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.

Thread (31 posts)

Threaded Flat

MichelleZTue, 2 May 2006, 01:52 pm

NaTue, 2 May 2006, 02:28 pm

Looks are all...

I'm sure I've posted something similar on this site, but yes, generally directors and producers cast on looks. My friend from school stopped doing theatre (partly because of an expectation from her parents to 'do something with her life', and there's no money in acting) because she felt that nobody would hire her. She's of Indian descent, and her skin colour was what stopped her, despite the fact that she was excellent even at that age... If it makes you feel better - I never cast based on looks. I don't even have a preconceived idea of what I want in an actor. I cast based on 'I'll know it when I see it', and that refers entirely on who performs my work the best, if it's believable, and whether they have that 'spark' that is required for my heavily poetic language. If you're ever in Melbourne, and I'm casting a performance, be sure to put in for an audition... Na The Prompt Copy Networking emerging theatre professionals www.thepromptcopy.com Sticky Apple Legs http://stickyapplelegs.artsblogs.com

Walter PlingeWed, 3 May 2006, 01:19 pm

What a NIDA Grad! OUTRAGEOUS!!!

and you're a NIDA grad! The doors should be open to you anyway I would have thought :o) You should Sue the bastards.

CrispianWed, 3 May 2006, 07:12 pm

I head ya sister....

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.

SteveleeThu, 4 May 2006, 05:22 am

colour-blind casting

The problem with "colour-blind" casting, to me at least, falls into two quite separate sections: firstly whether a non specific role should be open to all ethnic groups; which comes with a big thumbs up from me. I have recently directed actors from China, Singapore and the Philipines and found it an excellent and rewarding experience. The more directors consider the full range of talent available the better in my opinion. My problem lies with another aspect of the practice, that of casting families from different ethnic groups. In London I saw a "Romeo and Juliet" with Mr and Mrs Montegue both white, and Romeo (their son) played by a black actor. I just kept wondering why no-one drew this to Mr Montegue's attention, and pointed out his wife's obvious infidelity. Surely if we ignore this visual aspect of charcterisation, the audiences will never know whether to make assumptions based on appearance or to put this down to the casting process. And if we have to ignore colour, then what next? Will we have to ignore shape, or gender? Let me be clear: I am not arguing for a white Europeans only approach. If, in the above example Montegue and his wife had also both been black. there would have been no problem (and two more roles for non white actors). I also realise that children's theatre ignores all this. But we rarely go to see a Nativity play (for example) looking for the subtle and sensitive playing one would expect from adult professional actors. In life, we often make judgements and assumptions based on looks that we have to re-appraise or change. Take that aspect away from theatre and you rob Drama of layers and levels and leave us unsure what we should be noticing and what ignoring. I wonder what other people's views on this might be?

Walter PlingeThu, 4 May 2006, 09:19 am

Colour-blind casting

I agree that this kind of thing can be very frustrating, but perhaps it should be looked at in the context of the demographic of auditionees? It's no good looking at the population of the country as a whole and deciding that casting decisions should reflect the ethnic make-up of that cohort - people can only cast based on who auditions and the relative merits of auditionees ON THE DAY OF AUDITION. Even NIDA grads can flunk auditions, with all respect. NIDA's not a golden ticket to fame and stardom, opening all doors. NIDA grads still have to work bloody hard to get jobs, regardless their skin colour. Coming from an amateur background, I can comment that there are some wonderfully colourblind casting decisions made by non-professional theatre companies. I was part of a Fiddler on the Roof production which featured two women of "Asian" appearance in the chorus (the only two such who auditioned). I've also seen a production of The Gondoliers in which one of the leads was black - played by a visiting international student!. In Brisbane right now, there's a production of Rent with a very diverse cast (as befits such a show) with a major solo sung by an extremely talented young lady "of Asian appearance". This same performer was also recently in the chorus for Les Mis with a different Brisbane theatre company. Talent speaks for itself. Unfortunately, for amateur and professional companies all across Australia, there is a dearth of non-white and non-English-speaking-background actors auditioning for roles. This makes it extremely difficult to put on certain shows, in spite of the enthusiasm of both performers and directors to see them done. What amateur group could possibly tackle Porgy and Bess, for example, when one rarely sees a black actor at an audition? Particularly in the amateur scene, my experience has shown that there is as much diversity as possible given the cohorts of auditionees seen and the relative talents of individual performers. What, then, is the answer? Should we discriminate against highly talented white English speaking actors solely to increase the range of skin colours we have in any given production? Does this kind of affirmative action make any difference other than to racistly discriminate against otherwise qualified performers? I make no judgement, but offer it as food for thought.

