EDITOR’S NOTE: In a statement made by Spotlight Youth Theatre, “Roosters” had to postpone its first weekend of performances due to a cast member testing positive for COVID-19. Two extra shows were added to the second weekend of performances, including on Monday, July 29. The text version of this story has been updated to reflect the new opening date.
There’s a well-known phrase in the theater community, and that is: The show must go on. And seven months after a controversial cancellation, that is exactly what is happening with a local production of the play “Roosters.”
“Roosters” is a drama about a Hispanic-American family living in the Southwest. And it’s a play that director Chris R. Chávez has been trying to bring to Valley audiences for the better part of a year.
His first attempt was with Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre, which hired him to direct the production. Chávez set out to have an all-Latino cast.
Then came the controversy. When a white actress is accidently cast to play a Mexican-American girl, is recasting the role considered discrimination? That was the moral and legal quandary that led Desert Stages Theatre's Board of Directors to cancel the play. It was also a decision that divided the Arizona theater community.
Chávez says, in the aftermath, a few other theaters reached out offering to produce it.
“I wanted to be sure that this was going to be done by a theater that would do it correctly and handle it well [and] also be supportive of the BIPOC community, Latino Community and make sure that we did it right,” Chávez said.
I wanted to be sure that this was going to be done by a theater that would do it correctly and handle it well ...Chris R. Chávez
Enter Teatro Bravo!, a theater company that sees itself as a “safe space for Latine theatre.” That company and Spotlight Youth Theatre came together to re-produce “Roosters.” It’s the first time in Spotlight’s nearly 20-year history that it’s co-producing a show made up of adults.
Kenny Grossman is the artistic director for Spotlight, which was hosting a summer camp during this interview.
“We know that the show got canceled and a couple of the people that were involved with the show are very close to us here at Spotlight,” Grossman said. “And so they expressed their disappointment for the show being canceled and not being able to do the show, so I made the suggestion ‘hey why don’t you guys do the show here.’”
Grossman says the theater community in Arizona is small but mighty.
“I like to consider all the other theaters in the community as peers and not competitors and I hope that everybody else does the same,” Grossman said. “And whenever there’s an issue or a problem, the [theater] community always steps up to help each other out.”
Some actors in the current production of “Roosters” were brought on from the Desert Stages version. Chávez says four roles had to be recast because of scheduling issues. The costume designer remained the same and Chávez is co-directing “Roosters” with Ricky Araiza, who heads Teatro Bravo!.
In a statement, Araiza said he felt a responsibility to produce the show.
He also said: “The reality is, whether the theatre community wants to believe it or not, we as Latine artists are treated with disrespect time and time again. There are few companies that actually take the time to center our artists and our experiences.”
The head of Desert Stages Theatre’s Board of Directors, Bill Watson, says their decision to cancel “Roosters” was the best option to stand by their organization’s non-discrimination policy and to “help protect those involved.”
“I won’t attribute it to anyone, but I will say that it was to ensure that we did not put ourselves at risk for legal action,” Watson said.
When Chávez originally cast the actors for Desert Stages, he believed they all were Latino. But when one of the actresses informed him that she was not — he recast the role with someone who was. Chávez says he was told the mom of the teen actress complained of discrimination.
Production was paused for 10 days as the theater’s board of directors decided what to do.
“In the future I think we would definitely handle that a little bit differently in that we would work to have a conversation with the cast,” Watson said.
In the future I think we would definitely handle that a little bit differently in that we would work to have a conversation with the cast.Bill Watson
The original casting call did not specify for Latino actors, only that the characters were Mexican American. Watson says that caused confusion and a lesson learned for the future.
“If you are looking for something very specific then just be transparent and open about what you are looking for,” Watson said.
Desert Stages' board has since shrunk in size. Watson says some left because of the fallout.
“I will also say that we had some board members that left the board because they were singled out by members of the [theater] community and it was causing a rift to their business life,” Watson said.
He did not specify who.
Stephanie Yampolsky, Desert Stages' executive director, says they are looking into how they phrase audition notices, and she started a dialogue with an attorney about discrimination.
Both Yampolsky and Watson expressed their happiness that “Roosters” still gets to be seen elsewhere.
“And I plan on seeing it myself. And I only wish them the best of luck,” Yampolsky said.
The new production of “Roosters” opens July 26 on the Spotlight Youth Theatre mainstage.
