Is It Wrong For A White Person To Portray a Black Slave In A Play?

[Janice Johnson]

This is my new Dave story. :) here is part 1!:D


Disclaimer: This will be a very short part. VERY SHORT!!!!!!!!!!!!!


In my school, Marshall Johnson Academy prep school for boys, the drama teacher Mr. Oleander, was having a play about White slave owners and African slaves. The play was set in 1820, in Georgia. I read the script, and I found that I wanted to be Tukus Alu, a slave. I felt I really connected to Tukus. I went up to Mr. Oleander and asked if I could read for Tukus. Mr. oleander looked at me in surprise. "Are you MAD, Dave? How can you play Tukus?

The reason he looked at me in surprise is because I am a White American boy. Tukus was a black man.

"No, I am not mad. I just want to read for Tukus," I told him softly.

"You're WHITE", Mr. Oleander said. "That would look awkward," he continued. "Why don't you play a slave owner?" He asked me.

"I don't want to play a slave owner. I want to play the slave," I answered.


Mr. Oleander stared at me for a long time, then sighed. "Okay, Dave, I'll let you read some for the part."


I squealed happily.



I took the script and read some of it it, as if I were Tukus. I read, "The White man took my ancestors from our beautiful motherland, Africa and forced us to work for him. I was born into slavery and I am now 20 years old, and have never known even one day of freedom. How I wish I had the freedom my ancestors once knew, over 100 hundred years ago. Oh, how I despise the White people. But, my mother tells me not to despise them and to love them instead. how can i love someone who improsoned me and my family unfairly? They even took my father away from us and sold him up the river. Now I only have memories of him. "

I conveyed real pain in my voice as I read this. I read it like I was a real slave.

Mr. Oleander looked pleasantly surprised. "Dave, you seem to really connect to the character. But,.... it would be awkward to have a White person talking like this. I'll have to let other people audition for this part."

"But, I'm great for this part!" I shouted emotionally.


"Sorry, but you do not look the part," Mr. Oleander said, softly.

I knew what he meant by that. I wasn't Black, so I wouldn't look right.

"Thank you for letting me read the part out loud," I told him sadly and softly.


"You're welcome," he told me with a reluctant face.


I left, sadly.

[MickeyMac]

I think a black slave should be played by a black actor. Thats just my take.

[Pus$y Galore]

To me, playing another race has never worked. Checkout some of the old hollywood movies (and even M*A*S*H at times) where they'd have some white guy trying to play Japanese or something. There's plenty of actors of all races to go around nowadays.
I still laugh when I think they used a southern Italian guy to play the crying Native Indian in the old littering commercial.


Put it this way Janice - two words......WHITE CHICKS. ;)

[Brad Russ]

I can't say if it's wrong or right, who am I to judge? I do know though that it's something that I would stear clear from, and would probably find distasteful to say the very least. More important than my feelings though, I can only imagine how some black people would feel about that. I see no problem with a white person playing a black person, or vice versa, I just think when you're dealing with something as serious as slavery, you have to be very careful. That's obviously a very sensitive subject. That's my opinion for what it's worth.

[MrCleveland]

To me, playing another race has never worked. Checkout some of the old hollywood movies (and even M*A*S*H at times) where they'd have some white guy trying to play Japanese or something. There's plenty of actors of all races to go around nowadays.
I still laugh when I think they used a southern Italian guy to play the crying Native Indian in the old littering commercial.


Put it this way Janice - two words......WHITE CHICKS. ;)

Here's what I have to say...

Unless your name is Al Jolson or Eddie Cantor...DON'T go for it!

[Penny Lane]

To me, playing another race has never worked. Checkout some of the old hollywood movies (and even M*A*S*H at times) where they'd have some white guy trying to play Japanese or something. There's plenty of actors of all races to go around nowadays.
I still laugh when I think they used a southern Italian guy to play the crying Native Indian in the old littering commercial.


Put it this way Janice - two words......WHITE CHICKS. ;)



Haha! John Wayne played Ghengis Khan in "The Conqueror":crazy:

[MonarC]

How about not doing a play about slavery at all.

[JAlanRuss72]

I can't say if it's wrong or right, who am I to judge? I do know though that it's something that I would stear clear from, and would probably find distasteful to say the very least. More important than my feelings though, I can only imagine how some black people would feel about that. I see no problem with a white person playing a black person, or vice versa, I just think when you're dealing with something as serious as slavery, you have to be very careful. That's obviously a very sensitive subject. That's my opinion for what it's worth.

Agreed.

[OH Nuts!]

I suppose in theory a white male could do this BUT I think everyone would be so focused on the fact that the actor was white. I also think its likely to stir up a lot of resentment and offend sensitivities- and I do think these need to be factored in. So unless the actor is willing to face a lot of ILL sentiment AND is a DAMN good actor - good enough in fact to so mesmerise an audience that they forget he's white - he should skip it.

[Janice Johnson]

Oh my god. Around the time I was writing this story, I watched an episode of Sister Sister called, " Kid In Play." This WHITE girl(really White) was auditioning for a role of a black girl, and she read from the script, "I'm just a poor black girl from the slums." The director said, "NEXT!":lol:

[JamesG]

To me, playing another race has never worked. Checkout some of the old hollywood movies (and even M*A*S*H at times) where they'd have some white guy trying to play Japanese or something. There's plenty of actors of all races to go around nowadays.
I still laugh when I think they used a southern Italian guy to play the crying Native Indian in the old littering commercial.


Put it this way Janice - two words......WHITE CHICKS. ;)

One of my "favorites" has to be Mickey Rooney as "Mr. Yunioshi" in Breakfast at Tiffany's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwlkAk8bd5c

[Stuck In The '70's]

Haha! John Wayne played Ghengis Khan in "The Conqueror":crazy:
I like John Wayne but that role was embarrassing. :lol:

[Janice Johnson]

I guess it could be awkward to have Dave, a White boy play a Black slave. It would be like a Black person playing a Ku Klux Klan member. Maybe not. I doubt any Black person would touch the KKK with a 10 foot pole. The KKK is just nasty. :eek:

[Pus$y Galore]

I guess it could be awkward to have Dave, a White boy play a Black slave. It would be like a Black person playing a Ku Klux Klan member. Maybe not. I doubt any Black person would touch the KKK with a 10 foot pole. The KKK is just nasty. :eek:


As would most whites these days - I sure wouldn't want to portray a Klan member. And yah, you're sort of right with that comparison. It would be too distracting at the very least.

[Pus$y Galore]

Haha! John Wayne played Ghengis Khan in "The Conqueror":crazy:


OMG - I forgot about that movie!! ROFL

Also - Yul Brynner playing the King of Siam in "The King and I"!

[Stuck In The '70's]

As would most whites these days - I sure wouldn't want to portray a Klan member. And yah, you're sort of right with that comparison. It would be too distracting at the very least.
That reminds me of an episode of the Jeffersons were Tom and George were trying to join the klan but they didn't know it was the klan. George kept telling them that he agreed with everything they stood for. :lol:

[Janice Johnson]

I guess a closer contrast according to the story would be a Black person playing a White slave owner. That might be even more contraversial than a White boy playing a Black slave.