LogosThu, 4 May 2006, 10:08 am

Colour Blind Casting

Just as an interesting adjunct to this. I am currently seeking contact in Adelaide from male actors of a middle eastern or sub-continental appearance for a possible production od Alec Buzo's Norm and Ahmed. It seems appropriate somehow given the current atmosphere. This will be an amateur production but may have an expenses payout based on income. Interest should be e-mailed to spotlighttheatreco@hotmail.com Only Adelaide residents please

class act theatreThu, 4 May 2006, 01:07 pm

And those actors you

And those actors you directed Steve were all in shows produced by Class Act Theatre! (Is this a shameless plug for my company --mm, YES!)

Walter PlingeFri, 5 May 2006, 12:49 pm

Dead on

I know I might only be able to sympathize as I am anglo in appearance, but I completely agree that everyone should be given a go, no matter their heritage. I personally think that casting should be based on ability, talent and suitability not race!

MichelleZFri, 5 May 2006, 02:13 pm

Nice one!

Hey Sera, you reckon you could become a Casting Agent?! We need more people with your opinion working as producers &/ casting directors!!!

Walter PlingeSun, 7 May 2006, 07:41 am

Oh p-lease - how do you

Oh p-lease - how do you think you got into nida in the first place - you really think you were chosen for just your talent? That your ethnic appearance had nothing to do with getting in? Trying being anglo and getting a look in for Miss Saigon, or Eponine in Les Mis Acting work is scarce and competition is hard for all of us, not just ethnic actors - get over it

LabrugSun, 7 May 2006, 11:13 am

Not Constructive

Mr Walter Plinge (I do like how you've stayed anonymous) Comments like this are in no way constructive nor helpful. If you can't add to the conversation, or at the very least have the guts to come forth with an Idenity, then what you have to say is of little use or meaning.

Dixi

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
Fight/Sword Choreographer

http://au.geocities.com/labrug

MichelleZSun, 7 May 2006, 02:27 pm

RE: Oh p-lease - how do you

RE: "Oh p-lease - how do you think you got into nida in the first place - you really think you were chosen for just your talent? That your ethnic appearance had nothing to do with getting in? Trying being anglo and getting a look in for Miss Saigon, or Eponine in Les Mis Acting work is scarce and competition is hard for all of us, not just ethnic actors - get over it" Hey Plingey, I love how you've just hit it on the nail. And you probably don't even know you did it - You just named two, that's right, only TWO major/mainstream plays that casts Asian actors. And it's only Miss Saigon that really has to cast Asians to keep it genuine. If I remember correctly, the first chick who played dear Eponine on the West End was Anglo. Yes. Insightful, mate. P.S. No shit that acting work is scarce for everyone.

NaMon, 8 May 2006, 12:38 pm

That's just plain rude...

Despite all the bias of the NIDA interviewers, I'm sure that they are accepting people in for their potential talent, not their looks. It's not Australian Idol you know... And acting work is scarce, but it is definitely harder for 'ethnic' actors (what the hell is ethnic anyway? Everyone comes from one ethnicity or another...). The Prompt Copy Networking emerging theatre professionals www.thepromptcopy.com Sticky Apple Legs http://stickyapplelegs.artsblogs.com

soapbox theatreMon, 8 May 2006, 03:58 pm

When in Queensland???

hey Michelle, I have always regaurded NIDA graduates as exceptional- i've never been dissapointed by their work- but i love all aussie actors (asian or anglo) If you are ever in Queensland and want work check out soapbox www.soapboxtheatre.zoomshare.com we don't care where you come from, as long as you can act baby!! keep you chin up' soapbox

Walter PlingeFri, 9 June 2006, 10:51 am

Ethnic!

