Deaf/Blind Advocates Angered By Casting Of Abigail Breslin As Helen Keller

nytimes.com:

Two weeks after a group of deaf actors protested the choice of a hearing actor for a deaf role in an upcoming Off Broadway production, the issue has surfaced again: Should producers have chosen a deaf or blind child actress to play Helen Keller in this winter's Broadway revival of "The Miracle Worker"?

Read the whole story: nytimes.com

Comments

[Halfwit]

What a ridiculous controversy. Broadway theatre is a business. The producer is absolutely right that they need a "star" to play Helen. In the original production, a relative unknown (Patty Duke) was cast as Helen. The "star" of that production was Anne Bancroft as Annie, who had won a Tony for Best Actress the year before (and won another for The Miracle Worker, as did Patty Duke for Best Supporting Actress).
In theatre or film, you hire the best actor or actress for the good of the production. That is why they are exempt from discrimination laws. If there was a teen aged deaf actress "star," she would be a shoo-in, but there isn't.
If this was a non-profit regional production, a deaf actress playing Helen would be a great choice. She might even go on to play the role on Broadway if she was good enough, but none of that happened. No producer in his right mind would take that kind of risk on Broadway now, with the huge amounts of money it takes to mount a production.
And Abigail is a brilliant actress. She will be fantastic in the roll, I am sure.

[LiberalBuzz]

Oh geez methinks they protests too much.

AND as the producer says, finances play a huge role and for the offended to insist that they should invest millions on the POSSIBILITY an unknown would bring in the money is ridiculous. Let the offended foot the bill themselves with unknown actors and see how fast that nonsensical thinking changes.

[Patrick Romandy-Simmons]

I wonder how angry serial killers got when John Carpenter cast a NON-SERIAL KILLER in the role of Michael Myers for Halloween. When will producers and directors stop the shameful practice of casting actors to play roles in stage and film productions?

[rabiddog6708]

It's called acting people. You don't need to get a cop to play a cop or a rock star to play a rock star. If a character is in a wheel chair, you don't require the actor to be confined to one in real life.

[PoliticalRockChick]

It's sick to think they would do this. It's like what they used to do back in the old days. Instead of hiring black people, why not get a white person to put black makeup and go as a black character. It would have broke grounds to see an actual blind/deaf actor on stage and film. People would still go and see the play just for that historic moment. It's downright discrimination. Keep up the good fight advocates.

[usa loveit or changeit]

It's NOT discrimination. It would be if they were deliberately ignoring a better choice (in this case, a blind / deaf actress -is there one?) for reason of their disability race. This is not discrimination. It's nonsense.

[PoliticalRockChick]

There are blind actresses and there are deaf actresses and there actresses that are out there that might be both deaf and blind. They are out there, they just haven't had the opportunity to be given roles like this.

Marlee Matlin is a well known deaf actress. They were able to find her for the role of Children of Lesser God in which she won for the academy award. There's over 6 billion people in the world. There is a blind/deaf actress out there.

[jesselee26]

people would absolutely not buy tickets. if people bought tickets for broadway because they wanted to see innovation, then certainly they would and broadway would be a better place for it, but that's just not how it works anymore. sorry to sound cynical... but that's why they do all these revivals in the first place. ticket buyers do not want, in any way shape or form, to be challenged.

[RedDogBear]

I don't think its unreasonable that they went with a hearing, seeing, actress. But I do think it shows a lack of respect that they didn't even attempt to look for someone in the disabled community. Then again, as others have said, if Broadway had any courage or innovation left they wouldn't be reduced to remakes and revivals in the first place, so this is just the tip of a completely non creative iceberg.

[oakley9]

Life is not fair. Join the majority....that would be the rest of the unemployed actors.

[usa loveit or changeit]

Triple ditto on "it's called acting" and that Keller was deaf AND blind.

Is there a deaf actress of Broadway caliber as well-known as Breslin who is more qualified for the part, who can sell tickets? Or does the deaf community feel that being deaf is the only requirement?

Ridiculous. They have more important battles to fight I'd say.

[Hoosierbrad]

Helen Keller was deaf and blind! Try finding an actress with those attributes. C'mon, that is why they are called actresses, they are playing a part, they are not the part!

[StrayTalk]

Couldn't agree more with the critics. I've also made the point that Dexter should only be played by a real serial kil ler (reformed, of course)

[atila]

LMAO!

[ReelBusy]

It called "Acting"!

It is not called "Be like you are in real life and we'll all watch".

That Genre is what we call Reality TV.

[oceanofconsciousness]

Certainly they could have auditioned deaf/blind actors, but how many of them have the experience to pull off this major role in a demanding Broadway run. Breslin is an accomplished actor at her age with a lot of talent, a lot of experience, and a lot of maturity. It requires a heavy-hitter to do 8 shows a week. Not only that, let's be realistic. She's a known name that will draw box office. That matters if the play is to succeed on Broadway.

[widdles]

I don't recall them making a big stink when Patty Duke or Melissa Gilbert portrayed Helen Keller. What is their problem now?

[usa loveit or changeit]

My thoughts exaactly. And, showing my age.

[seachild]

so Gay actors only play Gay roles?

take away the Oscars from Sean Penn and Tom Hanks, why don't ya

[oceanofconsciousness]

Few of the openly gay (and they are few and far between) actors are considered for gay roles. The straights get them. But Penn and Hanks are big names and good actors. So why not.

[zippywpinhead]

try insisting on only straight actors playing straight roles in the theater and see what happens...

[yellowdoggie]

Good luck with that! And only straight opera singers, ballet dancers, etc.

[seachild]

a little girl by the name of Patty Duke played in the original version...then Melissa Gilbert played the part...BOTH can see and hear...and both were EXCELLENT...it IS called acting

stop it already

[LameDuckHunting]

Say what, now?......­..........­....