Last week, Clarion University canceled its theatre production of Jesus in India after the playwright voiced concerns over white actors being cast in roles written for actors of South Asian descent. Yuuuuup.
Cancellation of College Production of ‘Jesus in India’ Over Casting of White Actors Prompts Debate
The play, Jesus in India by Lloyd Suh, is described as "a contemporary reimagining of a wild stretch in the lost years of Jesus Christ." Three of the five characters in the play are Indian, but in Clarion's production, two were to be played by white student actors and a third by a non-Asian mixed-race student.
Suh told the university that he was not supportive of white actors portraying Indian characters in his play, and wanted the parts recast. After being told that finding Asian replacements would not be possible, he ultimately pulled the university right to stage the production -- a week before the play's scheduled opening.