This debate has taken on many different angles, we could go on about NIDA etc...but that is not the issue...Bottom line is if you are from an anglo background you WILL get the auditions...forget how you audition or where you studied...getting in the door is the issue! If you are crap then so be it but can we not get a look in?....I have many years of study both here and overseas and have auditioned and worked also. Put my 15 years of training and developing my craft next to a 'Ms Smith' with 1 day of training and 'Ms Smith' will get the audition...Why?...well who the hell knows...(michelleZ) you are right, it is hard to get auditions anyway...but do you honestly think you are being discriminated against because you are anglo! give me a break! this racism has been going on forever in this country, ....just imagine if some of the greats ie Pacino, Deniro, Streep grew up in this country? no career! no wander actors go overseas to make it and our industry is going down the toilet. When 'minority' actors do get the roles, why does the storyline need to explain what they are doing there or the story is specifically mulitcultural? unbelievable...I am going on a bit of a rant because today I am specifically shitty about this topic as only this morning something occured that got my agent just as cranky...so I am not coming across as articulate as I would like to...Yes, it is changing slowly but it saddens me that this is even a topic!...Perhaps I should have stayed in the US where I was an actor before anything else and the casting agents where not colour blind!...the thing is I love a sunburnt country...because Im bloody Australian!

Walter PlingeFri, 9 June 2006, 01:24 pm

On the flip side of your

On the flip side of your comments,a while ago I was trying to cast four female asian actors for a short film shot in Perth.I had almost no responce despite many weeks of searching.In the end I had to wrangle two reluctant non actors to play the remaining parts.Maybe its because the roles where for volunteers,but I don't think so. Rather than any racial dicriminationI,I see more discrimination in the funding bodies.If you arn't in the Artsy Fartsy scene, you've got Buckly's chance of getting any kind of funding for your film productions.

HuffypegWed, 5 July 2006, 09:23 am

From a civilian

Hi y'all â€“ This is my first forum entry and I’m not sure if I’m eligible to comment cos I have absolutely nothing to do with the industry except as an interested bystander â€“ one of those people who “likes to watch”…ahem. But it is from this perspective I would like to comment on Michelle’s vent about the difficulty she is facing as an actor who is Asian. I find this appalling but unfortunately not surprising As a dedicated watcher of TV and film, I have to say that I find that the face of Australia represented in these mediums quite bland. I do not see the multicultural society I participate in every day represented on the screen except in the form of tokenism or as an “issue”. I also see too much of a certain type of Anglo Australian â€“ pretty to the eye but kind of forgettable. In comparison, I find that the characters from English TV and film are not as pretty in general â€“ but are much more believable and representative of their diverse country. I’d love to see that in Australia.

LogosWed, 5 July 2006, 11:31 am

Bravo

I completely concur.

trevnoshThu, 6 July 2006, 11:14 am

colour blind porgy and bess

I'm sure lots of non-African-American actors, singers etc would love to present Porgy and Bess. I understand that the reason Porgy and Bess is such a rare production is not because of the dearth of non-Anglo personnel, but because under the terms of Gershwin's will the show can only be presented by an African-American cast. Please correct me if this is an urban myth or I'm just plain wrong.

LogosThu, 6 July 2006, 12:50 pm

Porgy and Bess

You're right. Porgy and Bess can only be performed by afro-american casts. The only exception to that was in the late sixties or early seventies I think sixties when the Maori Theatre of New Zealand was given permission and even they had to have American Performers,although from memory Porgy was played by a Maori. Yes that's right folks I saw the aussie tour and can remember it.

