For as long as I can remember, conversations about representation in theater have focused on casting ~ specifically, about casting actors who share the identity of the characters they portray. It’s a discussion that spans issues of representation, respect, and authenticity, invoking terms like "yellowface" and "whitewashing." As a former actor in community theatre and, for the last 10 years, as BroadwayWorld’s senior contributing editor and lead theatre critic in the Phoenix Metro area, I’ve weighed in on this issue from time to time — because I believe its resolution is vital to the future of theatre. So, here I go again.
While casting practices have evolved (albeit, too slowly and not enough), it seems to me that a more fundamental issue remains largely unaddressed: that the selection of plays remains strikingly homogeneous, especially on Broadway and in regional theaters.
Read the entire commentary on Substack In The Center Lane With Herb Paine →
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