Group Criticizes Helen Keller Casting

[Miss-Delectable]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/theater/30arts-GROUPCRITICI_BRF.html

The selection of the Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) for the role of Helen Keller in this winter’s Broadway revival of “The Miracle Worker” has drawn sharp criticism from an advocacy group for deaf and blind actors, which said that one of their own should have been auditioned for the role. The producer of the revival, David Richenthal, said in an interview that casting a star as Helen was essential to recruiting investors for the $3 million commercial production, and that his research did not turn up any well-known young actresses who were deaf or blind. “It’s simply naïve to think that in this day and age you’ll be able to sell tickets to a play revival solely on the potential of the production to be a great show,” he said. He added that he would consider casting a deaf or blind actress as Ms. Breslin’s understudy. But Sharon Jensen, executive director of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, said the issue transcended Broadway economics, arguing that a deaf or blind actress would be able to imbue the role of Helen with her experience.

 

[Miss-Delectable]

Advocacy Group Opposes ‘Miracle Worker’ Casting Choice

Advocacy Group Opposes ‘Miracle Worker’ Casting Choice - ArtsBeat Blog - NYTimes.com

Two weeks after a group of deaf actors protested the choice of a hearing actor for a deaf role in an upcoming Off Broadway production, the issue has surfaced again: Should producers have chosen a deaf or blind child actress to play Helen Keller in this winter’s Broadway revival of “The Miracle Worker”?

The producers announced on Wednesday that Abigail Breslin, a 13-year-old newcomer to Broadway who was nominated for an Academy Award for her role as the beauty pageant contestant Olive in “Little Miss Sunshine,” would play Helen in the production, which is set to open this winter. Ms. Breslin can see and hear.

Sharon Jensen, executive director of the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, an advocacy group for blind and deaf actors, among others, said in an interview late Wednesday that her organization strongly opposed a decision by the producers to not audition actresses for the part who shared Helen’s disabilities.

“We do not think it’s O.K. for reputable producers to cast this lead role without seriously considering an actress from our community,” Ms. Jensen said. “I understand how difficult it is to capitalize a new production on Broadway, but that to me is not the issue. There are other, larger human and artistic issues at stake here.”

The lead producer of the revival, David Richenthal, said in an interview that he had already made up his mind about his casting criteria for Helen when he chose to revive the William Gibson play -– he wanted a star. The only way to make money for his investors in a commercial Broadway revival of a play these days, Mr. Richenthal believes, is to cast stars, and his research did not turn up any young well known actresses who were deaf or blind.

“It’s simply naïve to think that in this day and age, you’ll be able to sell tickets to a play revival solely on the potential of the production to be a great show or on the potential for an unknown actress to give a breakthrough performance,” Mr. Richenthal said. “I would consider it financially irresponsible to approach a major revival without making a serious effort to get a star.”

Mr. Richenthal said that he and the production’s director, Kate Whoriskey, as well as their casting director, planned to audition deaf or blind actresses to be Ms. Breslin’s understudy, and would hire sign language interpreters for the auditions of the young deaf women.

The distinction between the lead role and the understudy is that the show can sell tickets with its lead actress, Mr. Richenthal said. He emphasized that if he could not find a “qualified” deaf or blind actress who was right for the part, he would cast a hearing and seeing actress in the role.

Ms. Jensen’s organization was among those that complained vehemently early this month that New York Theater Workshop and the director Doug Hughes had retained a hearing actor to play the deaf character Singer in the workshop’s upcoming production of “The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter,” an adaptation of the Carson McCullers novel.

Deaf actors, as well as the alliance and advocacy groups for deaf artists, demanded that the actor Henry Stram be replaced as Singer by a deaf actor. Mr. Hughes and the workshop met with several deaf actors and searched for some common ground, but could not agree on the central issue; Mr. Hughes said he would not fire Mr. Stram, who had played Singer in an earlier production of the play that Mr. Hughes directed in Atlanta. Mr. Hughes had auditioned deaf actors for the role in Atlanta.

So, first Singer and now Helen Keller: Should producers and directors audition and hire whoever they see fit for these seminal roles? Or, as Ms. Jensen asserts, if deaf or blind child actors do not start getting work that will turn them into stars, how will there ever be any for producers like Mr. Richenthal to audition?