Walter PlingeThu, 6 July 2006, 01:33 pm

2 sides to every story

I am sorry that you havent had much work and to be honest it would be very hard to get work with an asian appearance and not because anyone is racist but because most plays, musicals are typecast for anglo people. I see more and more television series with a multicultural element and I am sure coming from NIDA you would be excellent. When scripts are written for multicultural characters then you will have your turn in the theatre. You may hate this but unfortunately its the way it is just like my friend is in Asia at the moment on contract to an agency and has been refused many jobs cos she is " too caucasian looking" Is that racist, she doesnt think so cos clients are after a particular look for a character and if you havent got what they are looking for well pick yourself up and go to the next casting. Same as if you have red hair and they are looking for blonde people. My friend has blue eyes but bought brown contacts just so she could be seen at a casting. Sorry, as bad as it is, thats the way it is everywhere.

Janine MenzThu, 6 July 2006, 01:45 pm

Colour Blind

As said in a previous post you have a few musicals like Miss Siagon etc you can try out for and anglos cant. I know they are pretty few and far between. What about TV work, soapies, reality tv. As NIDA grad do you want the TV/film industry or prefer theatre. Wouldnt you be better with TV/Film. A dear friend of mine has a Korean appearence and she had work in many films. Our soapies are more open now to different races and as bad as they say Big Brother is at least they gave many cultures a go. I know you may not want to leave Aust but Singapore is excellent and they would love you. It would be good to make some money there and come back with more on you cv and maybe boost your confidence instead of all the negativity you have got here.

Walter PlingeThu, 6 July 2006, 02:06 pm

Too tall

Hey MichelleZ I hear what you are saying and I would like to vent too then. It has nothing to do with anyone being racist and I agree with Melanie F. You have to have what they are looking for. Like the total look. I am a past NIDA grad too and I am female blonde and 6ft 1" tall. Now if your being discriminated cos of race I am being discriminated cos of height. Apart from 'The Producer' I have had little work. Our industry is very fickle and really we knew that when we got into it. No one wants a a performer to be taller than the leading man or woman. I remember the director asking a lead man once if it was alright for him to cast me cos I was 2inches taller. Lucky for me he said yes. We do not have alot of performances of any quality on the professional scene to chose from. Pro-am is a bit better. Please guys write scripts for tall blondes and ethnic people so we can get our break. I am deadly serious

Rae JohnstonThu, 6 July 2006, 02:13 pm

Or casting directors could

Or casting directors could "think outside the box" and consider a broader range of actors for roles. Unless a character is related to another(in which case they would have to look alike anyway) or some type of stereotype is attempting to be portrayed, if an Australian production sincerely wants to represent the country that we live in... be brave and try something different! It's not discrimination we are dealing with, it's pre-concieved typecasting. Rae Johnston Actress/Voice Artist www.freewebs.com/raejohnston

LogosThu, 6 July 2006, 03:35 pm

This is exactly waht I was going to say

There is absolutely no reason beyond pre conception why most contemporary plays cannot be cast from the entire range of racial groups we currently have in this country. I agree there are some plays where racial sterotyping is sort of necesary. No Sugar springs immediately to mind and Othello would be harder if other members of the cast were of varied races. Be brave cast your nets wider

abbzFri, 7 July 2006, 09:36 am

As someone from an amateur

As someone from an amateur theatre background, having done a certificate course earlier out of curiosity, I've been quite lucky in the sense that community theatres that I audition at still look at me and let me audition. But before my first gig, it took me a year of solidly auditioning for literally anywhere in Sydney, to land a very very small role, but amongst a very cool bunch of people. I tend to land the more "cultural"/ensemble roles. As much as that can seem frustrating, I know some friends who are of Anglo descent and not getting any more work than me. I recall calling a director up regarding "open" auditions asking for a timeslot, and they asked for my full name..when I did,they told me I'm wasting my time to audition because it's not a role for an Asian, but if by chance I was "that really great Asian girl who appeared in this other play they went to recently", I would be given a decent go. To this day I'm not sure where the logic lies. Maybe there was no logic. :) But one good thing about being of a minority group is if you landed a gig with them and someone liked you, they'll remember you with a fair amount of ease :D It's not all bad I suppose. But to work towards a more colour-blind culture when it comes to theatre, maybe we need many more directors, playwrights etc. who are colour blind, and also more of ethnic origin! And I don't know if it's starting to happen more, but I've recently been to a few auditions where the director is Asian (or not), and have been casting colour-blindly. They tend to be new Aussie works (which is always exciting!), where culture is not written into the text. Those are projects I'd love to be more involved in. But it's not always realistic to expect other people to give us the work...we should workshop and create works too :D If currently we dont have a colour blind casting process, we have to use the current confines to influence the industry - that is, showcase great works that make us more visible! Create a support base (which this forum is great for) to keep us going! It probably sounds like I'm completely looney, but it's my way of keeping sane in an industry where it is sometimes about factors which are beyond your control. Happy acting :D

