Problem
"A black Huck Finn and a white Jim might be OK for a high school production of Mark Twain's classic tale - but those performances had to be edited out of a C-Span talent show after the copyright holder objected to the cross-casting.
Jay Frisby, a black student who played Huck, and Nick Lehan, a white student who played Jim, taped their performance of the song "Muddy Water" for "Close Up," a weekly show that highlights high school excellence.
Bert Fink, a spokesman for R&H Theatricals - the Rodgers & Hammerstein organization, which holds the license to the play - said his organization is not against cross-casting in general.
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But when you're dealing with a theatrical work and race or ethnicity is a key factor, many authors or playwrights feel strongly that ethnicity has to be reflected in the actors who portray the characters," he said.
Do you agree with Bert Fink's statement? Should Disney characters like Mulan and Pocahontas only be played by Asian and Native American women, respectively? What about Santa Claus, would children be confused if we had black, Asian, and Latino men assuming the role of Santa? As shown in the video clip today, an African American student was told by his high school teacher that we could not be Santa since Santa is white. Should any punishment be leveled against the teacher?