Believe it or not, I just got a part in a local play that requires me to "act black". I am in Great Falls, Wyoming and there are no black guys who can play the part. The play is about a white female farm girl who gets accepted into an HBCU on full scholarship. She has no other offers and her family can't afford to pay for college elsewhre. Additionally, she was turned down for all the other scholarships she applied for, so she decides to go the HBCU. Of course, her roomate is black and I'm playing the role of the roomate's boyfriend.
All your inputs are appreciated.
2007-07-19 15:23:35 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
The director advised me that the role is not race-neutral and that I must act black for authenticity's sake. My appearance will be altered to resemble a 20-yr old black male.
2007-07-19 15:29:03 · update #1
With all due respect, I think it is HIGHLY inadvisable to make yourself up to look African-American. That is considered to be very offensive in today's culture, regardless of your intentions. It will only serve to distract the audience and take away from the messages of the play. There are ways to make a character fit you and the given circumstances. In my opinion, you should have a serious talk with the director and think carefully about what you are trying to convey. You could adapt a dialect of some kind to give your character ethnicity, but "acting black" is not going to fly.
There are some plays which simply cannot be cast in a non-traditional way (Driving Miss Daisy is one).If the role cannot be altered, then the director must find someone who can fill the part appropriately or choose another script. However, since you do not want to be out of a role, I encourage you strongly to take a stand on this issue while offering some creative alternatives. Meet with the director privately to find an appropriate and positive way to make this character your own.
2007-07-19 22:24:58 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all, where is Great Falls, Wyoming? I live here in Wyoming and I've never heard of it. Is it up by Yellowstone? It must be pretty small....anyway, about your part; I'm not so sure that putting on makeup to look Black is the best idea in the world. I played a Black guy in a one man play I did a few years ago and I didn't use makeup for it, however, I am Native American and so it was easier for me to get away with it. I did extensive research into playing the character without being stereotypical. There were a lot of city mannerisms that came out, but it was difficult to do without being offensive. Also, I have been a professional actor for quite some time. Even so, my director was very leary about letting me do that part of the play. He ended up trusting me to do it, but it took an awful lot of preparation to get it right. If you haven't been acting for very long I would be very apprehensive about attempting this. You're walking into unknown territory here. I wish you the best with it but if I were the director I would find another play to do if he/she can't cast it as written.
2007-07-27 09:09:25 · answer #2 · answered by ndn_ronhoward 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Umm, maybe this director can tell you what other rolls exist that demonstrate "acting black." That is as general as saying "act white" or "act Chinese." I can think of about 40 different guys I know that are black and none of them really have a defining thread except they are human. Did he give you specifics, like... involvement in the Black Panthers? Wants to be like P Diddy? Very into education and wants to be the first black president? Maybe he's goofy like Eddie Murphy? Anything specific would be better than saying "act black." I mean that's just silly!
Character questions need to be answered well. Your director is not doing a very good job with his direction to you. Or he has such a limited idea of mankind that he can't even see that poeple of any race have different characters and morals and behaviors and no one can can be summed up by the color of their skin or gender or anything else of that nature.
Anyone in the roll of director should have at least that understanding of life! After all, the dramatic arts immediate life in some way or another. And you must be able to observe and see those things about life that are both universal and different. Did he tell the actress girlfriend to "act white" too? No individual is the same as their skin color... ever!
I really hope that this director has shown compedience in some other area. Because this is one for the books.
2007-07-26 07:51:51 · answer #3 · answered by Jessa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the play is well-written, you shouldn't need to "act black." In fact, truly, that's a bit offensive. A young man in college, dating a girl - that's a typical guy. There's no ethnic specifity there.
The best advice I can give you is be true to the character as he is written. You do not under any circumstances want to degenerate into bad stereotyped behavior. It wouldn't hurt you to do some research on the black experience in America, to give yourself some context for this character. Then write a character history. Where did he grow up? What do his parents do? Are they divorced or still married? Does he have contact with both of them? What was his high school like? Is he in college on scholarship or not? What is his major?
Use the script for clues and fill in the blanks you find. That will help you create a sense of this character as a full person, which is far more important then "acting black," whatever that means.
2007-07-19 15:51:34 · answer #4 · answered by theprof 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
To be hassle-free with you my chum there is not any thank you to act black, that's barely a epidermis shade merely be yoursell and each little thing will fall into place. do no longer act like the black men interior the movies greater cases you will in basic terms get a stereotypical image of a black male.
2016-10-19 06:13:16 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
what do u mean 'act black'?
like sterotype black or just black?
well sterotype is easy...be as hood as you can, watch a lot of music videos staring black men.
or black in a general sense...in that case just don't say anything racial that would set you as white throughout the whole play. really if the play was written real good, if you can act you'll do fine.
2007-07-19 16:51:40 · answer #6 · answered by Enigmatic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with most of the above, but I would drop out if I were you, the director must be an idiot to do this play when he cannot cast it.
2007-07-23 17:33:09 · answer #7 · answered by Theatre Doc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Acting black...DA I bet you have the act down pat,,,,b your self. Wear your pants down 2 your knees, put on a do rag, don't 4get 2 where a Hood,,,,,
2007-07-26 14:51:32 · answer #8 · answered by Here Kitty Kitty 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I second theprof. Nothing else to say. Give him the best answer already.
2007-07-19 16:48:46 · answer #9 · answered by Marianne D 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