to give the essence of the story:

Actors in an amateur dramatics society claim they were booted off the cast of their latest production - after they refused to 'black up'.

Disgusted Ros Broad was horrified when cast members were ordered to coat their faces in ‘mahogany brown’ make-up for famous musical South Pacific.

 When she and three other actors refused to don the face paint they were ‘shown the door’, she claims.

I offer you a photograph of Mrs. Ros Broad only to indicate that blacked up or not she would have to be a terrific actress to convince me that she was a South Sea Islander!

For a start she would have to dye her hair black or hire a good wig!  There seems to be some confusion on her part as to exactly what she was complaining about.  In one paragraph she is quoted as saying:

'We just couldn’t believe we were asked to do it in this day and age - it is just not acceptable. Four of us felt uncomfortable and offended.

So it was a matter of principle, then?  Well, not exactly:

'We were only going to be on stage for around four minutes but there appeared to be no willingness to compromise on the darkness of the make-up.

'We would have been happy to have had a light tan colour but the darkness of the paint was totally inappropriate. Morally it is unacceptable and ethically it is indefensible.

Oh, I see, the Obama principle - tan is good, black is, er, not so good!  What a sigh of relief the director must have exhaled when this dimwit marched off stage never to return.

These days, of course, theatre makes huge demands on the imagination of their audiences.   A few years ago I saw an RSC production of Twelfth Night in which Viola was a pretty English girl and her twin brother was Indian!  Virtually every Shakespearean history play I see has one or two Earls of this or Dukes of that who are as black as ebony.  I don't care how often anyone chides me for my political incorrectness, like a tiny pebble in your shoe it is both a distraction and an irritation.  All theatre relies on an audience using its imagination because, of course, the entire process is one of subterfuge and pretence, but it is important that directors and actors help an audience along the way, not hurl obvious impediments in their path.

 

Comments

[dearieme]

"For a start she would have to dye her hair black": no, no, no. Hilariously, all she'd have to do is stop dyeing it blonde.

[David Duff]

Bitchy, DM, bitchy!

[Whyaxye]

"We would have been happy to have had a light tan colour but the darkness of the paint was totally inappropriate. Morally it is unacceptable and ethically it is indefensible"

My wife said something similar after I painted the attic bedroom. Everyone should know that you can't go wrong with magnolia.

[BenB]

Maybe this is a generational thing, I've also seen plenty of Shakespeare histories where "one or two Earls of this or Dukes of that who are as black as ebony". I've never really had that much of a problem with it. Seems no more anachronistic than changing the setting from that of the time (of the history) or the mish-mash of dates the costume and props that were apparently used in "Shakespeare's day".

Perhaps it's because I went to a school and grew up in a more racially divergent Britain than would have been true a couple of years before while you were at school / growing up?

[David Duff]

Ah yes, 'W', 'builder's cream' so restful!

Now look here, 'Ben B', if you want to work with me again just remember what I taught you - the director is always right! Also, I don't want to overstate the case, I am talking about irritation rather than grand principle.

[dearieme]

A brown Earl of Bradford is a bit different from a brown twin of a white person. You can suspend the disbelief only so far. And to youngish people a white Earl of Bradford might seem odd.

[Andra]

Well, if she was going to play the part of Bloody Mary I don't think she would have been very convincing.
This evil looking cow warbling "Bali Hai" wouldn't make me want to run away to Tahiti.
The only other parts for a "person of colour" would be the two children as far as my memory serves me and she wouldn't be much chop as a little Polynesian girl either.
Oh, to hell with the bitch. Tell her to go and join a stock company of "Oklahoma".
I don't really know what a "luvvie" is but I doubt very much that I want to be one.
Why do you want to be a "luvvie?"
In less than 50 words would be nice.

[David Duff]

Sorry, Andra, I'd forgotten that you no longer speak English 'down under there'. 'Luvvies' is a generic term describing actors and actresses. It arose, I suppose, from their habit of over-using the word 'love', as in , "Didn't you just love my performance", and that sort of thing.

[Dulux]

What a bunch of vitriolic old tarts!

[David Duff]

Er, is that us or them?

[Ma'am Dram]

Love your take on this. Too too true.

[David Duff]

Thanks, Ma'am!