Racial Stereotyping in VANYA & SONIA...

[americanboy99]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 2:03pm

I found myself having major problems with the depiction of Shalita Grant's character of Cassandra in Durang's VANYA & SONIA & MASHA & SPIKE when I saw the show recently. I found myself enjoying the bawdiness in the first act, but by the play's end, I felt uncomfortable with how the role and its purpose in the play is handled throughout (especially late in act 2, where she all but disappears).

I realize this may not be a popular opinion, as I know many posters here have expressed their utter delight with what I found to be an enjoyable but altogether unfulfilling play.

I'd love to know your thoughts on Grant's role in the play as well as how posters here feel about the handling of similar roles/ stereotypical tropes on the modern theatrical stage.

Updated On: 6/20/13 at 02:03 PM

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 2:05pm

Watch out! You're trying to have a serious conversation about race or gender! Some people here will jump down your throat immediately and tell you to stop beings so damn sensitive.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 2:06pm

But yes, the magical negro. It's such a tired old trope.

Also, what accent was she even using? Updated On: 6/20/13 at 02:06 PM

[welcometothetheater]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 2:12pm

She said in an interview that her take on the character in early readings really helped to develop the role into what it is now. So I'm not saying you're being too sensitive because I totally see where you're coming from, but she had a hand in creating the character, so I doubt that was the intention.

[Blactor]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 3:24pm

TalkinLoud is absolutely correct about the general attitudes toward discussions on race on this board. And yes, the Magical Negro is an overused cliche that needs to die a quick death.

But to the OP, I've seen this sentiment expressed elsewhere, you are not alone.

Ms. Grant is a colleague of mine, and trust me, she is VERY conscious and aware of the racial problems that plague our culture and this industry in particular. I doubt she's unaware of the implications of the character, but she sees the bigger picture and is clearly having a great time.

But again, americanboy, you aren't the only person that feels that way. Thanks for speaking out about it.

[eperkins]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 3:48pm

I would like to point out that this is a comedy - maybe even a farce. All of the characters in it are very broadly drawn, and literally ALL stereotypes.

Racial & ethnic stereotyping has always been around in the entertainment world, and I suspect it always will be. But there are plenty of shows out there that do NOT depict any of their characters as stereotypes. They're not usually comedies though.

[newintown]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:14pm

It's not just a comedy - it's a Durang comedy. This isn't the "real" world being portrayed here.

Comedy is a fragile thing, and very easy to murder.

Updated On: 6/20/13 at 04:14 PM

[eperkins]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:28pm

I agree - comedy is the most difficult of genres. It's easy to make people cry - but to laugh? That takes skill.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:48pm

Nice to see everyone, so far, having a very respectful and thoughtful discussion. Can this possibly last?

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 4:48pm

Plus, I would argue that Durang is commenting on the phenomenon of the magical negro by making Grant's character literally a magical negro. It's hilarious because Durang takes the stereotype and blows it up to such proportions that it simply adds to the absurd world his characters inhabit.

[somethingbypuccini 2]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 5:50pm

I agree. Grant's character is incredibly racially charged, but
I don't think it was because Durang is ignorant, or lazily falling back on stereotype. There is a big difference between something commenting on race and stereotype and something being racist, and I don't think Durang's work or Grant's performance ever crossed that line.

[gchris11]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:01pm

I used to live in New Hope PA, in Buck County PA. I found the whole thing funny. Friends had a house cleaner who was "PSYCHIC". It was always a hoot to hear what she had to say, and she was always burning sage, it is supposed to clean out bad spirits.I was wondering if the play write and my friends knew one another, or had the same house cleaner.

[jnb9872]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:11pm

^^^

Durang and Grant never made me feel as uncomfortable as that post did.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:15pm

she sees the bigger picture and is clearly having a great time.

Thanks, Blactor. Tell her that as a longtime Durangophile who thinks she is brilliant in the role, I would like to to hear more about that larger picture, and I think a lot of people would.

I mean, I get it, but I don't think I could explain it...although SonofRobbie, as usual, does a great job of it in his post. Something about race and comedy and the possibility of using a stereotype to critique a stereotype. See? I'm lost already.

It would be fun--and fascinating--to hear her ideas on the subject, in an interview or in a blog somewhere.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:18pm

I see absolutely no level of self-awareness or commentary using this character. Can someone provide any evidence of how Durang comments on race or stereotype using this character?

[aaronb]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:21pm

I don't think Durang is unaware that he's written a Magical Negro, but I don't think he did enough with it for the character to be considered a commentary on the trope either. It made me uncomfortable, though I wouldn't call it hateful by any means.

As for "comedy is broad and often employs stereotypes" defense, the same could be used to justify Butterfly McQueen in GONE WITH THE WIND or, more obviously, the practice of blackface. There's a difference between broadly drawing your characters and relying on negative stereotypes about Black people to get a laugh.

[aaronb]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:22pm

Especially if the laugh is at the Black person and not at the people who believe in the stereotype.

[eperkins]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:37pm

aaronb, I'm going to assume that you did not see the show, as there is absolutely nothing about the character of Cassandra that is negative. And no one is laughing AT the "Black person."

And although they cast a black actress in the role, the character in the breakdown of the script only says she is "probably" African American. Any good actress could play that role and fly with it.

I don't see anyone complaining about the gay character staring with longing at Spike. Or for that matter that Spike is just a dumb guy using his looks to get ahead. That's plenty stereotypical.

[TalkinLoud]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:49pm

eperkins, you've clearly never heard of the "magical negro." Let's catch you up to the conversation a bit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magical_Negro

[wonkit]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 6:55pm

I think, perhaps, I focused more on the fact that the character is based upon Cassandra than I did on her race. I thought her portrayal was brilliant because she had vivid racial or at least cultural characteristics in addition to her traditional role as someone who sees the future (or understands people better than anyone around her, which may seem to be the same) and is never believed or respected for her opinions. I have never heard of the "magical negro" trope but I have heard of Greek mythology, and I was not uncomfortable. Let's face it - no one in that cast of any age, race or gender came off entirely unscathed or realistic. So it wasn't ( for me) look at the four nice ordinary white people and crazy black woman.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 8:43pm

I don't think there's anything in the text, or anything in any of the character descriptions or casting notices, that demands the role be played by an actress of color. I don't think it would lose any of the humor if a middle-aged white woman did it.

The character is a kook. Plain and simple. In this case, the kook just happened to be played by a black actress.

[wonkit]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 9:37pm

And a fantastic black actress!

[mikem]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 10:40pm

(spoilers)

Is Cassandra really a Magical Negro? In some ways, she upends the stereotype. Her employers may be Caucasian, but she in no way behaves subserviently to them, and she makes that extremely clear at several points during the show. She also doesn't really "save" Vanya and Sonia, or show them the light. They don't take her powers seriously. Vanya and Sonia are not wary of Hootiepie at all.

Shalita Grant plays her with some kind of weird accent (I don't think that is the way Grant actually speaks), and the character performs voodoo, but if those two things weren't true, I'm not sure that the character would be seen as reinforcing the Magical Negro stereotype.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 11:24pm

I don't think that character as written or played have anything whatsoever to do with the concept of the Magical Negro. Whoever put them together in this thread is off base.

And aaronb is TOTALLY offbase, as usual when he posts.

[Kad]

Posted: 6/20/13 at 11:37pm

It's an accent but it's not at all identifiable as a "black dialect."

Again- there's nothing "black" about the character other than the fact that it's being played by a black actress.