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at this c00n ass nikka Normand BrathwaiteMontreal theatre’s use of white actor to portray Canadiens star P.K. Subban sparks uproar
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Graeme Hamilton | January 14, 2015 | Last Updated: Jan 14 11:47 PM ET
More from Graeme Hamilton | @grayhamilton
Théâtre du Rideau VertThe use of blackface to portray Montreal Canadiens star player P.K. Subban in a satirical play has left a bad taste in the mouths of members of Montreal’s black artistic community.
MONTREAL — The short skit spoofing Montreal Canadiens defenceman P.K. Subban in Théâtre du Rideau Vert’s year-end comic review was almost entirely forgettable. One critic at the premiere noted that it drew little applause.
Richard Wolowicz/Getty ImagesThe real P.K. Subban
But now, it is the only part of the popular annual show that people in Montreal are talking about because of the theatre’s decision to use a white actor in black makeup to portray Mr. Subban, who is black.
An open letter published this week accuses the Théâtre du Rideau Vert of perpetuating the hurtful practice of blackface, which originated in the racist 19th century minstrel shows depicting blacks as buffoons. The letter was signed by more than 100 members of Montreal’s artistic community, including its largest English-language theatre companies.
“How do we make the Quebec entertainment world and one of its institutions, namely the Théâtre du Rideau Vert, understand that in 2015, the time has past for producing a show with a number, however short, that resembles blackface, whether we like it or not?” the letter begins.
Far from being chastened by the criticism, the artistic director of Théâtre du Rideau Vert, Denise Filiatrault, lashed out at her critics in an interview published Wednesday inLa Presse.
She told the newspaper she is “scandalized, outraged and humiliated” that some of her peers in the artistic community are criticizing the use of a white actor in black makeup.
“I did not know that people were so crazy and petty,” she said. “I’ve had it. It’s terrible.” She added that there will be no more blackface in the show because there will simply be no more black characters.
“I have a role that lasts 12 seconds,” she said of the Subban sketch, which actually lasted a minute-and-a-half. “Do you think I’m going to hire a black for 12 seconds. We don’t have the money.” And after playing Mr. Subban, there would not be any call for a black actor in the show, she said. “We can’t have him play the role of the mayor of Montreal.”
AP Photo/Warner Bros.Al Jolson in blackface makeup in the movie "The Jazz Singer." Blackface emerged in the mid-19th century, representing a combination of put-down, fear and fascination with black culture.
Jérôme Pruneau, general manager of Diversité Artistique Québec, which seeks a greater place for visible minorities on the stage and screen, said he was surprised Théâtre du Rideau Vert did not pull the skit from its show after questions were first raised in early December
“We are not accusing anyone of racism. I know Denise Filiatrault has done a lot of things for the black community,” he said. Rather, he thinks the persistence of blackface on the Quebec stage reflects an ignorance of history.
Having a white actor depict a black character “has a connotation because it is loaded with the weight of history,” Mr. Pruneau said. “Blackface is an important part of theatre history, which originated in the mockery and belittling of the black community.”
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Pat Donnelly, The Gazette theatre critic who first brought attention to the offending skit in a Dec. 5 review, wrote that she has seen dozens of Quebec shows featuring blackface over the past 30 years.
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“I’ve written about the phenomenon before, to no avail,” she wrote. “I have discussed it with francophone colleagues who just don’t seem to get why it’s inappropriate to reinforce a stereotype that harkens back to the days of minstrel shows. As if we never had black slavery in Quebec.”
None of Montreal’s main French-language theatre companies signed the open letter. Quebec actor Normand Brathwaite, who is black, said the uproar over blackface is misplaced and reflects a failure of anglophones to appreciate French culture. “This is not blackface. It’s an imitation in a show,” he told 98.5 FM Wednesday. “I’d be pretty pissed off if someone imitated me in a year-end show and didn’t paint himself black, because I’m very proud of the colour of my skin.”
Mr. Pruneau said it is revealing that there were no black actors in the Rideau Vert troupe to play the Subban role. He said in general, visible minorities are still under-represented in Quebec productions. “When it occurs, they tend to be clichéd roles,” he said. “For example, the black will be a taxi driver and the Latino will be in a street gang.”
Quincy Armorer, artistic director of Montreal’s Black Theatre Workshop, attended the review. “Was the show funny at times? Yes it absolutely was, as have been many other shows I have seen in Montreal. Was there a part of the show that was offensive? Yes, there was, unlike any other show I’ve seen on stage in Montreal.”
He said it is impossible to separate a white actor’s seemingly innocent donning of black makeup from the nastier blackface of the past.
“It’s steeped in racism,” he said. “That’s how it began. It was a matter of putting on these black faces for the purpose of mocking and ridiculing black people. That’s what it’s rooted in.”
His advice to Ms. Filiatrault was succinct: “Do your year-end review. Just don’t do blackface.”
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