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!


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]

Originally Posted by 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.

Here's what I have to say...

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

[Penny Lane]

Originally Posted by 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.

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

[MonarC]

How about not doing a play about slavery at all.

[JAlanRuss72]

Originally Posted by Little Mel

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!"

[JamesG]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

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

I like John Wayne but that role was embarrassing.

[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.

[Pus$y Galore]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by Penny Lane

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

OMG - I forgot about that movie!! ROFL

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