 

[yizuman]

It ticks me off when you have deaf/blind or just deaf or blind people that spend thousands at a acting school in hopes of landing a role only to lose it to a hearing person taking the role and pretend on stage to be deaf/blind or just deaf or blind.

Yiz

 

[Berry]

It ticks me off when you have deaf/blind or just deaf or blind people that spend thousands at a acting school in hopes of landing a role only to lose it to a hearing person taking the role and pretend on stage to be deaf/blind or just deaf or blind.

Yiz

SSDD.

Exactly the same words used by Native American Indians in 1965 when Sal Mineo was cast as a young brave in the movie "Cheyenne Autumn".

The Cheynnes, by the way, were played by Navajos.

 

[CJB]

It ticks me off when you have deaf/blind or just deaf or blind people that spend thousands at a acting school in hopes of landing a role only to lose it to a hearing person taking the role and pretend on stage to be deaf/blind or just deaf or blind.

Yiz

Or God forbid they cast a deafblind character. There are several deafblind acting groups out there full of actors with talent.

Didn't we learn something from casting Marlee Matlin as Sarah Norman in Children of a Lesser God?

 

[Reba]

Question:

Is the dispute only with casting hearing/sighted actors in deaf/blind roles? Or is the dispute with casting anyone who "fakes" a disability, language, or experience?

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Question:

Is the dispute only with casting hearing/sighted actors in deaf/blind roles? Or is the dispute with casting anyone who "fakes" a disability, language, or experience?

Kinda like how non-Boston residents got casted for the roles in the Departed?

I can understand the dispute because Hollywood would try to portray her in a way that the deafblinds don't want to be viewed as.

 

[Reba]

The question is, how far can the movie makers go with the requirement for using people who actually are what the characters are.

Should amputees play amputees?

Should Russians play Russians?

Should old people play old people?

Should elves play elves?

Should Martians play Martians?

Should virgins play virgins?

Should drug addicts play drug addicts?

Should Texans play Texans?


That rule would mean no Vivian Leigh playing Scarlet O'Hara.
No Anthony Quinn playing Zorba the Greek.
No Gary Sinise playing LT Dan.
No Audrey Hepburn playing Eliza Doolittle.


???

 

[Reba]

I'm all for more roles for deaf, blind and deaf/blind actors.

It would be great someday to see them fill roles that don't specifically call for "Deaf Character". That is, fill a larger variety of roles. That would be full integration into filmland.

Do some of you remember the days of tokenism that required "one black doctor, one Jewish cop, and one Hispanic teacher" when casting? Now, the characters can be a doctor, cop, and teacher, who can be any ethnicity, and not limited to one per episode or scene.

That would be wonderful if a deaf actor could fill a role of "medical examiner" rather than be limited to a role of "deaf medical examiner".

The movie makers aren't there yet. It will require some pioneering.

 

[Cowpuppy]

Seems hard to believe they can't find one. Think it would be more 'real' acting.
But deaf make up a smallpercentage of actors and producers will choose what they want.
It is a business...business decisions. It's not the government making the choice.
Myself...I would think an actual deaf/blind actor would make it a bigger draw. More authenticity over the years. More classic.
Just business. Business doesn't make politically correct decisions.
As for the natives.....I believe they boycotted Hollywood...probably after Hollywood used a fake. It was really ridiculous using white people to portray natives. Dumb business decision if ya ask me.

 

[shel90]

I'm all for more roles for deaf, blind and deaf/blind actors.

It would be great someday to see them fill roles that don't specifically call for "Deaf Character". That is, fill a larger variety of roles. That would be full integration into filmland.

Do some of you remember the days of tokenism that required "one black doctor, one Jewish cop, and one Hispanic teacher" when casting? Now, the characters can be a doctor, cop, and teacher, who can be any ethnicity, and not limited to one per episode or scene.

That would be wonderful if a deaf actor could fill a role of "medical examiner" rather than be limited to a role of "deaf medical examiner".

The movie makers aren't there yet. It will require some pioneering.

That would be wonderful!

My friend and I were just discussing that the other day.

 

[Berry]

Question:

Is the dispute only with casting hearing/sighted actors in deaf/blind roles? Or is the dispute with casting anyone who "fakes" a disability, language, or experience?

