FRUSTRATED! WHERE'S THE COLOUR-BLIND CASTING IN THIS BLOODY COUNTRY!!!

Tue, 2 May 2006, 01:52 pm

MichelleZ31 posts in thread

Just want to vent, so I apologise in advance. Ha, ha, ha, so much for Australia priding itself on being a multicultural society! HA! Where the hell is all the multi-cultural actors on our stages and screens then? I think I'm as good or on par, in regard to talent, with many actresses in their early 20s, but being of Asian appearance, I rarely get called in - and I'm a NIDA grad! (Not that that means a lot these days). I know this industry is primarily based on what you look like, but come on!!! Give us a chance to even audition for you, for christ's sakes! When are producers gonna open their eyes and realise that the Australian population is not entirely Anglo. Has anyone else experienced this frustration?! This sounds dramatic (but hey, we're actors!!), but I'm going to devote my life to changing this in the industry. I realise that even Asian actors in England and USA find it difficult to break into the industry, so I really hope to change this.

I head ya sister....

Wed, 3 May 2006, 07:12 pm

Crispian

I hear ya Michelle - being an Australian-Chinese actor myself, I sometimes find it extremely frustrating to find work.

Film/TV work in Australia is extremely hard and I find that the minority groups are inadequately represented in local projects. Colourblind casting however would not be possible because the conventions of Film/TV needs a degree of realism.

A level of colourblind casting does exist though in Film/TV. Generally, it seems that Europeans can play each other, whilst Chinese, Korean or Japanese can play each other.

Theatre-wise in Perth, I have found that colourblind casting exists well in independent theatre but I still find that professional theatre companies with the exception of Barking Gecko as being very anglo-centric with their productions or indigineous performers are used.

I am currently living and studying in Singapore. Here, colourblind casting is almost mandatory - especially when doing English-speaking plays which are almost all written by American or English writers. Just recently, I saw a production of Death of A Maiden which saw English and Chinese actors performing together. Set in a ficticious South American country, their Spanish was fluent and I was able to be transported into their world and I forgot that they were actually white or chinese. I also saw a production of the Pulitzer prize winning Doubt as well and a combination of Malay, Indian and Chinese were used and once again I completely forgot that I was in New York. But then again, whats not to say that there actually are Churches ministered by Asians in New York?

After these experiences I think we should push for more colourblind casting in the theatre. The nature of Theatre is extremely flexible and after seeing these shows in Singapore, I've found how easy it is to forget the colour of someone's skin when seeing a performance.

It's up to Australian-Asian artists like myself and you, Michelle, to promote ourselves and make producers/directors/artistic directors that there is a untapped resource of artists who all have their own stories to tell as well.

Some food for thought...for now :)

Crispy.

Thread (31 posts)

Threaded Flat

FRUSTRATED! WHERE'S THE COLOUR-BLIND CASTING IN THIS BLOODY COUNTRY!!!— MichelleZ2 May 2006

Looks are all...— Na2 May 2006
What a NIDA Grad! OUTRAGEOUS!!!— Walter Plinge3 May 2006
I head ya sister....— Crispian3 May 2006
colour-blind casting— Stevelee4 May 2006
- And those actors you— class act theatre4 May 2006
Colour-blind casting— Walter Plinge4 May 2006
- colour blind porgy and bess— trevnosh6 July 2006
  - Porgy and Bess— Logos6 July 2006
Colour Blind Casting— Logos4 May 2006
Dead on— Walter Plinge5 May 2006
- Nice one!— MichelleZ5 May 2006
Oh p-lease - how do you— Walter Plinge7 May 2006
- Not Constructive— Labrug7 May 2006
- That's just plain rude...— Na8 May 2006
RE: Oh p-lease - how do you— MichelleZ7 May 2006
When in Queensland???— soapbox theatre8 May 2006
Ethnic!— Walter Plinge9 June 2006
On the flip side of your— Walter Plinge9 June 2006
From a civilian— Huffypeg5 July 2006
Bravo— Logos5 July 2006
2 sides to every story— Walter Plinge6 July 2006
Colour Blind— Janine Menz6 July 2006
Too tall— Walter Plinge6 July 2006
Or casting directors could— Rae Johnston6 July 2006
This is exactly waht I was going to say— Logos6 July 2006
As someone from an amateur— abbz7 July 2006
- I'm sure I've said this— Na7 July 2006
Colour Blind— Logos7 July 2006
I have little to offer— Walter Plinge2 Aug 2006
- I agree with td.— abbz3 Aug 2006

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