The Yale Dramatic Association Board yesterday held new auditions for the play “Wild Party” due to complaints about a white woman originally being cast in a role typically portrayed by a black man.
The part of, ironically enough, “Mr. Black” had been given to Sarah Chapin “even though nine people of color auditioned for the production” the Yale Daily News reports. (It does not, however, specify if the nine tried out for the role of Black specifically.)
The new auditions allowed only black performers to audition for “Mr. Black.” Two people quit the show over the controversy.
“For much of its history, the Dramat has provided too few dynamic roles for people of color on stage. Thus, this missed opportunity for a black actor to take on an exciting and challenging role was felt all the more deeply,” the Dramat Board said in a statement published on its website Friday.
“We recognize the pain that this situation has caused and that this new decision may come too late for some and may hurt others. Still, we hope that reopening auditions will give the Yale community another opportunity to bring new and varied voices to the stage.”
The recasting decision comes after an open conversation held Sept. 8, when members of the Yale community were invited to provide their input on Chapin’s casting. Undergraduates present at the meeting, which drew about a dozen attendees, brought up concerns regarding the organization’s reputation for casting the same white leads in multiple shows, giving students of color fewer and fewer opportunities. Others also noted the show’s limited initial outreach efforts to students of color; they made up less than an eighth of the initial hopefuls for the production.
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“Wild Party” Producer Jill Carrera ’17 said the decision to recast Mr. Black was prompted by feedback both from the theater community and Yale College at large. She added that the decision to hold auditions again was made by the Dramat Board after internal discussion as well as deliberation with the production team.
Critics of the Dramat’s original decision said recasting was the right choice but does not resolve the organization’s longstanding problems with racial diversity. Donald Woodson ’16, who last fall directed “Exception to the Rule,” a show produced and cast entirely by people of color, said simply changing one role in a single mainstage production is not enough. The larger systemic issue is minority communities’ lack of trust in the Dramat because of its history of exclusivity and problematic shows, he said.
Carrera added that Dramat is “looking to have discussions surrounding diversity and outreach not just when problems arise,” and it is pondering “hosting workshops in the future” for those who may not have had exposure to theater previously.
Interestingly, there were no reports of an outcry over a black student being cast as “Eddie the Thug” in the production.
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