I should think the answer to this should be easy. There are people in minority groups who work hard to achieve their skills and who master them, often opportunities for them are limited (a paraplegic may be the best actor in the world but he cannot play the part of Rocky Balboa) and when the opportunity for a part they can fulfill perfectly comes along it is taken from them by someone who can play other parts. It is grossly unfair.

There was a debate as well when Raymond Burr played Ironside.

 

[Trillium]

Good point! Where do we try out for the part? --PBG

 

[Trillium]

All good points! But to break the ice, how about telling us where the try outs will be held for the "understudy". A foot in the door is worth something! PBG

 

[CJB]

The question is, how far can the movie makers go with the requirement for using people who actually are what the characters are.

Should amputees play amputees?

Should Russians play Russians?

Should old people play old people?

Should elves play elves?

Should Martians play Martians?

Should virgins play virgins?

Should drug addicts play drug addicts?

Should Texans play Texans?


That rule would mean no Vivian Leigh playing Scarlet O'Hara.
No Anthony Quinn playing Zorba the Greek.
No Gary Sinise playing LT Dan.
No Audrey Hepburn playing Eliza Doolittle.


???

It doesn't necessarily have to be an actual drug addict or Texan or whatever but the actor does at least have to be able to pull off a believable Texan or drug addict or whatever else.

With Deaf characters and Deafblind characters, generally hearing and sighted-hearing actors just can't pull off convincing Deaf/deafblind characters. So yes, if the hearing or hearing-sighted actor is going to stumble around like an idiot or is going to gesture in the air and pretend they know ASL then no, they shouldn't be cast as Deaf or Deafblind actors.

If the actor is a CODA or has been around Deaf people in some way or another and knows ASL and knows lots of Deaf people and can act "Deaf" in a way that is realistic and believable then I would be fine with it. It's just that most disabled character roles are still in the middle ages in terms of the portrayal of disabilities so I think that at least for now we should stick to casting Deaf/DB roles with actors that actually have experience with deafness or deafblindness.

And I think this extends to any disability or identity. If you can't get an actor to pull off a convincing character, then yes, go for the real thing.

 

[Lighthouse77]

I think they should have hired them.

Do anyone remember the SNL where someone felt that no white person should be a black person except black people themselves?

Hearing people have no idea, so they can only act by stereotyping how they think a deaf person act like.

 

[bwright6]

I for one think Abigail Breslin is a good casting choice. I'm biased toward her, however! I will admit that it would be nice to see a deaf/blind/deafblind person as the role, but it can't always be that way. Kate Winslet, for example, plays several nationalities when she's really British. *shrug*

 

[whatdidyousay!]

SSDD.

Exactly the same words used by Native American Indians in 1965 when Sal Mineo was cast as a young brave in the movie "Cheyenne Autumn".

The Cheynnes, by the way, were played by Navajos.

I was going to post something about this too! I spoke to a Native American and he said he was really angry about Pow Wow that had 'white people '
dress like Native American . The guy warn me about going to any Pow Wow that claim to put on by Native American Indians as a lot of time the show a fake to get your money!

 

[whatdidyousay!]

The question is, how far can the movie makers go with the requirement for using people who actually are what the characters are.

Should amputees play amputees?

Should Russians play Russians?

Should old people play old people?

Should elves play elves?

Should Martians play Martians?

Should virgins play virgins?

Should drug addicts play drug addicts?

Should Texans play Texans?


That rule would mean no Vivian Leigh playing Scarlet O'Hara.
No Anthony Quinn playing Zorba the Greek.
No Gary Sinise playing LT Dan.
No Audrey Hepburn playing Eliza Doolittle.


???

I think you would better luck at finding a Martian before finding a virgin today!!

 

[Lighthouse77]

I was going to post something about this too! I spoke to a Native American and he said he was really angry about Pow Wow that had 'white people '
dress like Native American . The guy warn me about going to any Pow Wow that claim to put on by Native American Indians as a lot of time the show a fake to get your money!

does it occur to him that some of these white are half Native Indians? I'm mostly native indians (my dad look alot like an Native Indian... because of his skin color -- people used to tease mom on her school bus for carrying a picture of a "N" word because his skin ) But I look white.

all it matters is that they are helping people appreciate the Native Indian cultures rather they do it for money or not.