[Janice Johnson]

Hmm. Maybe I am a little wrong. I once heard a Black guy say that he wanted to join the KKK and he sounded and looked serious. :O

[Janice Johnson]

First Disclaimer. This might be one of the longest "parts" I've ever posted. I am giving you a fair warning on how long this part is......:) ;)

Second disclaimer. This part has some very sensitive material in it. Read with your own caution.......;)



I went home. I felt horrible that I couldn’t get the part of Tukus just because I was White. What racial discrimination! I really wanted that part! “What a BITCH Mr. Oleander is! He’s a BITCH!” I cried angrily to myself. I lied down on my bed and cried.


“I should be Tukus! “ I cried angrily to myself. If I had been Black, that part would have been mine! I cried for a few more minutes, then got up and called my brother Jack on the phone.


“Hey, Dave,” Jack answered me.


“Hi, Jack,” I answered him.


“What’s up?” Jack asked.


“Jack, do you think it’s wrong for a White boy to play a slave?” I asked him.


“That might make Black people upset,” Jack said softly. “Why do you ask?” Jack asked me.


“I wanted to play a slave, and I was REALLY good at my reading for the part, but I was rejected because I’m White,” I answered Jack.


“Isn’t that racial discrimination?” Jack asked me.


“I thought so too,” I answered.


Jack took a long pause. “Dave, are you sure you could do the part without offending Black people?” He asked me softly.


“Yes, I’m sure,” I answered him.


“So, go to another audition,” Jack urged me.


“Yeah, maybe I will,” I told him.


“Good, “Jack told me. We chatted a while, and then hung up.


Jack is my younger brother, and he’s 14. He was adopted from birth because our parents could only afford to raise our older brother, Ryan, and me at the time. Jack and I met when he transferred to Marshall Johnson. We became really close friends; even before I found out he was my brother. Jack was transferred to another school by all four parents after he got raped and attempted suicide, however. I’m Dave Winston by the way, and I’m 15.


Oh, well, back to the subject. I went to the auditorium too see what the next day for auditions for the role of Tukus would be. I found out it would be tomorrow! I was determined to audition for Tukus!


The next day, I went to the auditorium to audition for Tukus. Mr. Oleander saw me and gave me an exasperated sigh. ‘Look, Dave, you already auditioned for the role of Tukus, yesterday. You were great, but you’re White,” he said.


“No, I didn’t audition,” I said. “I only read for the part. I didn’t audition.”


Mr. Oleander sighed again. “Fine, you can audition. This time there were 5 other people auditioning for the role of Tukus. They were all Black people.


I felt a knot in my stomach. They were all eligible to get the role of Tukus. They “looked” the part. They were all lackluster in their audition, however. When it was my turn to audition, I put my very soul and heart into the audition. You could actually believe I was a slave in 1820. I blew these Black auditioners out of the water. I read the lines like a true slave.


After me, Mr. Oleander still said that he had to audition more people.


“Are you crazy, Mr. Oleander?” I should be Tukus!” I blew the audition right out of the water!” I screamed emotionally.


“Sorry, but you’re White,” he told me again.


I left, angrily. “Fu Mr. Oleander! I yelled to myself. “He doesn’t know a good thing when he sees it!”


I found out that the next audition would be in two days. Two days later, I got out my Star Wars costume. I put it on. I would go audition in my BLACK Dark Invader costume. I went to the audition.


Mr. Oleander looked at me curiously. So did all of the other auditioners. “Hi, I’m the Dark Invader from the Star Wars movie. I am here to audition for the role of Tukus,” I said.


Mr. Oleander said, “Dave, I already told you. You were great, but I can’t really give the role to a White person. He looked a little fed up with me.


“But, I’m Black now,” I said. “I’m dressed in a Black Dark Invader costume!”


“Dave, I know that you love this Tukus character a lot. Enough to put on this costume. But, having a White person play this role just won’t fly,” he told me.


“Can I audition again?” I asked him.


“Sure,” he told me reluctantly.


I auditioned again, stronger than the last two times. I was GREAT again. I WAS Tukus, no matter if I got the audition or not. The other auditioners were wooden.


After the audition, Mr. Tukus shook his head again. “None of you guys are my Tukus. The only one who I could possibly give the Tukus role to is a White boy, which really doesn’t fit into the BLACK slave role,” he said with special emphasis, looking in my direction. He looked upset. “I need to find my Tukus!” He said, sounding destitute.


“I’m right here!” I told him. “I AM Tukus” I shouted.


“Yeah, but you’re not Black, no matter what costume you put on,” Mr. Oleander said.


“Fine, but someday, you’re gonna need me for this role,” I told him. I walked out in a huff.


Later that day, a few Black people weren’t too happy that I had shown up in a villain’s costume saying that I was Black.


Patrick Jensen said, “That was tasteless of you to imply that Black people are evil.” He narrowed his eyes.


“I didn’t mean any harm (I was now in my regular clothes). “I just wanted to appear Black,” I said, holding up my hands in surrender. I didn’t want any trouble.


The Black people stared at me coldly. “How would you like it if I wore a KKK outfit and said that I was White?” Shawn Erickson asked me coldly.


I laughed uncomfortably. The Ku Klux Klan isn’t something you Black people would want to play with. They are nasty people. I’m White, and even I wouldn’t play with the KKK. Let alone if I were Black,” I said.


Martin Allenson said, “You racist cracker. You would dress up in a villain’s costume saying that you are Black, and then say, “You Black people.” He looked angry.


The other people followed Martin’s suit and begun to call me “Whitey Cracker.” The chanted that name so many times, and begun telling me that I was a prejudiced jackass and I got fed up.


“Screw you you Ni!..... I started then said,’ooh…..” I stopped myself just in time. I was about to call them Nig…… (You now the word that rhymes with “Bigger” and stars with an “N). The word Black people don’t like White people to call them. Anyway, I used to call them that word when I was little and assumed that word was a good word to call them since I heard them calling each other that all the time. My mother told me that was a derogatory term, and told me to stop using that word. I made a promise to her to never call Black people that again. I kept that promise for 7 years. I ALMOST broke that promise today.


All of the Black people had heard that syllable. They got really angry. “This bitch just called us…Nig……! Shawn said, angrily. “We can have his ass suspended!”


“No, I didn’t,” I said. I didn’t call you the “N” word,” I told them. You didn’t hear that word come out of my mouth,” I said.


“You said,” Ni.” Andy Brandon said. “So what was the whole word going to be?” he asked me with an angry gleam in his eye.


“It could have been, “Negro”, I said. “Negro” just means “Black person.” Nothing offensive about that word,” I said. It’s different from the other word close to that word, which also starts with an N, but is highly offensive.” I said. Or I could have been calling you “Knicks” as in the New York Knicks.” I said.


“That last one doesn’t make any sense,” Andy said. “We know you were about to call us Nig……..”


“You didn’t even hear the whole word,” I stated. I smirked.


Shawn said, “Do you know how difficult it would be to watch some White cracker playing a Black slave? That would be a slap in the face to all Black people, since your family, the White Crackers stole us from Africa to work for you. Now, you’re gonna pretend to be like a Black person? He looked livid.


I got livid too. “Hey, what a minute. I am NOT a descendant from slave owners! You look at me and just assume that I came from slave owners!” I was angry as hell. My family didn’t even come to America until the 50’s!” I shouted.


“All White American people are descendants from slave owners,” Andy said, matter-of factly.


