EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE CREATIVE TEEM TEAM BEHIND THE PLAY THE NIGHTINGALE ISSUED A PUBLIC
APOLOGY FOR CASTING JUST TWO ASIAN ACTORS OUT OF A DOZEN ROLES AND CHARACTERS THAT IS
SET IN ANCIENT CHINA.
ANGELA, SET THE STAGE FOR US HERE, WHAT IS THIS MUSICAL ALL ABOUT?
>> >>ANGELA CARONE: THE MUSICAL IS SET IN WHAT THE CREATORS SAY IT'S A MYTH LOGICAL
VERSION OF ANCIENT CHINA, BASED ON A HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON STORY, HE'S A NOTED CHILDREN'S
AUTHOR, AND IT'S ABOUT AN ASIAN EMPEROR WHO IS SORT OF SEQUESTERED LIVING WITHIN IMPERIAL
WALLS AND LONGS TO SEE THE REST OF HIS KINGDOM, THE SONG OF A NIGHTINGALE ILLUMINATES THAT
FOR HIM.
ALONG THE WAY HE FALLS IN LOVE WITH A PLEASANT GIRL.
THE PLAY IS LOOSELY BASED ON THE HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON STORY, BUT IT TRIES TO CREATE THE
QUALITIES OF THAT.
>> >>PEGGY: IT'S FULLY SET IN WHAT SHOULD BE ANCIENT CHINA.
>> >>ANGELA CARONE: THAT'S THE REAL MATTER OF CONTENTION AS FAR AS THE CREATIVE TEAM
IS CONCERNED.
THEIR VISION IS THEY OUT LINED IT AT THE FORUM ON SUNDAY IS THAT THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE
A MYTH LOGICAL PLACE.
ITS ACTUALLY NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EAST NOR WEST OR SET IN A CERTAIN TIME.
IT'S A MYTH LOGICAL LAND THAT HAS A MULTICULTURAL CAST.
>> >>PEGGY: WHEN DID THE CASTING ISSUES COME UP AND HOW?
>> >>ANGELA CARONE: WHAT HAPPENED WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TWELVE ROLES TWO OF THEM WERE
ONLY ASIAN AMERICANS, THE REST ARE THERE'S FIVE WHITE, A COUPLE AFRICAN AMERICANS, THERE
WAS A BLOG POST WRITTEN BY AN ASIAN AMERICAN ACTRESS THAT KIND OF SPARKED THE DEBATE, AND
THEN IT REALLY TOOK OFF ONLINE.
THE PLAY HOUSE THEN DECIDED TO SET UP THIS FORUM TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.
I SHOULD SAY TOO THAT THIS IS A WORK SHOP, PRODUCTION OF THIS MUSICAL.
THIS IS NOT THE FINITE END PRODUCT OF THIS MUSICAL.
IT'S IN A WORK SHOP STATE ITS & IT'S PART OF THE LA JOLLA PLAY HOUSE PAGE TO STAGE PROGRAM.
>> >>PEGGY: THE ARTISTIC DIRECTER AND ITS CREATIVE TEAM ON SUNDAY AT THAT FORUM ISSUED
AN APOLOGY RIGHT?
AND THERE WERE A LOT OF ASIAN COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WERE IN THE AUDIENCE THAT BASICALLY EXPRESSED
FRUSTRATION AND HURT LET'S HEAR FROM ONE OF THEM RIGHT NOW.
>> >>: TO SEE THIS PRODUCTION WHICH CLEARLY TO ME LOOKS LIKE IT WAS SET IN CHINA WITH
SO FEW ASIAN AMERICAN FACES REMINDS ME HOW INVISIBLE WE STILL ARE.
>> >>PEGGY: VERY UPSET, A LOT OF EMOTIONS.
NIGHTINGALE'S DIRECTER, HE ALSO OFFERED AN APOLOGY.
WHAT DID HE SAY?
>> >>ANGELA CARONE: MOISES KAUFMAN IS THE DIRECTER AND HE TRIED TO EXPLAIN WHAT THE
VISION FOR THE SHOW WAS AND SHE BASICALLY SAID WE OWE YOU A ALL AN APOLOGY BECAUSE WE
DID NOT REALIZE OUR VISION OF THE SHOW WHICH WAS THIS MYSTICAL LANDSCAPE WITH A MULTIETHNIC
CAST.
THE MULTIETHNIC CAST IS KEY TO THAT.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO SIGNAL THIS WAS ANCIENT CHINA, THEY WANTED TO SIGNAL THIS WAS A PLACE
WHERE A YOUNG WHITE EMPEROR COULD HAVE AN AFRICAN AMERICAN MOTHER, BASICALLY.
>> >>PEGGY: MULTICULTURAL CASTING IS VERY POPULAR RIGHT NOW.
WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM HERE?
>> >>ANGELA CARONE: IT IS VERY POPULAR.
IT'S USED FOR, YOU KNOW THE REASON WHY MULTICULTURAL CASTING WAS EVEN CREATED WAS TO CREATE MORE
OPPORTUNITY FOR MINORITY ACTORS, TO FIND ROLES.
IT'S BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH THAT IT'S USED IN ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
THERE'S A MULTIETHNIC CAST OF A STREET CAR NAMED DESIRE RIGHT NOW ON BROADWAY, AFRICAN
AMERICANS IN THE LEAD ROLES.
THE PROBLEM HERE AS CERTAINLY BEEN EXPRESSED BY A NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT THE FORUM IS THAT
MULTICULTURAL CASTING WAS NEVER CREATED TO GIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR A WHITE ACTOR TO PLAY
A CULTURALLY SPECIFIC ROLE.
>> >>PEGGY: RIGHT, WE JUST SAW A QUOTE FROM ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO SAID
IT WAS NT MEANT INTENDED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, FIVE WHITE PEOPLE IN A ROLE THAT SHOULD BE
REPRESENTED BY SOMEONE ELSE.
STEVEN SLATER, THE PLIE RITE, HE SAID THAT HE STILL STANDS BY THE MULTICULTURAL CASTING,
IN AN EARLIER WORK SHOP, HE HAD ALL ASIANS BUT CHANGE TD WHY?
WHY DID HE?
>> >>ANGELA CARONE: RIGHT.
AT THE FORUM, HE TALKED ABOUT THE FORMER ALL ASIAN CAST, EXCUSE ME, AND SAID THAT DIND
DIDN'T WORK FOR HIM IN HIS VISION OF A FANTASTICAL MYTHICAL WORLD WITH A MULTIETHNIC CAST, A
MULTI ETHNICITY THAT REFLECTED THE WORLD THAT HE LIVED IN.
HE STANDS BY HIS VISION.
I THINK THAT HE SAID THROUGHOUT THE FORUM THAT HE WAS LEARNING SO MUCH THAT THIS WAS
AN EDUCATION FOR HIM, HEARING ALL OF THIS.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE CREATIVE TEAM IS TODAY ON THIS.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HEARD WHAT WAS BEING SAID AND I WOULD IMAGINE THAT FUTURE
PRODUCTIONS AGAIN THIS IS A WORK SHOP PRODUCTION, I WOULD IMAGINE FUTURE PRODUCTIONS OF THE
NIGHTINGALE WILL TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION VERY CLOSELY WHAT THEY HEARD AT THAT FORUM.
>> >>PEGGY: I BET YOU THEY WILL, ANGELA CARONE, THANK YOU FOR TALKING WITH US.