Casting and Diversity

Written by Tony Adams Wednesday, 03 February 2010 16:03

There are many theatres that could currently squash us in terms of budget. In terms of diversity, I think I'd put our work up against any company in the nation. I am a big proponent of culturally specific organizations; however, American theatres are functionally separate but equal--only some are more equal than others.

When I see a culturally specific organization--one that is entirely Latino, or entirely black--I don't necessarily see that as diversity. If Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America, Friday and Saturday night might be a close second. I am a big proponent of culturally specific organizations. I am a bigger proponent of inclusive organizations.

I haven't been shy about the fact that inclusion is one of our core values. It is something we constantly work at and learn from. Over the four years we've been in existence, some things we've tried have worked well, others haven't. We're still learning. As we worked with more and more directors who were not part of the company with the festival, it became clear that we needed to have a stated policy to give to guest artists.

It may not be the kind of thing that often is seen in public, but its current articulation is:

• Casting Policy: Halcyon Theatre strives to be as inclusive as possible. It is part and parcel of our mission. Diversity does not happen by itself and so we actively cultivate relationships with a diverse group of artists and writers. Working with artists who have diverse backgrounds, talents, and training fosters artistic growth and innovation. Artistic diversity also fuses styles and cultures into new art–forms and can prevent stagnation. We believe that most shows can be cast against type and ask if age and/or ethnicity are intrinsic to character when casting. (Safe is one example in which ethnicity IS intrinsic to the play and it should not be cast against type.) Halcyon Theatre’s directors routinely cross-cast and cast against type and we expect collaborating directors to do the same.

We're continually refining how it is articulated, but the overall vision remains the same. It's a constant process of examining how we view the world, and how we choose to depict it on stage. The most basic principle is: the more distinct voices in the room, the better the art will be.

I have heard many working with small theatres say they want a more diverse cast, but few non-white actors audition. I have had friends tell me they won't audition for most of the companies out there, because as a minority, they know they won't be cast--and so little changes.

There are some things I am not shy about doing. I am not shy about going out and trying to find the best actors I can find.  I want the best actors we can work with onstage. I don't sit back and wait for folks to audition. I am not shy about asking people around town for help, for recommendations. I am not shy about forcing directors to call people back and having people read for roles that normally might not be called for. I typically don't step into final casting, and if I do, it is often making sure schedules will work; but, often directors will cast someone that might not have been in the room.

Every person in the company has different feelings about it. It's something we discuss and thankfully our folks are comfortable speaking honestly about it. Toya felt pretty strongly that A Shroud for Lazarus should have had more black actors and she was honest about that. Adam was upset about how Lorca in a Green Dress was cast. He understood the process to mean that he could be in the show if no suitable Latino's were available. (He was pretty damn good in Green Dress, btw)

One of the things I find a lot is way more people are ok with a role that is traditionally played by white actors being played by an actor of color than the other way around. Jenn and I have to do a better job sometimes of convincing our company that they can be in shows like A Shroud for Lazarus or Lorca in a Green Dress, even if they are not black or latino; we have to show that artists of color can play roles traditionally played by white actors; and we have to prove that it can be done to audiences. I do not think you can reach inclusion by excluding people.

Often diversity is thought of in black or white terms, with Djimon Hounsou and Jake Busey having the only two skin tones. Artists often get passed over if they don't fit those types, or if they have an accent. Artists who are multi-racial--who aren't dark enough to be called in for "ethnic roles" and not white enough often don't have a hard time getting cast at theatre across the country. Artists with a foreign accent often don't get called back, unless it's for a "foreigner" role.

Many artists butt heads with those issues every day, and I think audiences and art suffer if we are afraid to provoke and question what is typically seen onstage, if we are afraid to have a stage that looks like the Brown Line train you would take to see the festival.*

The color of casting is a continual conversation. Because Jenn and I are white, does that mean Halcyon is a "white" company? Is diversity only skin deep? The way the conversation is typically framed, Adam, from Pennsylvania, and Irene, from Belarus, have more in common than Toya and Christine who both grew up in the Chicago area.

The conversation is still evolving. I know a few things for certain: the more open we are, the better the artists and writers we've been able to work with; a theatre catering to a tiny homogeneous portion of the world cannot be sustained; if anyone is excluded from the conversation because of how they look the conversation cannot happen.

Everything else we are still learning.



*had to fit a plug in there. The performance space is easily accessible from the Western and Damen El stops.

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