“You see? If I said, “All Black people are illiterate, ghetto hood rats, I’d be writhing on the floor,” I told him. “You can’t just tell me a stereotype like that. Do you even know where the name Winston comes from? I asked him. “It comes from England. My family is from England, and my family got started in 1870, years after slavery in America, anyway,” I told them coldly.


We had a few more arguments, and then I walked away.

[TheGreatPretender]

Lol, sadly minstreslsy is one of the roots of musical theater, people parading around in blackface-but that was portraying slaves in a VERY unflattering light, with a malicious intent. I believe if I'm not mistaken, that is where we got the songs "Camptown Ladies" and "Jimmy Crack Corn", I remember reading in musical theater class the lyrics to a song "Goodbye White Folks"

I guess Kermit thinks he is a minstrel too, but a much nicer one ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5JmgepLjKfA

[Janice Johnson]

Dave showing up in a villain`s costume saying that he was Black wasn`t his brightest idea. :P Especially when he can`t even pronounce the name of the villain correctly. :P. When I first heard about Star Wars, I thought that his name sounded a lot like Dark Invader, and that name does fit his evil personality. I later found out his name was Darth Vader. :D

[Janice Johnson]

They weren't done with me yet, however.


"We're not done talking to you yet," Andy said. He looked angry.


"Loook, I don't want any trouble," I told them. "I didn't mean to upset you."


"Well, you did upset us," martin said coldly.


"I'm sorry," I told them.


They stared at me with embittered eyes. "What did I get myself into?" I wondered.


Andy said, "You White people have it so easy," and scoffed at me.


"White people have it easy?" I asked him incredulous. "No, we don't. "YOU guys have it easy," I said.


"Easy? We get ONE month of Black History, and it's the shortest month of the year, even on leap year," Andy scoffed. The others nodded.


"Oh wa wa," I said, sarcastically. "You guys have a whole month of Black History. We Whites get ONE day of White History, July 4th," I scoffed at them. "You guys are lucky you don't have Black History in August, where Hurricanes occur and there are no holidays to celebrate," i said, rolling my eyes.


"What a racist thing to say!" Martin said, loooking angry.


"Oh, "You White people have it so easy," That's NOT Racist at all!" I said, sarcastically.


Shawn said, "Dave, you're a bitch!"


I answered, "You're the bitch!"

[Hollow]

there's nothing immoral about it. it would just be confusing. like a beardless man playing a character with a beard that the other characters keep making references to but doesn't appear to exist. certainly no one would be crying foul over how "disrespectful" it is to men with beards though.

[Janice Johnson]

Disclaimer. Part three is NOT a full part. I only had a few minutes to write part three. Can you tell that I wrote part three in a few minutes? ;) :)

[Tweety]

It's up to the director to cast the parts.

If it is decided to have a white actor playing a black person's part, just understand that there may be consequences, and you all have to decide if you're up to whatever might happen. I'm not suggesting riots or anything, but if word gets out about what's happening, the media could become involved. We live in a youtube world now. Everything is news.


I do have one suggestion... has anyone ever seen the movie "Soul Man"?

imdb - Soul Man (1986) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091991/)

Wikipedia - Soul Man (film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Man_(film))

[Janice Johnson]

The other three were upset.


Shawn said, "Black roles belong to Black actors." he said this coldy.


(Patrick had already left a long while ago). Martin said, "We don't want you to play Tukus."


Andy said, "You aren't even the descendant of slaves." he scoffed. "You wouldn't know the first thing about the torture us Black's ancestors went through with Tukus."

"You guys are just jealous because I am a better Tukus than all of you. And I'm a White American." I smirked at them.


They gave me angry scowls.


Just then, Dean Riley passed by and asked, 'Aren't you supposed to be in class?" to all of us.


"Yes," Martin said, "But, can you answer one question for me? Martin asked Dean Riley.


Dean Riley sighed and said, 'Okay, what is it?"


Martin asked, "What do you think of a White American playing a Black slave?"


"Bitch!" I thought in my mind.

Dean Riley's eyes held an incredulous look. "What? That would be ridiculous," He answered. "What White American is foolhardy enough to attempt that?"


I blushed. "What if the White American is a very good actor? Better than the Black people even?" I asked.


Dean Riley said, "It doesn't matter. That would just be insulting to Black people. it would be VERY offensive."


"Thank you, Dean Riley," Martin said. All three of them smirked at me.


Dean Riley left, and we all went to our classes. felt bad about what Dean Riley had said. I did my assignments sadly.


I found out the next day to audition would be the next day.


The next day, I went to the auditon. This time, I put on a Black Power Ranger outfit.


"I am the Black Power Ranger," I said. "I am here to audtion for the role of Tukus I said.


Mr. Oleander said, "Oh, Dave, give it up," he said. "You've been here to auditon two times already and you read for the part once. Now you're dressed in a Power Ranger outfit to audition again. Once again, you would be a GREAT Tukus, but you're WHITE." You keep coming back, and it's the same thing."


"Well, sometimes you've gotta burn it to the wick," I told him. "If the real thing don't do the trick, you gotta make up something quick," I continued. I got that from two lyrics in Heart's "Barracuda". That's advice I live by. Sometimes you gotta burn it to the wick(never give up until you're finished, and find other alternatives around obstacles.).


"Oh my god,Dave," Mr. Oleander said, looking at me with exasperation. "I can see that you don't want to give this up. I'll make you a deal. You can audition, but this will be your LAST chance to audition. If I do not pick you, you will not be able to audition again. You've gotta be better than EVERYBODY auditioning today. Deal?" he asked me.


I smirked. I already WAS a better Tukus than everyone else who had auditioned.


"Deal," I said, smirking cockily.


10 people auditioned. They were once again wooden. When it was my turn, I gave it my VERY best. I was BETTER than everyone else who had auditoned. I had gotten even STRONGER as auditioning for Tukus. Mr. Oleander looked torn. When my audition was over, a lot of people looked torn. They KNEW I was the BEST Tukus there. I was sure I had this in the bag.


I was SO sure that I would be picked as Tukus. I was sure Mr. Oleander was about to say, "Okay, Dave, you got the part, no matter if you're White."


Just then, Franklin Barry walked in. He was a milk-chocolate skinned lean, 5'6 boy. "I am here for the role of Tukus," he said softly. "BITCH!" I screamed at him in my head.


"The role is still open," Mr. Oleander said, with a look of saved relief. He looked as if Franklin had just given him a ray of hope.


Franklin auditoned for the role of Tukus, and he was REALLY good. Better than ALL of the other Blacks who had auditioned. You could actually belive that he was a slave. I was a better Tukus than he was, but he had one BIG advantage over me. He was Black.


After his audition, Mr. Oleander said, "I've finally found my Tukus." he smiled. "Franklin, you're my Tukus."


Franklin beamed. I said, 'Excuse me," and went to the next room and screamed my lungs out in frustration. Then I came back, nonchalantly, as if nothing had happened.


Everyone looked at me in confusion.


'Congratulations," I told Franklin, lying through my teeth.


Franklin said, 'Thanks," gaurded.

[Janice Johnson]

Mr. Oleander said, “I’m glad you came Franklin. You came just in time.” Mr. Oleander looked happy.

Franklin beamed. “I’m glad to have come,” He said.

“You’re gonna do great as Tukus! “ Mr. Oleander said, smiling.

