The article below makes me understand the obstacles actors of different colors, creed and gender face on a continual basis.

Classic example of what I find myself fighting as an actor, day to day . I found this real ad on Craig’s list (see at the end of this blog posting) The irony of the difficulty the person who placed this ad is having in finding actors to appear as semi-nude, barefoot, slaves itself is hilarious and self-apparent. Aside from this observation, is the idea of creating a character and receiving a credit like Slave#1 –Geoffery Simmons which creates all sorts of concern and anxiety.


Personally, when I think back on the number of roles I myself have either been offered or played which gave me the opportunity to don either overalls or speak pidgin-English, which by the way shines a very glaringly, stark light on the mindset of what people actually think... it also makes thinking outside the box almost hard to believe, let alone allow a person to truly act and use all the facets of their ability and talent.

I am ready to play, create, have created, produce, direct, have directed, develop, have developed 3 dimensional characters, who are real, feel and share a story that we all know, feel and live to tell. Regardless of gender, race or denomination.

Be outside of the box!!! I used to wonder why such great actors had to initially somehow prove themselves as subjects that seemed more believable to thinkers inside the box. Seeing Denzel first act as a runaway slave, prisoner or DeNiro as a gangster, Morgan as a pimp, Wesley as a football player.

We now know they can play diverse parts and roles that are unique and broad-but in the beginning we had to know how to place them in areas that were typical, or stereotypical in it's presentation to the viewer.

In order to move the envelope forward, we need a progressive mindset, work environment and social atmosphere to keep the ball rolling in a forward motion.

I want to save the ad below, not to say that I’d not even consider playing such a part or that it is ridiculous to even to think of one. But to remind me that in order to think, live and act progressively, we must offer progressive opportunities to begin or continue to exist within the outside realm of the box. Art does indeed imitate life. In order to tell a story we must have dialogue, which means we must communicate with each other, segregation be damned.

The article below makes me understand the obstacles actors of different colors, creed and gender face on a continual basis.


Here is the ad below:


Local film director/screenwriter looking for local talent, having hard time finding African or African-American actors. I am shooting the last three scenes of the film the first week in January. I need 5 Black actors to play African slaves. It's shot outdoors on the beach at Golden Gardens Park. They will be barefoot and displaying very little clothing. We will have a heated tent set up to help endure the cold. This will be done on a sunny day, of course. We will shoot it so the actors will be in the cold no longer than 5 minutes, if that.

Pays $50.00 each, plus credit, copy, lunch, 2 free tickets to premier. Preferably dark-skinned. Women are welcome; no more than 2.
Please send your photo if able.