Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: "Lend me a Tenor" question

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Carol
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Topic: "Lend me a Tenor" question
Posted: 1/24/11 at 10:36pm

Hi everyone, our playreading committee is looking at "Lend me a Tenor". It seems like great fun, but I wondered if anyone had any negative feedback about the black face makeup that the tenors ( playing Otello) end up wearing all through Act 2.

It's either something that people will feel is funny, and in keeping with the Operatic tradition and the era (1930's), or it will raise the hackles on the back of people's necks.

Thanks for the feedback!

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TonyDi
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Posted: 1/25/11 at 8:14am

We did this many years ago with both caucasian and African Americans in attendence throughout the run. Never an issue - ever. It's not done in any way to offend at all and is as you note, in the tradition of the era in operatic performances. At least IF there was any dissent no-one ever voiced any at all. And it's a laugh-fest from start to finish and no-one seemed to care that Othello was as he is in the opera - a "big black fellow" as the script states. AND in the era, Othello was not played by a black opera singer since there weren't many at that point. As a matter of fact - OTHELLO himself is labeled as a MOOR - and there isn't anything more than a general concensus that that could have meant many things, Black, Indian even, Moorish, African, Ethopian or whatever. It's never been completely defined as to his race. AND the fact that he is a GENERAL of an army gives him a social status that certainly doesn't demean his race by his position. And Othello has often been portrayed as an Arab Moor anyway.

There was the first black man to play the role in the 1800's but there hasn't been one on screen in film until Laurence Fishburne played the role in 1995. The great Paul Robeson played the role from the 30's to nearly 1960 and had an incredible voice. But for this FARCE production, I see no problem in this portrayal of an Italian tenor as an Othello character as it had been done so very much in opera since the beginning with few black actors playing the role since.

TonyDi

"Almost famous"

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edh915
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Posted: 1/25/11 at 11:12am

I've been involved with three separate productions, big city mixed audiences, and the black-face was never, ever, ever an issue. Not even a whisper. Go have fun with it.

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Carol
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Posted: 1/27/11 at 7:31pm

Thanks so much guys! The feedback really helps

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startingout
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Posted: 2/03/11 at 9:53am

We Did this Play in a High school

This was So funny

It is the way the play is written and how would you change it

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Carol
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Posted: 2/04/11 at 8:57pm

Oh - You can't change anything like that. (I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to copyright.)

If it won't work for you or your audience - you just choose not to do it.

What offends one audience will not even be noticed by another. I live in a rural area, and in discussions with an artistic director from a local professional theatre - he noted that in his area, language is not really an issue, but anything even vaguely blasphemous earns an immediate alienation from the audience, and the community in general. Part of his advice was to pick your battles carefully.

( It goes without saying that sometimes you intentionally do something that will make an audience uncomfortable. But that is a calculated strategy designed to forward the play) Not the reaction that you're looking for in a lighthearted farce....

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DFTDONNA
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Posted: 2/11/11 at 1:04pm

We did Tenor last year with rave reviews. We too discussed the concern early on but went with the black face anyway and got no negative feedback.

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iiredsoxii
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Posted: 2/14/11 at 4:52pm

I saw the revival on Broadway last summer and not only was it incredibly funny, they used blackface on the actors. The show was incredibly good, and I do not think anyone was remotely offended.

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Author	Message
Carol Walk-On Joined: 11/13/07 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Topic: "Lend me a Tenor" question Posted: 1/24/11 at 10:36pm
	Hi everyone, our playreading committee is looking at "Lend me a Tenor". It seems like great fun, but I wondered if anyone had any negative feedback about the black face makeup that the tenors ( playing Otello) end up wearing all through Act 2. It's either something that people will feel is funny, and in keeping with the Operatic tradition and the era (1930's), or it will raise the hackles on the back of people's necks. Thanks for the feedback!

	IP Logged

TonyDi Celebrity Joined: 9/13/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 1/25/11 at 8:14am
	We did this many years ago with both caucasian and African Americans in attendence throughout the run. Never an issue - ever. It's not done in any way to offend at all and is as you note, in the tradition of the era in operatic performances. At least IF there was any dissent no-one ever voiced any at all. And it's a laugh-fest from start to finish and no-one seemed to care that Othello was as he is in the opera - a "big black fellow" as the script states. AND in the era, Othello was not played by a black opera singer since there weren't many at that point. As a matter of fact - OTHELLO himself is labeled as a MOOR - and there isn't anything more than a general concensus that that could have meant many things, Black, Indian even, Moorish, African, Ethopian or whatever. It's never been completely defined as to his race. AND the fact that he is a GENERAL of an army gives him a social status that certainly doesn't demean his race by his position. And Othello has often been portrayed as an Arab Moor anyway. There was the first black man to play the role in the 1800's but there hasn't been one on screen in film until Laurence Fishburne played the role in 1995. The great Paul Robeson played the role from the 30's to nearly 1960 and had an incredible voice. But for this FARCE production, I see no problem in this portrayal of an Italian tenor as an Othello character as it had been done so very much in opera since the beginning with few black actors playing the role since. TonyDi
	"Almost famous"
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edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 1/25/11 at 11:12am
	I've been involved with three separate productions, big city mixed audiences, and the black-face was never, ever, ever an issue. Not even a whisper. Go have fun with it.
	IP Logged

Carol Walk-On Joined: 11/13/07 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 1/27/11 at 7:31pm
	Thanks so much guys! The feedback really helps
	IP Logged

startingout Lead Joined: 9/09/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 39	Posted: 2/03/11 at 9:53am
	We Did this Play in a High school This was So funny It is the way the play is written and how would you change it
	IP Logged

Carol Walk-On Joined: 11/13/07 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 7	Posted: 2/04/11 at 8:57pm
	Oh - You can't change anything like that. (I'm a bit of a fanatic when it comes to copyright.) If it won't work for you or your audience - you just choose not to do it. What offends one audience will not even be noticed by another. I live in a rural area, and in discussions with an artistic director from a local professional theatre - he noted that in his area, language is not really an issue, but anything even vaguely blasphemous earns an immediate alienation from the audience, and the community in general. Part of his advice was to pick your battles carefully. ( It goes without saying that sometimes you intentionally do something that will make an audience uncomfortable. But that is a calculated strategy designed to forward the play) Not the reaction that you're looking for in a lighthearted farce....
	IP Logged

DFTDONNA Walk-On Joined: 1/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 8	Posted: 2/11/11 at 1:04pm
	We did Tenor last year with rave reviews. We too discussed the concern early on but went with the black face anyway and got no negative feedback.
	IP Logged

iiredsoxii Walk-On Joined: 2/14/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 2/14/11 at 4:52pm
	I saw the revival on Broadway last summer and not only was it incredibly funny, they used blackface on the actors. The show was incredibly good, and I do not think anyone was remotely offended.
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