I was seething with jealousy. Franklin stole the part right out from under me!

“You’re such a bitch!” I told Franklin mentally. Go to hell!” I thought to Franklin.

“Dave, how do you feel about Franklin being Tukus?” Mr. Oleander asked me. I was sure Mr. Oleander was torturing me on purpose.

I said, “Franklin deserves to be Tukus, because he’s been to every goddamn audition for Tukus!” I was embittered, and it showed. “He’s Black, so of course he wins the role.”

Franklin said, “I’m sorry if I am a very good Tukus,” he said snappily.


My face changed. “Franklin, you are a really good Tukus. You really do deserve this part,” I said truthfully. “And it’s not just because you’re Black. I can really believe that you are Tukus,” I said, reluctantly.

“Thank you,” Franklin said.

“You’re welcome,” I answered.

Franklin was now Tukus, and I had to deal with it.

The next day, Mr. Oleander called my name.

“Yes, Mr. Oleander?” I asked him.

“You know, you were a really good Tukus,” he told me softly and reluctantly. “I wish I could have given you the part of Tukus. It’s just that you’re White, like I’ve said so many times. If you were Black, you would have gotten the part. Franklin fits both requirements. I’m sorry,” he said. He really did look sorry.

“I know,” I told him softly.

“But, you’re a good sport, Dave,” he said. “Come to the auditorium after school. I’ve got something good for you,” he added.

“You’re gonna let be Tukus?” I asked, hopefully and half-jokingly.

Mr. Oleander said, “Come on, Dave, you know Franklin is Tukus,” he said with a slight smile.

“Okay,” I said.

After school, I went to the auditorium. I saw Mr. Oleander and Franklin there.

“Hi,” Mr. Oleander said to me. “Hi,” I said.

“Let’s cut to the chase,” Mr. Oleander said. “I called you here, Dave, to tell you that you’re the Tukus understudy.” He smiled at me. “If something happens to Franklin, you will play Tukus.”

Franklin looked at me with a slight smile. Or smirk. “I am sure that nothing will happen to me,” he said, cockily.

Mr. Oleander said, “Franklin, you need an understudy just in case. You two were the best auditioners out of everybody. The other people all stunk in auditions. Since Dave is White, he will be your understudy.”

Franklin and I soon left. As we were walking to our dorms, Franklin said, “I doubt that people will like a White person playing Tukus if something happens to me,” He said, with a sneering smirk.

“Franklin, just be happy that you get to play Tukus,” I said, crossly.

I was annoyed with Franklin. He got the part I wanted. He should be talking about how happy he was to be Tukus, not talking about me as an understudy.

Franklin said, “I’m the star, and you are my understudy,” he said, cockily.

“Are you implying that you’re better than me?” I asked him snappily.

“I won the role, didn’t I?” He smirked at me.

“Because you’re Black!” I yelled at him. “If you were White, you wouldn’t. It’s your skin color that won you the role, besides the fact that you were really good in auditions.”

Franklin said, “You’re jealous of me, aren’t you?” he sneered at me.
“No, I’m not jealous. I’m resentful of you,” I answered.

Franklin said, “Because you didn’t win the part and I did,” He sneered.

“Look Franklin, you won the part. Leave me alone,” I said. I felt harassed.

“You know, I went to one of the auditions and saw you auditioning for Tukus. You looked ridiculous pretending to be a slave, even if you were really good,” Franklin said.

“Look, Franklin, shut up. Go rehearse your lines for the play,” I said. “You are the star now. Why are you attacking me, your understudy?” I asked.

Franklin said, “I will make sure you never get to play Tukus.” He said this to me in a threatening way.

“I wouldn’t speak like that to my understudy,” I told him in a warning tone. “If something “happens” to you, I’m going to play Tukus on stage in the play, like I should have in the first place.”

Franklin said, “You aren’t supposed to play Tukus! You’re a White boy! You should be playing a slave owner!” He looked livid. “I’m qualified for this role!” Franklin continued yelling.

Franklin was really bugging me. “Franklin, you’re a fu….. bitch! You don’t deserve this role! I do!” I yelled, angrily and emotionally to him.

Franklin said, “Why don’t you go back to England and to your KKK meetings there and leave the Black roles to the Black people?” He looked pissed off.

“Why don’t you go back to Africa?” I hissed back at him.

Franklin said, “You fu…. Bitch!” He punched me in my face! I got angry, but knew if I hit him back, I would lose any opportunity I had to play Tukus.

I walked away. Franklin continued to follow me.

“Take back what you said about Africa!” Franklin yelled at me.

“Why? Africa is a beautiful country,” I said. “You would love to live there.”

Franklin pushed me to the ground. “Take it back!” He yelled again at me.

“No! Not until you take back the England/KKK comment!” I yelled back.

“Never!” Franklin yelled. He kicked me in my stomach! Then he jumped on me!

“Get off of me Franklin!” I told him, angrily.

“No! Take back the Africa comment, you fu….. Skinhead! “He yelled. He continued to hit me.

Dean Riley came by and saw Franklin hitting me. “Franklin, get off of Dave!” he ordered.

Franklin got off of me.

Dean Riley said, “Franklin, you’re suspended for 10 days,” he told Franklin softly.

“No!” Franklin cried emotionally. “I can’t play Tukus Alu if I’m suspended!” He began to cry uncontrollably. “Please, Dean Riley,” I’m sorry. I won’t do it again,” he begged.

“It’s up to Dave. If Dave says not to suspend you, I won’t,” Dean Riley said.

Franklin looked at me pleadingly.

I took a slight pause. Maybe Franklin DID deserve to be Tukus, if he had that reaction.

“No, don’t suspend Franklin. It was my fault too. I said something bad to him,” I told Dean Riley.

“Okay, Dean Riley said. “You’re not suspended,” He said to Franklin.

Franklin looked relieved.

Dean Riley asked, “Are you okay?” To me.

“Yes,” I said. He left.

“I take back the Africa comment,” I said.

“I take back the England/KKK/Skinhead comment,” Franklin said. “I’m sorry, he added. “And thank you for not having me suspended,” he said gratefully.

“I accept your apology and I’m sorry too, and you’re welcome,” I said, smiling at him.

He smiled back.

We went to our dorms.

[Janice Johnson]

The next day, rehearsals for A Slave’s Turmoil begun. Franklin was really good. You could actually believe that he was a slave.


“Master Stevens, I’ve picked all the cotton for the day”, Franklin/Tukus told Jerry Knowles, a White boy who played a slave owner.


“You may go to bed now,” Jerry/Master Stevens said.


Under his breath, Franklin said, “I hate being a slave. I wish I could runaway from here and be free.”


“What was that, slave? You wanna runaway?” Jerry/Master Stevens asked with a sneer. He took out a whip and pretended to whip Franklin’s back.


“Ow!” Franklin cried with fake pain. His face contorted. He really did look as if he were being whipped.


Jerry continued to “whip” Franklin/Tukus.


“Please, no more,” Franklin cried. “I’m sorry,” he said with a shaking voice. He began to crawl away.


I didn’t tell you could leave,” Jerry/Master Stevens said. He “whipped” Franklin more. Franklin cried real tears.


“Now, you may go,” Jerry said.


Franklin slithered on the floor. He was a good actor. After rehearsals, I said, “That was a really good rehearsal.”


