Oh Dad Poor Dad at TACT: A Discussion on Authenticity
Dear The American Century Theatre creative and/or administrative staff person(s),
Greetings. I would like to thank you for producing Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mamma’s Hung You In The Closet, And I’m Feelin’ So Sad. This production was artistically brilliant. The design, direction, music, and acting were very well done and are deservant of their “Helen Hayes Awards Recommended©” designation. However, as an actor of color- specifically an Afro-Mestiza, I feel that it is my duty to say something about the misrepresentation of Cuba in this production, because if we (meaning people of color) don’t, nobody will.
TACT has criteria on what shows you produce, which include shows that feature: large props/sets, large casts, actors above the age of 40, race/actors of color, pets, strange titles, failed movies, etc. However, the company does not advertise ODPDMHYITCAIFSS as a show that is about race. According to Artistic Director Jack Marshall’s pamphlet, the presence of people of color in this production is not significant enough to be mentioned. Why is this? Though the story does follow Madame Rosepettle and her son Albert, Jonathan, whatever his name is…. it also features a series of characters of color. TACT’s Oh Dad Director Tyler Herman even adds three additional characters giving life to a fish and a pair of musical venus flytraps, opening up even more opportunities for artists of color. Logically speaking, this show should feature a majority POC (people of color) cast.
However, the eleven person cast only features three actors of color, and zero Afro-descendents. The given circumstance of Cuba’s rich African roots are completely ignored in this production, as well as the significance of Afro-descendents in the Cuban Revolution. The issue begins with casting. Judging by the five bell boy ensemble, which features two Euro-Latinos and three Latinos of color (American Indian?/Filipino?/Mestizo?), it can only be assumed that TACT did not specifically search for Afro-descendents to be in this production, and instead opted to search for “Hispanic/Latino” actors. Not only does this take away roles for “African-American,” “Afro-Latinos,” “Black,” and “Mixed/Mulatto” actors, but it also reinforces the stereotype that Hispanic/Latino is a race and that all Hispanic/Latinos are the same. Furthermore, the casting of Euro-descendent women in the roles of Rosalie and Rosalinda is disappointing. Both actors portrayed their roles fabulously, however, these are two more roles that have been taken from women of color. The roles of the Cuban babysitter and the South American fish cast with actors of color could have brought a higher sense of authenticity to this production. Also, the casting of the Venezuelan venus fly traps could have been more authentic with musicians of color. Lastly, the character that is double cast as Bellboy/Commodore was cast with a Euro-Latino actor. This may be another case where a Euro-descendent actor may be acceptable, but this easily could have been used by Director Tyler Herman and TACT to provide an opportunity for an actor of color to show versatility in their acting as actor Manolo Santalla did in his portrayal of a Bellboy/ the Commodore. Though the cast features an array of incredibly talented artists, it is disappointing that theatre involving characters of color continues to be appropriated by non-colored actors, and yet actors of color frequently get type cast as the ‘ethnic person’ in an ensemble.
Aside from the casting of ‘White’ actors in POC roles, the use of stereotypes in this production perpetuated the ignorance English speaking society has on Spanish speakers. It combines the identities of Cubans, Latinos, Hispanics, and Spanish speakers into one ‘ethnic’ identity. Which then prompts the audience to laugh when Madame Rosepettle says ‘are you all the same?’. Though the use of dance in this production added a fun flare to the dark comedy, it reinforced a stereotype that “Latinos always dance,” which is only furthered by the use of (for lack of a better term) ‘ethnic noise’ throughout the show (it is important to mention, however, that not all of the Bellboys used a stereotypical ‘Latino accent’). I would be interested to know what the Bellboys think about the portrayal of Cuba, Latino/Hispanics, People of Color, and themselves, this production by The American Century Theatre gives.
This production set in Havana, Cuba is a wonderful experience and features beautiful design (lights, set, costume, props, sound), lots of talented actors and musicians, and is greatly directed. However, it is just another example of how actors of color are not given an opportunity to tell our own stories, and instead these opportunities are given to those actors who have plenty of opportunities available to them. Despite these unfortunate circumstances, ODPD is a show that should truly be enjoyed by all audiences before it closes this coming weekend, with this in mind: Cuba is a beautiful country with a deep African culture that has been through colonization, genocide, dictatorship, racism, and US Imperialism, and that it is not wise to generalize them as Latinos. My hopes in writing this letter to you is that the next time your company produces a show involving characters of color, that actors of color be chosen to represent those stories, and that designers of color get chosen to bring these themes to life.
I hope this message finds you in peace.
An Afro-Mestiza actor who won’t keep quiet about cultural appropriation in DC theater.
