RACISM AND BIAS IN THEATERS

WELL, after finishing a stint as a Director at Masque Theatre with one of the first mULTICULTURAL Casts in years, I can honestly say that this theatre group in Temple Terrace needs to make some big changes. First, The Board of Directors actively cast tHEMSELVES in their own shows, and direct them. They merely fill in the "cracks' with the community and the communities money, begging for financial support, however, NOT involving the entire community. I presented to this theater Board the US Census for Tampa showing 110,000 approximately whites in Tampa, and about 98,000 blacks, though predominately all shows at this theatre where chosen for PRE casting of existing Board members and whites predominately. The children's show had a few hispanic. But Blacks? no.......and no openmindedness to even choosing shows that would open up that spectrum.
When asked to direct Play on!, I took the challenge when Ruth Kegel as the Director's of Willy Wonka much preferred "pirating' a Broadway recording of Willy Wonka as background tracks then using live musicians. This has been Masque's production style for years, and as Joshua Sussman, artistic Director put it (by the way a member of Actor's Equity Union) 'Other theater's do it and havent been caught, so what does it matter?" Well, it DOES matter Joshua.Just as Actor's Equity has in place rules for Professional members in the Union to protect fair wages, copyright on music and organizations likes BMI, Ascap, and the like - they all protect hardworking musuicians who SELL their music, and OWN the rights. Paying the rights to do the show script, then "stealing' the msuic to save money and time, is merely cheating.
So, PLay on! was an experience at Masque as a Director. I cast Spanish, Blacks, mixed races, ages, and varied levels of experience. This was during the Thankssgiving, Christmas, and new years holiday so the "board' all wanted their holiday vacations. Ironically, they are in the 2 shos following our opening 2010 show. I also had varied stand up comics from Tampa Improv perfom before preshow, and invited musicians to play during intermission. Isn't this wha getting your money's worth is supposed to be about in entertainment? AND including the arts and the community. This stoic, and stale Board at this theater adamantly refused to support anything I did although we opened to appreciative crowds, and the volunteer comedians including William Sloan aka Sloan, said, "You put your heart and soul into this." Yes, I did, but the venue (the theater) was stuck in it's white supremist old school ways. Many famous entertainers who strived to be different met opposition when they started out their careers...Too many to name. I can only take pride in the comments of my mixed race cast who supported my decisions to involve all races in my show, and realized my efforts after we closed our last show and swept the stage after our final curtain call. This theater with the leaky roof that has rained through the ceiling during shows and driven out people with new ideas may still be producing, but it won't be involving the entire community. I've already seen other community theaters that also have jazz concerts, local artists and musicians, inteactive media shows and reach out to all methods of "art', but Masque is stuck in it's formula old school theatre. So be it. The rest of the world, and many other theaters in Florida and the country know what a "Real Community Theater" IS, and what Multicultural Means. this IS the USA after all.