As actors of color increasingly play traditionally white roles, breaking Broadway’s color barriers, should the opposite be true as well? Should a white man be allowed to play a black historical figure as important as Martin Luther King?
Not in my play, Hall answered.
Which humorously defies MLK's wishes, intent, etc
“I truly wanted to explore the issue of racial ownership and authenticity,” director Michael Oatman said on opening night of his decision to use two actors — one white, one black — to play King. “I didn’t want this to be a stunt, but a true exploration of King’s wish that we all be judged by the content of our character and not the color of our skin. … I wanted the contrast. … I wanted to see how the words rang differently or indeed the same, coming from two different actors, with two different racial backgrounds.”
I get your sentiment, but in this particular case, MLK's race is directly correlated to his relevance as an historical figure. Casting him as anything else would be "incorrect", for lack of a better word. It's not that I'd consider it racist, just that it undermines the character. Most of his struggles and motivations were a result of his status as a black man.
what if said "white" actor was really an albino or light skinned dude with black parents? He's 100% "black" on the inside but "white" on the outside. would it be okay then? ---
