Shakespeare Electronic Conference, Vol. 6, No. 0144.  Wednesday, 1 March 1995.
 
(1)     From:   Luc Borot <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 28 Feb 95 16:52:28 +0100
        Subj:   Re: SHK 6.0141  Colour Casting
 
(2)     From:   Jung Jimmy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 28 Feb 95 16:09:00 PST
        Subj:   RE: Casting
 
 
(1)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Luc Borot <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 28 Feb 95 16:52:28 +0100
Subject: 6.0141  Colour Casting
Comment:        Re: SHK 6.0141  Colour Casting
 
Charles S. Ross <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> writes: "Complete color blind
casting should be the only rule."
 
There can be a case for counter-colour casting, as it were, in Peter Brook's
marvellous *Tempest* in Paris in 1990: black Prospero and Ariel, white Miranda,
black 'bad duke', the rest of the cast (including Caliban) was white. The
opposition might have been simplistic if Miranda had not been white; perhaps
this could be called 'selective' colour-blindness.
 
        Yours
                Luc
 
(2)----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Jung Jimmy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 28 Feb 95 16:09:00 PST
Subject:        RE: Casting
 
Charles S. Ross  calls for "Complete color blind casting," as the only rule.
 
For my part, I've seen a number of wonderful and effective "non-traditional"
casts.  Off the top of my head, I recall Francis Dorn at Washington's
Shakespeare Theater playing the mother, sister or queen with various white
princes and kings.  Usually sometime during the ride home, the color
discrepancy hits me.  However, a completely color blind casting, doesn't allow
for some of the most interesting and illuminating choices.  I recall a powerful
production with a black Iago, a choice I assume was intentional. and I'm not
sure I'm ready for a white Othello.
 
jimmy <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>

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