Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2014/07/19
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]This pair was protesting and handing out leaflets in front of the Seattle Gilbert and Sullivan Society's production of "The Mikado," which they regard as "Yellowface" and racist. I accepted their leaflets, but when I took out my camera, they concealed their faces. <https://www.flickr.com/photos/24844563 at N04/14689190055/> On Monday, a Seattle Times opinion page editor slammed the production, which she hadn't seen. This was followed by two radio interviews in which she repeated her charges of "Yellowface" and racism. An Internet flamefest followed, including calls for a boycott and shutting down the show. There were fears that the performance would be disrupted, but that didn't happen Friday night, and only these two showed up. If you're interested in reading more about what's going on, Google these words: seattle mikado gilbert sullivan. You'll find all the relevant stuff on the first two pages. Full disclosure: Yours truly is not unbiased. I love Gilbert and Sullivan, I love "The Mikado," and I played bassoon in the company back in the 1980s. If this were a realistic play with Asian characters being played by whites and/or mugging offensive stereotypes, I would be sympathetic to the concerns. But that's not what "The Mikado" is. It's Brits (or Americans) playing Brits playing dress-up, but mostly acting like caricatures of upper-class Brits of 130 years ago. Nobody wears Asian-style makeup, except for Katisha (the fearsome contralto character), who is made-up Kabuki-style. The G&S Society has a tradition of color-blind casting. No Asian-Americans auditioned for this show, there are 38 Caucasians and 2 Hispanics on stage. There are several Asian-Americans on the stage crew, one in the orchestra pit (a friend of mine), and one on the society's Board of Trustees. --Peter