NaFri, 7 July 2006, 09:41 am

I'm sure I've said this

I'm sure I've said this before ... Unfortunately, directors often already have an idea/image of the characters in mind before entering an audition. They've already read the script and agreed to produce the show, which means they've done at least a small amount of thinking about the way they want the production to look like. Playwrights who are self-directing have the biggest challenge of being unbiased when it comes to wanting the 'right' kind of look to their show, and friends who are directing other friend's work want to please that person. It's hard to walk into an audition in that sense, with a completely open mind. I'm sure there are a percentage of directors who want only what they envisage and nothing else. But I'm also equally sure that there are plenty of directors who are willing to take a chance on their idea of something/someone comes along who presents a much better idea/look/feel than they had imagined. For me - I know the right actor for the part when I see it. No preconceptions. The Prompt Copy Networking emerging theatre professionals www.thepromptcopy.com Sticky Apple Legs http://stickyapplelegs.artsblogs.com

LogosFri, 7 July 2006, 02:59 pm

Colour Blind

abbz: Keep on trucking. I am a playwright director and hope that I approach each audition unbiased except that I generally know what sex the role is and some vague ideas about physical dimensions. Unfortunatley here in little old Adelaide not many non anglo performers present themselves. However watch this space things may be happening soon.

Walter PlingeWed, 2 Aug 2006, 11:00 am

I have little to offer

I have little to offer except that in my brief dable in the industry as an asian "actor" (born out of boredom when I decided not to tutor students over a Christmas break- how sterotypically Asian is that!)I actually had a few opportunities. With no prior training or experience I rocked up at an agents office (looked up dodgilly in the local newspaper) and was signed up on the spot. Lucky for me my agent worked hard and got me quite a few audtions (more than my caucasian, trained, acting mates did anyway). I suspect that at the my auditions, the director and casting agents usuallly already had an idea of the "look" they were going for and it was just a matter of whether they figured they could "work" with me, after all, I had no idea. I agree that there are limited roles for asians in the industry, particulary those that don't have a stereotype attached to it, but I also suspect that there is frustration on the other side where writers/producers/directors contemplating an asian lead role recognise they have a limited talent pool to chose from (and I mean no disrespect here, but for every talented asian actor I suspect there are ten more caucasians that can also play that role).From that point of view; why not change that asian role into a caucasian one if there is a more experienced or recognisable actor who is less "risky"? There is a larger problem at hand because we have only a handful of asian actors who get limited work, asian youth having few role models in the industry, this reinforcing for asian parents the need for their child to persue a "professional" career. Lack of confidence in directors etc because of the small pool to chose from... and the problems will continue to drag on and on. Good luck anyway with your ventures.

abbzThu, 3 Aug 2006, 12:20 am

I agree with td.

I agree with td. From a casting business point of view, with time constraints and all, it just seems that they do have a very specific idea of what they want to see as an Asian and what "Asian" people should be like. It can be quite frustrating. I wonder if dying my hair red would help me get different work :P heh! But td, you seem to be doing alright there :) On a different note though, I'm currently in a show that is opening this weekend at Peninsula Theatre Company called "The New Deal". I play Lara Merino, and on numerous occasions I have to use this full name in the script. The writer/director did not see the need to modify anything even though he admitted at first he hadn't written the text with the idea of casting an Asian or non-Asian and decided to use me anyway! Herein lies a bit of colour-blind casting :D (and shameless plugging on my part!) Just keep swimming, just keep swimming... abbz :D

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