#makeroomforoak

[collectingrafaelcasal]

Power: Notes from Session 2 of TED2019

Power drives everything. Whether it’s political, economic, online — power makes the rules and makes things move. At Session 2 of TED2019, we explore how different centers of global power are dramatically playing out across the world stage.

The event: Talks and performances from TED2019, Session 2: Power, hosted by TED’s Chris Anderson and Whitney Pennington Rodgers

When and where: Tuesday, April 16, 2019, 8:45am, at the Vancouver Convention Centre in Vancouver, BC.

Speakers: Rafael Casal, Jack Dorsey, Adena Friedman, Peter Beck and Julius Maada Bio

The talks in brief:

Rafael Casal, poet, filmmaker, actor (you know him from Blindspotting), activist, incorrigible Tweeter

Big idea: Online protest travels fast. Justice can be delivered quickly — but the argument can also quickly devolve into a loud, angry mess. How do we mix activism and nuanced debate?

How? Rafael Casal tells the cautionary tale of a 2016 Twitter firestorm he helped spark. The hashtag he started — #MakeRoomForOak, a campaign for the actor Oak Onaudowan, who was asked to step down as the lead of a new Broadway show — blew up, kicking off a debate about representation and diversity in the arts. But within a week, the hashtag turned into an ugly shouting match, coopted by misinformation, threats and abuse. This, says Casal, is part of a massive cultural shift in what activism looks like. We’re still on the social media learning curve, and, sure, the nuance gets lost sometimes. But these debates are bringing long-unheard issues to center stage — and making impact. It’s on us to keep failing loud, teaching others to succeed and steadily arriving at justice.

Quote of the talk: “Our messy moments online are not just a mess, but evidence of work being done to protest the injustices that are long overdue for some volume.”

[sillyhypotheticals-blog]

okay but the thing is that this incident w the great comet & oak isn’t an incident, it’s an example of what’s been happening on broadway: great actors who happen to be poc are passed over for established white actors. and by no means are those white actors untalented (mandy patinkin especially, he is an amazing actor/singer), it’s just that they may not always be the best fit for the role and they get picked for...other reasons.

and it sucks, because if we want change, if we want diversity on broadway, companies and casting directors have to be willing to take a chance on poc even if “they don’t sell” and take those changes again, and again, and again. they can’t just pick and choose when to have a black, or a latinx, or an asian, or a native american lead. pick and choose the best actor, and if that actor is a poc, hire them, every fucking time. but the mentality the great comet has shown w/this is “if we have two black leads we are Diverse so come see our show!! we’re the best xD xD” (even though they have many, many other diverse cast members) and yeah, sure. that would be great if the great comet let oak finish his run, which iirc was supposed to run FAR longer than one month. it makes sense with ingrid michaelson to give her one month because she’s just stepping in for someone who WILL RETURN. but oak was supposed to be the new face of the great comet on broadway. he is their star, right now. he is their face. and it’s essentially spitting in his face to say “you need to wait and let this other actor pass you up, even though this is your role right now.” 

honestly, it hurts. it hurts even though he’s gotten rave reviews, and many people have bought tickets to explicitly see him BECAUSE of those rave reviews, the great comet is still seeing him as a pawn that they can brag about. that they can say he “graciously agreed,” even though someone on twitter commented to rafa - “he needed to agree otherwise his career would be over.” god. that’s horrible, that he has to lay down and act docile because they thought an established white actor could do better than him. the great comet is not going to fall off of broadway because it isn’t hitting the company’s target for sales, and it isn’t right that “ticket sales” are the reason for oak’s removal. and the worst thing is that this isn’t the first time, and honestly probably won’t be the last time. it’s only getting so much attention because oak & rafa are known in lots of circles. which means that we need to keep bringing up this discussion, again and again, until it doesn’t have to be discussed because it is a fact: poc will NOT be stepped on on broadway.

i don’t know. i’m just tired. and the trump trans soldiers nonsense is making me mad, too, and this morning was just a sensory overload. 

on the bright side, the senate defeated the gop’s repeal of obamacare. there’s still more work to be done w healthcare, but at least - for now - millions of people will still have their coverage. 

[hail-stomedy-blog]

He??? Took??? Time??? To??? Learn??? 2??? Instruments??? For??? A??? Role??? But??? They??? Just??? Kicked??? Him??? Out??? And??? Told??? Him??? To??? Make??? Room??? For??? An??? Already??? Established??? White??? Actor???

[tacticalgrandma]

Hey here’s reason #897934 Oak is amazing in case anyone forgot about it or missed it.

[saturniidace]

He deserves better

[artemisaro]

Look I'm super happy for Mandy Patinkin that he's getting a chance at Pierre, but I'd be even happier if Oak had been given the run he deserved instead of having to 'make room' for a white actor. Great Comet screwed over not only Oak, but also Mandy and they both deserve more. Oak deserves more time after all the success hes had for the past two weeks, and Mandy deserves to come into the role without all this controversy surrounding it.

[captain-lewis]

Save the great comet because I love Pearl Rhein.

[broadwaydemigod24601]

#JusticeForOak

I’m sure anyone who’s part of the theatre community and Great Comet fandom have heard the news the Mandy Patinkin will be the next Pierre in “Natasha, Pierre, & The Great Comet of 1812”. Here’s my issue. Okieriete “Oak” Onaodowan will end his run in the show 3 WEEKS EARLY in order for the show’s team to work around Patinkin’s schedule for the TV show “Homeland”. Oak’s original contract had him set to play the role of Pierre from July 3-September 4. That’s 9 weeks of performances. However, due to some issues, his debut in the show got pushed back to July 11, shortening his run to 8 weeks. Now with Mandy Patinkin’s return to Broadway, he will step into the role as Pierre from August 15-September 3 for 3 weeks. This has left Oak with close to 5 weeks of performances in “The Great Comet of 1812”. As of right now, he is in the middle of his 3rd week. Because of this casting choice and minor pushback before he even stepped onstage, Oak’s run has practically been cut in half from what it initially was. Yes he has agreed to do it with no hard feelings but it’s not fair! He shouldn’t have to be pushed out because another actor with more recognition can have a shot before hd even finished! It’s not fair to him and it’s not fair to his fans who planned to see him during those last 3 weeks! I’m not blaming Mandy or Dave or Rachael or anybody else. I understand this isn’t a race thing. I understand this isn’t really anyone’s fault and it’s all about making money. I understand Oak is still getting paid. But none of that changes the fact that’s it’s a SHITTY MOVE! The team hopes that he’ll be back after Mandy is gone. Key word: “Hopes”! There is no guarantee he’s coming back! THERE’S NO PROMISE! He was a perfect follow up to Josh Groban but now he has to be pushed aside to make room for Inigo Montoya…I don’t know if Mandy auditioned or they asked him if he was interested but if there was going to be such a scheduling conflict, this could’ve waited until his calendar was clear.