“Thanks,” Franklin said.


There was a week of rehearsals. Franklin was really good throughout. I watched EVERY rehearsal. People would rather see a Black slave than a White slave.

On opening night, I went to the auditorium. Franklin was looking nervously excited. It was 10 minutes before show time.


In Johnson tradition/superstition, if the understudy spins the main actor counterclockwise three times, the main actor will have good luck. If the understudy spins the actor clockwise, the actor will have bad luck.


I briefly thought of spinning him clockwise, so I could play Tukus on stage, but I decided against it.


“Good luck,” I told Franklin, spinning him counterclockwise three times.


“Thanks, Dave,” he told me, gratefully.


“You’re welcome,” I said.


I went to a seat in the audience to wait for the play to begin.


A few minutes later, the auditorium began filling up. It soon filled up fast, and there were 600 people in the audience.


Two minutes later, the play began.


Franklin started out with his opening monologue. “My family is from the great Alu African tribe. We were brought here by the White people against our will. The White people shackled us up and stole us and put us into dirty, cramped boats to America. Now we live and work for the White people.” Franklin cried, a single tear running down his cheek. “I am Tukus Alu, and I want my family to be free.”


Jerry came out of a room. “Boy, you’re supposed to be picking cotton!” He said, angrily. He got out his whip to beat Franklin/Tukus.


Franklin tried to run, but Jerry/Master Stevens pretended to tie Franklin with rope and pretended to whip him.

“Please, Master Stevens, I’m sorry,” Franklin cried, emotionally.


Jerry/Master Stevens kept beating Franklin/Tukus. Franklin fell limp, writhing in pain.


“Go pick cotton,” Jerry/Master Stevens said, coldly.


Franklin crawled to the “field” and begun picking cotton. I wish Master Stevens were dead,” he said. “He’s such a mean master. Master Stevens is the devil.” Franklin said this with a lot of emotion.


In the next scene, Master Stevens came and told Franklin/Tukus that he had three more “rows” to pick.


“Yes, Master Stevens,” Franklin said, submissively, with his eyes down.


Jerry left.


Franklin was a very good actor as Tukus. He was extremely good with his lines during the first part of the play. During the second part of the play, however, he messed up on one of his lines, and got thrown off guard. He stumbled through the lines, and started saying, ‘Um, um,”. He forgot some more lines, and even once asked, “What’s my line supposed to be?” to Jerry!


Audience members began booing, mumbling complaints and started to leave. I went up to the stage and shouted, “The play’s not over yet! Sit back down!”


The audience members were shocked at what I said, but heeded me. They tentatively sat back down.


“Dave, help me,” Franklin cried, obviously needing help. He looked at me pleadingly.


“Sure, I will,” I answered him, looking at him with compassion. “Do you want me to take over for you?” I asked him.


“Please,” he begged me.


“Okay, I said. I asked Mr. Oleander if we could have a short five minute break. Mr. Oleander looked at Franklin concerned, and said, “Sure.”


To the audience, Mr. Oleander said, “We have a slight problem and I will be giving a 5 minute break so that it can be worked out.”


The audience eagerly agreed.


During the break, Franklin looked a mess.


“I can’t do this, Dave. I’m forgetting my lines and messing up big time. Please play Tukus for me,” he begged me.


I looked at Mr. Oleander. “Can I?” I asked him.


Mr. Oleander looked at Franklin with concern and reluctantly said, “Sure. You are the understudy after all.”


“Okay,” I said.


Soon, the break was over, and I went to the stage to play Tukus. People booed because I was White.


“Calm down. I’m just the understudy for Tukus. I will play Tukus because something happened to Franklin,” I said.


Franklin still looked a hot mess. The audience seemed to understand what I meant, and I begun to play Tukus.


Jerry had to adjust to me playing Tukus. He looked at me bewildered. He took a few seconds, and then got back into “Master” mode.

[Schmoopie]

I do have one suggestion... has anyone ever seen the movie "Soul Man"?

imdb - Soul Man (1986) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091991/)

Wikipedia - Soul Man (film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Man_(film))

I've seen it many times. It's not the greatest movie ever made, but it didn't offend me at all. And at the end, C. Thomas Howell makes amends, after answering to James Earl Jones. That movie got bad reviews from what I remember, but I liked it. I'm sure some would find it offensive, and I understand that. The plot of the film is that this white kid can't afford to go to college and his parents decided that they won't put him through school. The only kind of scholarship he can get is for black students, so he 'turns himself black' in order to win this scholarship and try to fool everyone. James Earl Jones is awesome in this, but he's awesome in everything.

[MickeyMac]

It's up to the director to cast the parts.

If it is decided to have a white actor playing a black person's part, just understand that there may be consequences, and you all have to decide if you're up to whatever might happen. I'm not suggesting riots or anything, but if word gets out about what's happening, the media could become involved. We live in a youtube world now. Everything is news.


I do have one suggestion... has anyone ever seen the movie "Soul Man"?

imdb - Soul Man (1986) (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091991/)

Wikipedia - Soul Man (film) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Man_(film))



That movie was terrible. It wasnt offensive, just a really bad script. If anyone here wants to experience what its like for white man to go under cover as a black man, then I strongly reccomend reading a book called Black Like Me. Its about a white man who changes his skin to look back and travels through the south during the segregation era. This is a true story by the way and I cant reccomend it enough.

[Janice Johnson]

I think that a White person who wants to play a Black slave in a play should be allowed to play as long as they are not being offensive or insulting. :)

[Janice Johnson]

I as Tukus said, "Master Stevens, I finished picking the fields."


"Good," Jerry/ Master Stevens said. "Now, go milk the cows."


I grumbled under my breath. "May God strike Master Stevens." I went to milk the cows. As I was doing it, I said, "Master Stevens is the devil. I'm tired of slavery."


After milking the cows, I told Jerry/Master Stevens that I was done and gave him the milk.


"You may go to bed now,"Master Stevens said. "Good job."


I went to a lump of hay that was my "bed" and lied down on it and went to sleep.


I woke up in the middle of the night, and decided to run away. I ran outside and ran to the "woods". I was scared, and ran about 50 yards before I saw Master stevens looking for me.


"Tukus! Tukus! Where are you boy?! I'm gonna give you 50 lashings when i find you!" Master Stevens/Jerry hollored. I got even more scared and hid behind a tree. One minute later, Master Stevens/Jerry found me.


He dragged me by my hair and put me on his horse and took us back to the plantation. He tied me up and pretended to "beat" me 50 times.


"Ow! Ow! Ow!" I cried, and then screamed bloody murder as if I were in real pain.


"Now, you Nig, you better not try to run away," Master Stevens/Jerry said coldly, in a warning tone.


"Yes, Master Stevens," I said submissively. I looked at the ground.


He untied me and then took me to the barn and locked the door.


I was in "pain" and acted as if I were in pain. "Maybe Master Stevens will sell me up the river,A" I said out loud. "Maybe he'll take me to a nice slave master." I said. I cried myself to sleep.


Soon, it was intermission time, and we took a LONG break. About 30 minutes.


Franklin told me that he was grateful that I had played the part for him.


I welcomed him.


After the break, I "woke up."

[Janice Johnson]

Master Stevens told the other slaves what I had done, and warned that if I or any other salves tried to do it again, we would be whipped 100 times.

