Wellesley Theatre Project‘s performances this past weekend of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights had audiences cheering, but the theatre company’s decision to present this musical that is set in a mainly Dominican-American neighborhood also has predictably sparked discussion in town about how race plays into casting.
Given Pulitzer Prize-winning Miranda’s great popularity these days thanks to his smash Broadway hit Hamilton, it’s not surprising that local theatre outfits and schools would choose to perform In the Heights, a Miranda work that won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2008. But the fact that productions like the one in Wellesley have not featured more people of color in their casts has upset some, with controversies emerging across the country, including in Chicago and Phoenix.
Recent Wellesley High School graduate Lexie Lehmann posted her objections on Facebook and pointed us to it, and a lively and largely civil discussion (involving many students) has ensued. (Note: only friends of Lehmann can post on the page, so other discussions and posts about this issue have surfaced elsewhere on Facebook.)
Lehmann wrote in part:
“Let me first say that I respect Wellesley Theater Project’s mission to ‘cultivate community education and participation’ (taken from their website). Theater has given so much to me and I am happy to see students of all ages participating in such a beautiful craft. I’m also respectful of the couple of friends I have in the show. I know they worked hard on the production and I would never be one to devalue hard work.
I do not, however, respect Wellesley Theater Project’s decision to put on Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘In the Heights’ with a predominantly white cast.
When a script of any sort is written for people of color, it is for a very important reason. We live in a world where people of color are vastly underrepresented in theater, and when they are represented, it is most often to play a caricature or stereotype.”
Lehmann, whose post has generated dozens of comments, goes on to link to articles about the casting authenticity debate, and she also cites Miranda saying that an author’s original intentions are what should be honored in a production.
As for the non-profit Wellesley Theatre Project, which provides performing arts education to youths pre-K-12th grade, it acknowledges that race and casting is a big issue in the theatre community. But WTP defends its decision to present In the Heights, both on Lehmann’s Facebook page and in an email to The Swellesley Report. WTP Executive Director Hillary Drew tells us that “The consensus in the theatre world is that educational productions are not held to the same standard as professional theatre” in areas such as casting authenticity. WTP points to Miranda himself saying “And I’ve said this a million times, but it bears repeating: high school’s the one chance you get, as an actor, to play any role you want, before the world tells you what ‘type’ you are. The audience is going to suspend disbelief: they’re there to see their kids, whom they already love, in a play. Honor that sacred time as educators, and use it to change their lives. You’ll be glad you did.”
Drew adds that WTP’s decision to present In the Heights “attracted the most diverse group of student actors in WTP history. And, we were sure to make doing the show accessible for anyone with interest.” Members of the cast say they learned a lot about the Latina community in working on In the Heights.
Drew also cited numerous local productions recently of shows such as The Wiz without an all African-American cast and Evita, without Hispanics, that seem to be in line with Miranda’s philosophy as stated above.
Between race & casting issues, racy content in modern shows and outdated themes in older ones, choosing which plays to perform is never easy for student productions. Beauty & the Beast is up next for Wellesley High School, and at least one commenter questioned how WHS will pull that show off without resorting to tortured French accents.
On tap for Wellesley Theatre Project: High School Musical 2, Jr., and A Christmas Carol. Those seem pretty safe, but you never know.
MORE: Wellesley High addresses allegations of racial and ethnic harrassment
This was less of an “uproar”, and more like a few squealing pouts about a brilliant production,put on by a group of talented kids! I would add that the cast of WTP’s In the Heights shared a common dedication to honor and respect the integrity of the material they were given. True artist. Civil minded artists. I was impressed, so anyone who disagrees needs to open their eyes and hears to more than the usual ignorant viewpoint.
High school theater is meant to be a learning experience, and all evidence points to this play doing just that for these students. Face it; the problem is the whiteness of Wellesley, not the cast.
I believe Wellesley Theatre Project should be proud of and stand by their decision to perform In The Heights as this summer’s production. Community theatre provides the opportunity for both the cast and the audience to immerse themselves in a world that is not their own, whether it’s under-the-sea like The Little Mermaid, the Municipal Girls Orphanage in Annie, or Washington Heights, as was the case of In The Heights. What this musical had the ability to do, over so many others that the company could have performed, was expose and educate our community to the real experiences of those outside the “Wellesley bubble.” Consider the alternative: had WTP actively chosen not to perform In The Heights, it’s quite likely that many of the audience, and more importantly, the cast, wouldn’t be exposed to the issues and themes of the musical this directly in the community. There are few popular musicals that embrace the diversity that is so real and so important in today’s world. By avoiding any “real life” content, are we really better off? I don’t think so. Though the casting might not have been able to reach professional standards, as is often the case in a community production, WTP went the extra mile to be sure that characters were portrayed as accurately as possible and the story was told authentically. And to me, that’s something to applaud.
In the Heights was an excellent, uplifting production. Those who criticize find no flaw in the performance – just in the racial/ethnic backgrounds of the cast members. Theatre is, at heart, the process of stepping into someone else’s shoes and telling someone else’s story. To say that this can happen any/every time AS LONG AS THE ACTORS HAVE A SIMILAR RACE to the characters, and not otherwise, is a fundamentally racist notion.