COLOR BIND

The number of minority actors in theater productions on Broadway is dwindling – and most of those working are either in choruses or race-specific parts, rarely getting a chance at major roles. “A report by Actors’ Equity shows a sharp dip in the number of minorities on stage. In musical productions, nonwhite casting was 19.3 percent during the 1999 season, down from 31.2 percent the year before. In nonmusical productions, the numbers for 1999 – the last time such a study was conducted – were even more bleak, with only 7.2 percent of casts drawn from ethnic minorities, down from 8.5 percent in 1998.” – Seattle Times (New York Daily News)