“Yes, Master Stevens,” we said with scared emotion.

We “picked” more cotton, and Master Stevens once again whipped me for not picking fast enough. I got upset and jammed the cotton in Master Stevens/Jerry’s mouth. “Choke, Master Stevens!” I yelled emotionally. Master Stevens/Jerry spit out the cotton and grabbed me hard and “threw” me on the ground and “beat” me hard.

“Look, you Nig, you don’t do that to your master,” Master Stevens/Jerry said, coldly. I tried to run away from him, but he jumped on me and “beat” me more.

When he was done, I was limp. I crawled on the ground.

“Go make shoes,” Master Stevens/Jerry told me coldly.

I did.

I looked at the audience. They were enthralled by my performance. They seemed to like me as Tukus. Even if I was White.

I continued the play. In one scene, I tried to run away again, but didn’t make it far. Master Stevens/Jerry grabbed me and gave me 100” lashes”.

The next day, Master Stevens had had enough of me. He wanted to send me up the river, just like he had done to my father.

I realized that if I were sent up the river, I would be separated from my mother, and she would be lonely. I decided to be good salve to Master Stevens.

Soon, I overheard Master Stevens say that he would work my mother twice as hard after he sold me up the river.

“No!” I said to myself.

Later that day, I went up to Master Stevens/Jerry.

“I’ll be a good slave from now on. Please don’t sell me up the river. I won’t be a bad slave anymore,” I cried emotionally, with tears down my face.

He looked at me intently. “You sure you’re gonna be good from now on? No more running away? No more insolence?” He asked me.

“No more,” I said.

“Okay, I won’t sell you up the river,” Master Stevens/Jerry said.

“Thank you, Master Stevens!” I said, gratefully, running up to him and hugging him.

“You’re welcome,” he said, and hugged me back in surprise.

For a few days afterwards, I kept my word. I worked hard for Master Stevens/Jerry, and did no more insolence or running away.

[Janice Johnson]

One night, I spoke to my "mama", who was played by a girl from our sister school.

"Mama, do you ever feel like you want to run away from salvery?" Do you ever want to be free?" I asked her plantively.

She looked at me sadly. "Every day of my life," she said, lamenting. "But, we can't run away. We're stuck here." She began to cry.

"Mama, don't cry," I told her. I hugged her, and then wiped her tears away. "I'm going to get us both free one day," I said in a wavery voice.

"No, don't do anything stupid," she said, still crying. "Don't go get us both killed."

"What if I killed Master Stevens?" I asked her.

She looked at me with scared eyes. "You don't want to go to hell for murder. God said, "Do not kill." Don't do it. please," she begged.

"Okay, I won't," I promised her.


"Mama" was played by Alison Grenier, a beautiful black girl with gorgeous milk-chocolate brown skin, big dark brown eyes, and soft, wavy dark hair. if I weren't gay, I would so be crushing on her.

We went to "sleep". The "next" day, we woke up, and had to do more work for Master stevens. At lunchtime, we were fed gruel from throughs, like swine. I looked at jealousy over at Master Stevens and his wife and son eating rich meat, sauces, and rice off of china. They were drinking orangfe juice. We were given water. How my stomach growled for just a mrsel of what they were eating.

After lunch, I went up to Keith Stevens and asked him if he could bring me some food from his father's house. Keith Stevens was played by Jerry's 13 year old brother, Mark.

He was about 12 years old and I was begging him for food. What a shame!

He looked at me bewildered, but said, "Sure," and snuck some food for me. I hungrily at it and thanked him.

He said, "You're welcome."

I left to do more work. During work, Master Stevens came up to me.

"Nice job, Tukus," he said. "You may rest now," he said with a big smile.

I went to "rest." I lied down in my hay bed.

"Master stevens is such a mean master", I said to myself. "Even though he is nicer nowadays."

I woke up later and tried to runaway again, but Master stevens caught me again and tied me up to his horse. he rode us back to his plantation.

Master Stevens woke my mother up and took out his whip.

He began to whip my mother! My mother cried in pain.

"This is for running away again, Tukus," he told me. He whipped my mother even more. Jerry was only pretending to whip Alison.

I cried, seeing the pain my mother was in because of me. "Please, no more," I begged. I cried painfully.

"Then stop running away," master Stevens/Jerry said, coldly. He beat her more, and she cried her eyes out in pain.

"Okay," I said, reluctantly.

Master Stevens dropped the whip and gave me a warning look and left.

[Janice Johnson]

After the whipping of my mother, I ran up to my mother and huuged her.


"Mama, I'm so sorry," I cried, with tears running dowm ny cheeks.


"I can't blame you for wanting to be free," she told me, with tears.


She and I hugged for a long time.


"I love you, Tukus," she told me.


"I love you too, Allison," I said. Oops. I had mistakenly called her by her real name instead of "Mama". I heard a few snickers in the audience.


I blushed. "I love you too, mama," I said, correctly as fast as I could.


I had hoped that no one would latch on to my blunder.


We went to "sleep" again. When we "woke up", I saw Allison's "whip" marks. They were really just red markers on her back.


"Oh mama," I cried emotionally. "Look what master Stevens did to you. I want to kill him," I cried.


"Hush, now, child," Mama/Allison said. "Tukus, you're a good person. Don't ruin that." She gave me a trembling smile. "I didn't give birth to and raise no bad child."


"But, mama, what we supposed to do with these White people like Master Stevens?" I asked her.


"Live with it. Face it, we are owned by him," Mama/Allison said softly.


"No!" I cried angrily. "We don't have to stay here. We can both be free," I told her.


"No, I'm 50. I'm too old to runaway," she told me sadly.


Soon, I said, "Mama, snap out of it! We were meant to be free! We don't have to live under Master Steven's rule anymore!" I told her passionately.


Mama/Allison suddenly began looking frail.


"Mama! Mama!" I cried urgently.


Mama/Allison's eyes begun to flutter closed. She looked pale.


"No! No! No!" I cried urgently. "Don't die mama, please!" I cried, with tears running down my cheeks.


"Tukus, I love you," she whispered softly. 'I love you too mama," I cried, sobbing uncontrollablly. Mama closed her eyes for the final time.

[Janice Johnson]

I checked her pulse. No pulse. No breathing, no heartbeat.


"No, no, no!" I cried. "God, bring her back!" I cried. Bring my mama back!" I cried emotionally.


Master Stevens came a few minutes later.


He saw my mama's dead body on the floor.


"You killed my mama," I told him in a deep, possessed-sounding voice. I glared at him coldly and menanacingly.


I took a pitchfork and walked towards him. "You killed my mama, and now I'm going to kill you," I told him.


I angrily lunged at him. I put the pitchfork over his heart. He looked scared.


I begun to put the pitchfork deeper into his heart. "Don't do it," i heard my mama's voice in my conscience.


I angrily droped the pitchfork on the floor. My mama wouldn't have wanted me to kill master Stevens.


Master Stevens said, "You killed her. I only whipped her because you had run away again, after you said you wouldn't anymore," he told me.


My heart twisted. I had killed my mother. If I hadn't run away, she would have been alive. If it weren't for me, she would have still been here.I cried uncontrollably.


"At least she's finally free," I thought in my mind.


Master Stevens/Jerry said, "I'm going to sell you up the river. you're too much trouble for me."


