When I was one month out of college, I made my Off-Broadway debut as the leading lady in a (very) short lived musical called OH, JOHNNY. In spite of being an Asian American actor in a profession that offered little to no role models at the time, I was thrilled by the possibilities that lay ahead and fueled by the honor of being a working actor. One day during rehearsals I chatted with a (Caucasian) cast member – we’ll call him “George” -- about the roles we each dreamed of playing one day. This conversation has been burned indelibly into my brain:
Me: I’ve always wanted to play “Guinivere” in CAMELOT.
“George”: “Guinevere” in CAMELOT?! Well, I guess you could do that – in theatre for the blind.
You can see why this kind of story would stick with me for the rest of my life and motivate me to work (through my advocacy, writing and performing) towards supporting a world where no person would think that was an acceptable thing to say to another person, not even to a person like “George”.
But there are happy parts to this story, too.
Years later, I had the chance to play “Amalia” in a beautiful production of SHE LOVES ME, singing “Ice Cream” in the middle of America’s Heartland, Indianapolis. I remember an elderly Hungarian man in the audience who commented afterwards that he was so happy they had found a Hungarian woman (referring to me!) to play this Hungarian character. I was incredibly moved to know that he had gone on the journey with us and believed where we took him. And years after that, a new (Asian American) friend told me that growing up in Indianapolis, he saw my photo on the cover of the local newspaper in a piece about our show, and how it was then that he realized he could have a future in show business, which he continues to pursue successfully to this day.
Non-traditional, diverse and inclusive casting is not only about providing greater, more equal opportunities and inspiration for actors of color and actors with disabilities. It is also about reflecting the world on our stages as the tapestry that it truly is. It gives us the opportunity to convey the universality of the human spirit in our plays -- and can be an amazing tool to promote tolerance, celebrating what makes us similar, as well as what makes us different.
So here’s the thing. Times have changed and I have had amazing opportunities to bring beautiful, complex, non-stereotypical characters to life because of other people’s open mindedness to this thing called Non-traditional Casting -- in spite of “George’s” misperception of what could be possible. On Broadway and Off-Broadway, I have been fortunate enough to play such unexpected roles as “Ethel Toffelmier” in THE MUSIC MAN, “Patty” in GREASE, “Dr. Charlotte” in FALSETTOLAND and more.
The moral of the story: Dwell in Possibility. If someone throws a bad apple at you, duck -- then go get a better apple and make some delicious pie out of it. The world is full of naysayers. We just don’t have to listen to them! If you’re an Actor of any stripe, be the best that you can be, then go after the roles you want to play with gusto and integrity. Do what you can to open people’s minds, including your own. And enjoy the theatre’s powerful ability to give us all a gorgeous window on humanity; a window whose glass has many different facets and perspectives through which to peer. Besides, who doesn’t like a good piece of apple pie?
Links:
www.christinetoyjohnson.com
www.inclusioninthearts.org
