Blackface Makeup

Last night I attended closing night of The Crucible at Roleystone Theatre. I had two friends in the production and went to lend my support. I found it a very solid show, but the one thing that stood out and jarred for me was the use of “blackface” or darkening make-up on the actress who played the role of Tituba, the Barbadian slave of Reverend Parris.

The actress was, very obviously, not Barbadian. Not even close. She looked about as Barbadian as Anthony Hopkins looked like a Moor when he played Othello. And so my reaction to this decision ranged from an immediately shocked, “Oh no they haven’t”, to quite simply, “Why?”

During interval and after the show, my friends and I debated the issue. We wanted to know, was there no other option available to the company? Couldn’t they find a more physically appropriate actor, or try to adapt the script around Tituba’s ethnicity if the performance rights permitted? We wondered if there were alternate solutions to the casting dilemma then using make-up.

I thought it was a very risky choice, because to me, blackface make-up is a very contentious and dangerous arena. It conjures images of Al Jolson, Laurence Olivier and as mentioned previously, Anthony Hopkins. It could potentially be seen as racism, as mocking or insulting to African-American or West Indians. And as Tituba appeared onstage within the first five minutes, I feel Roleystone certainly risked isolating and losing their audience from the get-go, which wouldn’t have boded well for the rest of the night.

It certainly isolated and disconnected me from the show, because throughout Tituba’s time onstage, I couldn’t decide if I was insulted, offended on behalf of Barbadians, entertained, or even why I cared so much… As the performance of the role went on, and Tituba described her meeting with the devil, I even began to find it slightly funny, as for me, it began to conjure images of Al Jolson and Swanee… Which I don’t think was perhaps the right response at all…

Ultimately though, all I could think of during the performance, was that it kept reminding me of the Wooster Group, a professional New York theatre company, who when they used blackface make up in their production Route 1 and 9 (The Last Act) in 1981, it caused such outrage, they lost 43 percent of their state funding (see link below).

I am not intending this as an attack on Roleystone Theatre, and Crucible director Kim Martin, I simply want to explore my reaction and other people’s reaction to what my friend termed a very ‘brave’ decision. I will give full kudos to the actress, who committed herself to the role, and performed strongly, given the circumstances of her appearance.

And so I ask, what do you think ITA-ers? Those who saw the show, how did you react? Does it matter? Should it matter? And is blackface even acceptable onstage in PC-mad Twentieth Century Australia?

Cheers,

Amy :)

(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/theater/wooster.html)