"You might as well," I said. "There's no more life for me here," I told him, depressed and soulless.


"Okay, better for me," he told me.


The next day, there was a funeral for my mama. We had to say words about her. I cried and said that she was my heart and soul and I felt drained without her. Everyone else said words about her too. Master stevens said that she was a good, honest, hard-working, loyal slave. He seemed genuinely sad that she had died.


At her grave, when she was being lowered into the grave, I got overcome with emotion, and screamed, "I love you mama! Don't leave me!" I tried to jump into the grave with her, but Master Stevens/Jerry and Keith/Mark held my arms back and kept me from jumping in.


At night, I angrily cursed God out. "God, why have you punished me so? What did Mama do to deserve to die today?" I cried. "She was a loyal Christian woman who was a good person to everyone. Even Master Stevens. Why couldn't it have been Master Stevens?" I asked him bitterly.


I went to "sleep".

[Janice Johnson]

The next day, Master Stevens put me on my new Master's horse and Master Stevens said bye to me. So did everyone else.


My new master was a man who was in his 40's, with a jovial face. I was sold to New York, where the slaves were treated nicer. Master Wilkes and his family owned me, but kept me a house slave. I had to clean the house and make clothes for the family. I had to cook food for the house, and take care of the pets.


I selpt on real beds. I was kept like an unpaid servant instead of like a slave. I was actually treated pretty good. If only mama were here. She would have LOVED to live here. A pain appeared in my heart as it wretched.


"Oh, mama," I cried again. "I wish you were here with me now," I said softly. Tukus was a very emotional character. You had to CRY to be abale to play Tukus.


"Oh, God, give me a sign that my mama is happy," I prayed to God.


"That night, I had a dream about mama. Mama was standing in my room in the dream, looking at me with love. "I love you, Tukus, and I'm happy where I am now, in heaven. Happier than when I was a slave. I'm proud of you Tukus," she said, smiling.


"I love you too, and I'm happy that you're happy," I said.


The dream ended.


I felt a little relieved.


Over the next 20 years, I worked for Master Wilkes. He and his family continued to be nice to me and all the other slaves.


On May 20th, 1840, one of the horses ran wild and stomped on me repetively.


Master Wilkes's got the horse to get off of me and restrained it, but I was in a fatal, dire situation.


He called his doctor to come over, and Master Wilcox's doctor saw me and tried to help me, but it was too late and easy to see that I was a goner. Everyone on Master Wilkes's plantation looked at me concerned and sad. My breathing was slow, and my heart was racing. My eyes were fluttering closed, and my final words were, "God, take my soul. Mama, I'm coming to join you." Then I closed my eyes forever, and Tukus died.



When the play was over, the whole audience clapped loudly. When it was time for the curtain bow call, I got on stage with the other actors. We took our bows. The audience was very responsive with their loud cheering and applause. Mr. Oleander looked proud.


Out of nowhere, I said, "Mr. Franklin Berry, come on stage."


Franklin, Mr. Oleander, and everyone else looked surprised. Franklin came on stage.


"Take your bow, Original Tukus," I told him smiling.


I thought he deserved to come on stage and bow too. He was doing and excellent job as Tukus until he messed up on his line and got thrwon off-balance.


He bowed.


After everyone else had gone home, Frankllin told me, "Thank you," with a huge smile.


I welcomed him.


On the next day, Saturday, we would have an encore of "A Slave's Turmoil," for the people who didn't see it on Oepning Night.


I was excited to get to play Tukus again.

[Janice Johnson]

I got a nasty surprise.



I looked at the NEW poster. It read, “Starring Franklin Barry as Tukus! “ It should have read, “Starring Dave Winston as Tukus!” My mouth dropped open in shock.



I marched over to Mr. Oleander’s room. “What gives?” I asked him, angrily.



“You’ve seen the poster,” Mr. Oleander said, nonchalantly.



“Yes,” I said, coldly.



“Look, no hard feelings, but you only played Tukus on Opening Night because Franklin forgot his lines. You are NOT Tukus. Franklin is. Franklin has studied his lines really hard and told me he won’t forget his lines this time.



“So you used me,” I said, a little hurt.



“No, I didn’t use you. I led you on, but I didn’t use you,” Mr. Oleander said. “Come on, you’re White,” he told me. You really shouldn’t have been playing Tukus in the first place. Tukus is for Black people, like Franklin.”



“People who forget their lines on stage,” I said bitingly. “I didn’t forget one line!” I yelled emotionally. “I was a good actor as Tukus!” I yelled. “The audience loved me!” I hollered.



“I’m sorry, but you’re out of the play. You’re not even an understudy anymore. Sorry,” he said, curtly.



I glared at him. “I saved your play, and you reward me by kicking me out of the play?” I retorted angrily and coldly at the same time.



“It’s just that you’re not Black. And Franklin is,” Mr. Oleander said. “Now, get out of my room,” he told me coldly.



“Gladly,” I said, ice coldly. “And take your goddamn play and shove it!” I yelled furiously.



Mr. Oleander looked upset at me.



I marched to my dorm and cried. All the auditions, Mr. Oleander was just leading me on. He was never gonna let me play Tukus as lead. Even when I saved the play on Opening Night, he still wasn’t going to let me be lead. Now, I’m not even an understudy. I felt horrible.

[Janice Johnson]

I called Max, my boyfriend.



“Hey, honey, you were great last night as Tukus,” he told me warmly.



“Thanks,” I said.



“What’s the matter, honey?” Max asked me. “You sound like you’ve been crying.”



I sobbily told him the whole story.



Max said, “You know it IS weird to see a White dude play a Black slave.”



“So you agree with Mr. Oleander?” I asked Max, upset.



“To a point. I don’t agree with him leading you on like that,” Max told me. “He should have told you up front that he didn’t want you playing lead.”



I spoke to Max a little more, and spent most of the rest of the day, feeling used by Mr. Oleander.



That night, I went to the Encore Night of “A Slave’s Turmoil.” This time, I came as an audience member. Right before Showtime, I saw Franklin. I stared at him blankly.



“Aren’t you going to spin me around?” He asked me, looking perplexed.


“For what? I’m not your understudy anymore,” I told him lacklusterdly.



“Who’s going to help me out if I mess up on my lines?” Franklin asked me in a panic.



“Mr. Oleander,” I told him nastily.



“Come on, please spin me around,” he begged.



I sighed, and reluctantly spun him around counterclockwise three times.



“Thanks,” he said.



I welcomed him.



Soon, the play begun. Franklin once again started off very strong, but got lackluster and boring. He stumbled through his lines, and the audience cringed. Even Jerry cringed. Franklin became wooden, like the other people who had stunk in the auditions. Franklin looked unsure of himself, and missed five cues. People in the audience looked agitated.



“Franklin sucks! I could have been watching That’s So Raven on Disney!” Calvin Drew complained.



A lot more people complained. Mr. Oleander said that no one was allowed to leave while the play was still on. Franklin was very subpar and worse than mediocre.



During intermission, the audience looked happy and relieved to have a 30-minute break.


Franklin came to me and said, “Help me, Dave.” Mr. Oleander said, “No. I don’t want Dave helping you this time. You’re gonna continue yourself, Franklin.



Franklin grimaced.



After intermission, Franklin got even worse! People began faking stomachaches to leave. Franklin really did stink. The other actors ALL cringed at Franklin’s performance.



