This is a post on an Australian Theatre site which I thought was an interesting read. It was posted a few yrs a go but I don't think much has changed, and yes there are the usual token Asian characters but not any/many multidimensional people. Reality TV (SYTYCD, Survivor) seems to be the exception, and no MasterChef does not count as reality TV.
"Just want to vent, so I apologise in advance. Ha, ha, ha, so much for Australia priding itself on being a multicultural society! HA! Where the hell is all the multi-cultural actors on our stages and screens then? I think I'm as good or on par, in regard to talent, with many actresses in their early 20s, but being of Asian appearance, I rarely get called in - and I'm a NIDA grad! (Not that that means a lot these days).
I know this industry is primarily based on what you look like, but come on!!! Give us a chance to even audition for you, for christ's sakes! When are producers gonna open their eyes and realise that the Australian population is not entirely Anglo.
Has anyone else experienced this frustration?! This sounds dramatic (but hey, we're actors!!), but I'm going to devote my life to changing this in the industry. I realise that even Asian actors in England and USA find it difficult to break into the industry, so I really hope to change this.
Michelle."
"I hear ya Michelle - being an Australian-Chinese actor myself, I sometimes find it extremely frustrating to find work.
Film/TV work in Australia is extremely hard and I find that the minority groups are inadequately represented in local projects. Colourblind casting however would not be possible because the conventions of Film/TV needs a degree of realism.
A level of colourblind casting does exist though in Film/TV. Generally, it seems that Europeans can play each other, whilst Chinese, Korean or Japanese can play each other.
Theatre-wise in Perth, I have found that colourblind casting exists well in independent theatre but I still find that professional theatre companies with the exception of Barking Gecko as being very anglo-centric with their productions or indigineous performers are used.
I am currently living and studying in Singapore. Here, colourblind casting is almost mandatory - especially when doing English-speaking plays which are almost all written by American or English writers. Just recently, I saw a production of Death of A Maiden which saw English and Chinese actors performing together. Set in a ficticious South American country, their Spanish was fluent and I was able to be transported into their world and I forgot that they were actually white or chinese. I also saw a production of the Pulitzer prize winning Doubt as well and a combination of Malay, Indian and Chinese were used and once again I completely forgot that I was in New York. But then again, whats not to say that there actually are Churches ministered by Asians in New York?
After these experiences I think we should push for more colourblind casting in the theatre. The nature of Theatre is extremely flexible and after seeing these shows in Singapore, I've found how easy it is to forget the colour of someone's skin when seeing a performance.
"Just want to vent, so I apologise in advance. Ha, ha, ha, so much for Australia priding itself on being a multicultural society! HA! Where the hell is all the multi-cultural actors on our stages and screens then? I think I'm as good or on par, in regard to talent, with many actresses in their early 20s, but being of Asian appearance, I rarely get called in - and I'm a NIDA grad! (Not that that means a lot these days).
I know this industry is primarily based on what you look like, but come on!!! Give us a chance to even audition for you, for christ's sakes! When are producers gonna open their eyes and realise that the Australian population is not entirely Anglo.
Has anyone else experienced this frustration?! This sounds dramatic (but hey, we're actors!!), but I'm going to devote my life to changing this in the industry. I realise that even Asian actors in England and USA find it difficult to break into the industry, so I really hope to change this.
Michelle."
"I hear ya Michelle - being an Australian-Chinese actor myself, I sometimes find it extremely frustrating to find work.
Film/TV work in Australia is extremely hard and I find that the minority groups are inadequately represented in local projects. Colourblind casting however would not be possible because the conventions of Film/TV needs a degree of realism.
A level of colourblind casting does exist though in Film/TV. Generally, it seems that Europeans can play each other, whilst Chinese, Korean or Japanese can play each other.
Theatre-wise in Perth, I have found that colourblind casting exists well in independent theatre but I still find that professional theatre companies with the exception of Barking Gecko as being very anglo-centric with their productions or indigineous performers are used.
I am currently living and studying in Singapore. Here, colourblind casting is almost mandatory - especially when doing English-speaking plays which are almost all written by American or English writers. Just recently, I saw a production of Death of A Maiden which saw English and Chinese actors performing together. Set in a ficticious South American country, their Spanish was fluent and I was able to be transported into their world and I forgot that they were actually white or chinese. I also saw a production of the Pulitzer prize winning Doubt as well and a combination of Malay, Indian and Chinese were used and once again I completely forgot that I was in New York. But then again, whats not to say that there actually are Churches ministered by Asians in New York?
After these experiences I think we should push for more colourblind casting in the theatre. The nature of Theatre is extremely flexible and after seeing these shows in Singapore, I've found how easy it is to forget the colour of someone's skin when seeing a performance.
It's up to Australian-Asian artists like myself and you, Michelle, to promote ourselves and make producers/directors/artistic directors that there is a untapped resource of artists who all have their own stories to tell as well.
Some food for thought...for now
Crispy."
http://www.theatre.asn.au/forum_topic/frustrated_wheres_the_colour_blind_casting_in_this_bloody_country
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