A small-town theater in
Maine
might have to shut down one of its productions scheduled for next week due to the cast being predominantly white.
The Grand Theater in Ellsworth, Maine has issued a late-hour call for actors from underrepresented groups to salvage its staging of Big River, which is based on Mark Twain’s novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
In Ellsworth, Maine, 93 percent of the population is white, and the play has encountered difficulties, primarily because they have managed to cast the character of Jim, who is a runaway slave, before the show begins.
This has left the minor parts of Alice and her daughter—who are also depicted as slaves—still needing to be played by African American performers, according to Nick Turner, the executive director at The Grand.
Turner initially intended to bypass casting quotas by modifying the script, ensuring that Alice and her daughter do not appear onstage but are instead mentioned only in the third person by other characters.
However, this scheme was foiled after a local philanthropist informed the play’s licensing body about his intentions.
The bosses informed The Grand that modifying the script would breach the agreement they had signed for staging the production, as stated.
Bangor Daily News
.
Turner said this means the theater must have Alice and her daughter appear on stage, and he already pushed opening night back a week to April 11 in hopes of finding new actors.
On Wednesday, Turner sent out an email to supporters breaking the news about the potential cancellation of the highly anticipated play. In his message, he urged anyone qualified to come forward and help salvage the production.
In his email, he stated: “We are particularly looking for more gifted African American actors who can portray this narrative authentically and capture its genuine essence.”
This isn’t merely an exhibition; it’s a chance to honor voices that have often been overlooked.
Turner mentioned that he would welcome anyone interested in volunteering, and previous acting experience is not required.
The director mentioned that he has been staging local performances in Colorado and Maine for 25 years, however, this is the first occasion where he has encountered the possibility of canceling a production due to conflicts over licensing rights.
“I’ve never encountered this situation previously,” he informed Bangor News Daily.
He maintained that racism was not a factor in the situation presented by the play, and regretted how their actions were seen as exclusionary.
Turner mentioned that the theater had chosen to produce “Big River” more than a year prior. However, during their casting calls in January, just one Black actor showed up for auditions and was consequently cast as Jim.
He mentioned, ‘We truly made an effort.’
Turner mentioned that The Grand faced an uncertain past with Big River, since they had staged the play 25 years prior.
He mentioned that production avoided those problems as it cast white actors in Black characters’ roles using blackface, an occurrence he believes wouldn’t take place nowadays.
Turner expressed hope that he won’t have to cancel the performance and mentioned that several individuals have offered their support to fill the missing parts, with some prospects looking encouraging.
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