Franklin missed 10 cues this time. 15 in all.



“Dave was so much a better actor as Tukus and he’s White,” Collie Sanders said, who played Mrs. Stevens.



The audience agreed with her, and Franklin slithered through his performance. The audience booed at Franklin, and at the end, at the curtain call, they cried, “Franklin, get off the stage! Boo!”



Franklin took a quick bow, and then ran behind the curtain.



Franklin saw me after everyone else had left, and looked at me coldly.



“You could have saved me. You let me look like a fool up there.” He looked upset.



“I would have helped you, but Mr. Oleander told me no,” I said.


“You spineless wimp!” He cried. He walked away.



When Mr. Oleander saw me after I left the auditorium, he was cringing because of Franklin’s performance.



“Okay, Franklin sucked tonight, but I still stand by my “Only Blacks should play Tukus,” he told me.



I glared at him. “Oh yeah, that Black boy Franklin did a REAL good job as Tukus!” I said, bitingly.



“I already said he sucked!” Mr. Oleander cried at me. He left.



On Sunday, it was an uneventful day. I was filled with anger at Mr. Oleander.



On Monday, we had a talent show. I was filled with fury and rage over what Mr. Oleander had done to me.



I went on stage. I had borrowed Billy Alexander’s guitar for my talent.



I took the guitar and angrily plucked some cords with my fingers. I let my fury go into the guitar and played really jarring sounds. It turned out sounding good though! I rocked out angrily with the guitar and actually made a rocking song.



I decided to sing, “Barracuda,” by Heart, to embody what I felt about Mr. Oleander.


I sang, “So, this ain’t the end, I saw you again, today, I had to turn my heart away. Smile like the sun, kisses for everyone, and tales, it never fails.



You’re lying so low in the weeds, I’ll bet you’re gonna ambush me, you’d have me down, down, down, on my knees, now wouldn’t you, barracuda? Ohh.



“Back over time, we were all trying for free. You met the porpoise and me, aha. No right, no wrong, selling a song, a name, whisper game.



And if the real thing don’t do the trick, you’d better make up something quick. You’re gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, it to the wick. Ooh, Barracuda! Oh yeah!



“Sell me, sell you,” the porpoise said. “Dive down deep save my head. You, I think you got the Blues too. All that night and all the next swam without looking back. Made for the Western pools, silly, silly fools!” (To me, “sell you, sell me”, is what Mr. Oleander did to me. Using someone or “leading them on” is like ‘selling”.)



I played some hard-Rocking music again, to cover the minute or so that Ann Wilson would not be singing. Then I went back to singing.



“The real thing don’t do the trick, no you’d better make up something quick, you’re gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, it out to the wick. Ooh, Barracuda! I played a little more Hard Rock on the guitar, to cover up another Ann Wilson mute gap, and then I belted out, Ann Wilson’s last note in the song, ‘Ooooh, Hey!”



I was wondering if I should sing Ann Wilson’s last note in the song, because it did sound kind of random, weird, and dumb, and I wondered if the audience would scratch their heads at that line. But, I decided to go for it. It’s such an emotional, passionate, and strong, two word line.



After singing, “Ooooh, Hey!” I added, “Barra…..Barracuda,” one last time. All old Heart fans know that after Ann sings, “Ooooh, Hey!” She is done singing, and does not sing, “Barra……Barracuda” after. I added that line because honestly, I think it sounds better that way. Most of the audience members wouldn’t know that that wasn’t the way the song ended, because most of the audience members were under the age of 20.



After Ann’s last line, there is just hard Rock playing until the song ends, so I played Hard Rock music on the guitar for about 30 seconds, and then stopped.



The audience cheered loudly for me.



But, I didn’t win. I won third place, however.



I saw Mr. Oleander look suspicious and embarrassed.



“Was that song about me?” He asked.



“I plead the fifth,” I answered him, coldly.



“You know, Franklin really did suck on Saturday. Do you want to be Tukus again?” he asked me.



“Oh, so now that Franklin sucked, now you want to give the Tukus part back to me? No thank you,” I answered coldly.



“Please. He’s ruining my play! A lot of people are telling me that they don’t want to see the play anymore, and I’ve got the final showing on this Saturday! Please be Tukus again!” Mr. Oleander begged me, looking desperate.

I can’t stand to see people in trouble. That’s my weakness. I always try to help people out who need my help.



Mr. Oleander looked like he needed my help. “Sure,” I told him reluctantly.



“Thank you, Dave!” He said, happily.



I welcomed him.

[Janice Johnson]

This is the final part!:) Thank you all for reading my story!:)

The next day, Shawn grumbled, "What does a White boy know about being a slave?"


"Plenty," I told him. "You ever been someone's bitch?" I asked him. "I was," I said.


Shawn looked at me confused.


"I used to be someone's bitch at this school," I answered. "I used to let him beat on me all the time. I used to be submissive and scared of him. But, I learned to fight him, and stop being his bitch," I told him. I used to be Rob Patterson's bitch a little while ago,I thought in my head.


"Oh," Shawn said. "Maybe you do know something about slavery," Shawn said slowly.


I smiled a little at him. I left.


I was nervous about Saturday, the final showing. That week, I repracticed my lines. I wanted to be really good.


On Saturday, I went on stage. Franklin came up to me and spun me counterclockwise three times. "I'm your understudy now," he told me with a small smile. "Good luck," he told me.


I thanked him and he welcomed me.


Showtime was in a few minutes. The audience filled up fast. I saw Max in the audience. He smiled, waved,blew me a kiss, and gave me a thumbs up.


I blushed happily.


The play begun. I did the same thing I had done on Opening Night, but I got to do it from the beginning. On the opening monologue, I spoke with real pain. I cried. This monologue came from a place that hurt.


During the play, I gave it my all. The audience once again loved me. Max looked proud of me. Mr. Oleander looked proud again. Franklin looked happy too.


After the play, we took our final curtain call and I received a bouquet of flowers. I smiled, demurely. The audience cheered and applaused loudly.


After everyone else had gone home, I was sitting by myself on the stage. Max came up to me.


"You weere great at the play, both times. Let's go home and celebrate," he told me, huskily, smiling. I knew what he had in mind, and I agreed.


We wwent to my dorm, and let's just say that Max and I REALLY connected. I'll give youa hint. We used a condom and lots of lube. After we were done "celebrating" I lied next to Max, content that I was with my man. I felt so close to max, and soon, I fell asleep in his arms.


When we awoke on Sunday, we spent the day in my dorm just hanging out and making out.


On the next day, Monday, people were still cheering about my performance as Tukus.


Franklin blushed jealously. "I wish I could have been a good Tukus," he said.


"You are a good Tukus. You just get nervous on stage, in front of people," i said.


Franklin smiled shyly.


Mr. Oleander came by, and said, "Dave, you saved my play. I'm sorry for leading you on. You really are a good Tukus," he said, smiling widely.


"I accept your apology and you're welcome," I said.


"How would you like to be the director for my next Tukus play?" He asked.


"Uh, didn't Tukus die?" I asked him.


"I'm going to bring him back and make him NOT die in the new play," M. Oleander said, mischieviously.


"Sure," I said.


I had started a revolution. Now anyone could play any part they wanted, regardless of the actor's color and the character's color. I was extremely happy.


The end.