b'T3 Journal - Student Writing in Drama, University of Exeter 2018-19To what extent does colour-blind casting, in twenty-first century British theatre, solve issues of colourism in the process of casting and in its subsequent representation of black people on stage?Dissertation ExtractMonique DayIntroduction Colour-blind casting in ContextThe biological and cultural variations within the humanIn 2016 I auditioned for the BA Acting course at East race are what make us all unique. While the diversity15 drama school. In this audition, all the candidates of phenotypic traits such as skin tone, hair texture, andperformed their monologues in front of each other facial features are indeed real physical attributes, theand a panel of judges. Having thoroughly prepared, social and cultural meanings attached to these biologicalI performed to the best of my ability and felt happy differences have been socially constructed throughoutwith my performance. After the audition, the director history (Wilder 2015: 47). The ideas attached to phenotypicaddressed all the candidates and encouraged us not to be features coincide with European colonial expansion indisheartened if we werent successful from the audition as order to categorise people within hierarchies in societiesit might be because We already have someone like you. around the world that, more often than not, situate whiteHe then explained, If there were five really good black as superior to black. This has led to not only racism butgirls, we couldnt accept you all because we need to be the nuance of colourism defined as the unequal treatmentable to make a cast with the students we accept. In other and discrimination of individuals belonging to the samewords, the plays being performed did not have enough racial or ethnic group (e.g. African Americans) based uponblack characters for five black girls to have a role each. differences in physical appearancemost notably skinAs the only black female in the room I felt as though complexion (color) but also facial features and hair texturethis was directed at me. I was being rejected not because (Wilder 2015: 6). Colourism is a global phenomenon,I performed badly, not because I didnt have talent, but operating internally with light-skinned and dark-skinnedbecause of the complexion of my skin. I understood this to black people showing prejudice amongst themselves,mean that the director could only envision me playing and externally where white people are prejudiced againsta black character; hence when my auditions for other drama individuals based on the complexion of their skin orschools arrived, I felt limited to only performing modern physical features. Most evident in education and thestereotypical black characters as this would reflect the marriage market, colourism also impacts major institutionsroles in which I would be cast in the future. However, this such as the arts where bias and prejudice based on skintroubled me because I aspire to play a variety of roles in colour results in the under-representation of dark-skinnedmy career, many of which are Shakespearean. The belief people. For example, In film, the black actresses with bigthat has ignited my interest in colour-blind casting is that roles in the top 20 best-selling films in the UK in 2017hiring decisions are premised on talent and not whether include Zoe Saldana, Tessa Thompson, Halle Berry, Elisea person has the right look (Young 2013: 58). Neal and Nathalie Emmanuel - all women with light skin (Wilson 2018: np).In an attempt to combat this, colour- An early example of this in Britain is the non-traditional blind casting aims to eliminate discrimination based oncasting of Trinidadian actor Edric Connor in 1958, who skin colour and provide equal opportunities for everyoneappeared as Gower in Pericles at the Shakespeare Memorial by ignoring the appearance of an actor, her color, andTheatre, making him the first black actor to perform for hires the most skilled performer for each part (Youngthe Royal Shakespeare company (Rogers 2013: 411). 2013: 56). Therefore, colour-blind casting, in theory,should eradicate colourism because blindness to colourIn the mid 1980s, a four-year study into the policies should avoid prejudice or preference of any shade of skin.around racial casting by American labour union Actors 6'