"Change Comes Slowly" - The False Statement That Impedes Progress

Sheryl Lee Ralph in 'Wicked' (Photo: Joan Marcus)

• Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

I was recently having a conversation with a friend about the casting of Sheryl Lee Ralph(pictured above) as Madame Morrible in Wicked, who was the first African-American to play the role. In our discussion about such castings and their progress, my friend remarked, "Well change comes slowly."

I've always rejected this statement. While there is no doubt that for the past decades, performers of color have fought an uphill climb to be cast in ethnically open roles, times have changed enough that there is no longer an excuse for this slow progression. 

Change in this area doesn't have to come slowly anymore, it can come instantly. It relies on casting and creative professionals looking outside the “white box” in terms of casting. All we need are for these people to be brave enough to make such decisions. 

Given that we now live in a time where change can happen the drop of a hat, why is the theatre industry so slow in implementing these changes? It's more than likely that it has to do with money. As much as these shows cost to produce, casting a relatively unknown performer of color in a lead role is a risk. Casual Broadway audiences usually like seeing faces and names they know.

But I would pose this question to those who believe this, how are performers of color supposed to become known, if you keep casting them in nameless roles in the ensemble or not at all?

Thanks to shows like Hamilton, performers of color have become household names for theatre fans. This is exactly what’s possible when they’re given opportunities to play upfront in sold-out Tony-winning shows.

Performers of Color need more opportunities to make an impact on Broadway stages to increase their name value which leads to more opportunities down the road. Change doesn't have to come slowly, it can happen right here, right now.