Cultural appropriation or a unique opportunity for LHS theater students?

“The Wiz:” It was the product of the Black Arts Movement, and is still celebrated to this day. So why is LHS doing their own production of “The Wiz” without using the traditional all black cast?

“The Wiz” is a musical, adapted from “The Wizard of Oz, ” made into both a movie and a play.  The popular 1930’s movie, starred an all-white cast, something that has been typical in American media and popular culture for years. “The Wiz,” on the other hand,  was created during the Black Arts Movement in the early 1970s, and in 1978 the musical was adapted into a film that would eventually solidify its place in American culture.

What really made “The Wiz” so special was that it had an all-black cast, which is something that was almost unheard of at the time of its release. Its unique blend of different genres of music and its incredible cast helped to shape the story into what can only be described as an original African American experience.

Thanks to “The Wiz,” people started seeing African Americans being portrayed in a way that did not fit them into a stereotype. They were presented as people, not a cliche misrepresentation of how white people saw the black community.

Writer India Hill from IndiaHillWrites.com said, “growing up, there were so many movies, songs, boy bands, magazines, award shows and musicals that were and still excellent, but never even gave so much as a nod to Black people. I feel like it’s important for children to see proper representations of themselves growing up but there just wasn’t a lot of that. But “The Wiz” is different. Very different.”

With all of this being said, one can probably imagine that when the LHS theatre announced that they would be doing “The Wiz” this year there was some immediate confusion. Why would a school that is predominately white do a show like this? But more importantly, will the production come across as racist given that very few people in the cast are black? According to actress and multidisciplinary performer Ayesha Jordan, who has performed in a professional production of “The Wiz,” LHS definitely should have considered doing a different musical.

“That’s cultural appropriation at its finest,” said Jordan. “White Americans don’t exist in the same way that black Americans exist. In ‘The Wiz’ it’s a very specific cultural identity that’s being expressed.”

No matter the intent of the people in charge of the play, this is going to come across as offensive to a lot of people. Some could argue that this is all insignificant because it is just one production of a very popular musical that is being put on at one high school in the midwest. So it should be okay, right?

“No,” said Jordan. “Because I think the lessons have to start when you’re young. That’s definitely at an age where you should know and have a sense of what is culturally right and what’s wrong. Whoever the adults are in the situation need to have more insight.”

So maybe the decision to do “The Wiz” isn’t a very good idea, given that by many people it will be seen as distasteful. Because no matter how you see it “The Wiz” was meant for a black cast.

Although the cast of the show has historically been black (in popular media that is), that does not technically mean that every production of the show has to follow that same set of rules.  As a matter of fact, there is a note within the screenplay that addresses this issue specifically. The note has been taken into consideration by Brian Hardie, the director of the musical at LHS.

“At the end of all of it, the words of the author that are printed on the first page essentially say that while it is intended for this production to be cast by people of color, that is not a requirement so long as the spirit of the show is maintained,” said Hardie.

It is hard to tell if that way of thinking still holds up today. Not everybody has to do the play with an all-black cast, but is doing it without one really honoring the spirit of the show? Watching a group of people who have not been oppressed portrays a community that has been through years of suffering just doesn’t seem right. They can still pay homage to the original, but it is going to be very difficult to really capture the spirit of the show. It might be possible, but I have a feeling it’s going to be very hard to pull off.

The anger and frustration of some LHS students have been directed at the theatre department as a whole, despite the fact that the musical was chosen by somebody who no longer attends the school. Amanda Nelson, the former director for musicals, left at the end of last year after already choosing to do “The Wiz.” So what was her intent? And how did this affect Hardie once he stepped in?

“I know that it was her (Mrs. Nelson’s) philosophy, and it’s my philosophy too, that we ought to expose theatre students to all different varieties of theatre. All different genres of theatre” said Hardie.

So, the play was not picked necessarily because of its unique diversity, but mainly because the directors wanted the theatre students to experience a different kind of musical. Once you get down to it, nobody is really trying to misrepresent a community or to cause an unwanted commotion, but people are instead attempting to expose students to a new form of music and culture through a well-respected piece of art.

“The themes that are expressed, the themes that are present within this story are absolutely appropriate both for our students and for our audience. We will honor that and we will use that,” said Hardie.

As important as it may be to expose students to different types of musical and theatrical literature, was this really the best way to do it? In a lengthy blog post from chicagonow.com, the writer, Tania Richard, analyzes arguments made for and against white productions of “The Wiz.” When her friend made a post on Facebook asking what people thought about the subject, many were upset and offended.

One Facebook user’s response read, “With respect I am an actress writer and director. An all-white production of “The Wiz” […] is cultural appropriation and teaches white children that they are entitled to everything regardless of who it is for and who it represents. The students could have experienced the musicals by listening to them not being in them.” (chicagonow.com)

Granted, the LHS show will not have an all-white cast, but it has enough white people in it to come across as very odd. Hardie, however, described the cast as being diverse and coming from different backgrounds. This may be true, but will that help them accurately recreate the show? It might, but it is hard to say.

The musical is going to happen regardless of what people think. The show was chosen and the cast is set. Maybe it should be given a chance because of its optimistic director and intent to stay true to the spirit of the original. But no matter how you look at it, the whole idea around this show is being misrepresented. No matter how you see it or how the theatre wants to present the show, it still boils down to the simple fact that a piece of art that was made for and by the African American community is now being portrayed by a mainly white group of people. You can call it “whitewashing,” you can call it “cultural appropriation” or you can call it an interesting opportunity and a unique experience for the students at LHS. If it were up to me, this show would have never happened at our school.