# Is it reasonable for activists to want a deaf of blind actress to play Helen Keller? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 31, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867 "2009-10-31T18:39:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/21 "2009-10-31T20:56:14Z")
I don’t really get it either. Isn’t the whole point of acting to become someone else? Did people complain when Patrick Stewart did that photo negative Othello (with him as Othello and an all black cast as everyone else)? I could see people with an easily triggered offensive meter freaking out, otherizing black people, or whatnot but if you really want to play someone and they happen to be different from you and you have enough money/clout, usually it’ll happen. I don’t really see it as right or not–just that sometimes you have coveted roles, and you have people who will bring in money (Abigail Breslin here)–so why not? And I too am wondering just how many young deaf or blind girl actresses there are. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/22 "2009-10-31T21:43:46Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > I have a problem with it. The credibility of her organization suffers when she says this, making the cause she ostensibly supports incrementally more difficult to advance. Yes, this makes her organization sound PETA-like. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/23 "2009-10-31T22:14:39Z")
This reminds me of a quotation _Sesame Street_ writer Jon Stone gave when one of the producers turned down a script about one of the characters playing a chicken in a play, believing that only a chicken should play the part of a chicken: “The whole art of acting is pretending to be someone other than who you are in real life, otherwise you wouldn’t mout a production of Hamlet unless a real Danish prince happened to show up at the audition.” I see nothing wrong with casting someone who is actually disabled in any form of production, but in a live show at least- which requires timing and the ability to see what’s going on and hear the other people’s dialogue- casting someone who is actually blind and/or deaf would probably make it more difficult for them to know when their cues are. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/24 "2009-10-31T22:52:28Z")
I don’t think it’s reasonable exactly, because there are logistical and financial constraints, but I can see how it is frustrating for them. Deaf or blind actresses would have trouble getting parts to play a hearing or sighted person. Now here’s a part that they can play, authentically, and they will still not get it, because it’s too much hassle dealing with a disabled person. I’m not sure about blind actors, but deaf actors manage to follow their cues, relate to the audience and obey directors just fine in Deaf theatre, so it’s not impossible or anything. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/25 "2009-11-01T00:58:56Z")
Why should they cast a deaf/blind actress as Helen Keller? Because the character is deaf and blind? As **mobo85** says, that’s not a possible way to cast a show. If the role was intended to be played by a deaf/blind person, then there might be an artistic argument about why it is or is not important to stay true to the writer’s intent. I auditioned for the role of Motel in Fiddler on the Roof once, and the guy who got it _wasn’t even Jewish!!!_ Was that wrong of the director? Of course not. ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/26 "2009-11-01T04:21:27Z")
(I may ramble a bit - it’s late.). I understand the frustration - I find myself knee-jerk criticizing shows that cast actors who aren’t wheelchair-users as paraplegics/quadriplegics; I can usually tell. I realize there’s probably a dearth of paraplegic/quadriplegic actors (especially those who can bring in money), but it’d be nice to see more paraplegic actors cast in the roles of paraplegic characters, for example. On the other hand, the financial risk involved in casting an unknown actor in a major role on Broadway can’t be ignored by those mounting the show. It’s perfectly reasonable for producers to want big names in the major roles, and unrealistic for Ms. Jensen (and whomever holds her same viewpoint) to expect anything different. Those of us who are visibly disabled (especially from birth) simply haven’t broken into some professions in a major way; from what I see in the media, acting is one of them. The questions of why that is and what can be done to change perceptions must be explored. I also know that sometimes, you simply need a particular type of person to sucessfully fill a job - this is one of those times. ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/27 "2009-11-01T04:33:34Z")
Also what about times when you specifically want to use a certain person who isn’t disabled? There’s a really good Frasier episode where Michael Keaton plays a wheelchair bound guy (granted, he’s faking it but we never see him walking around in the episode). I just figured they used him because he’s well known and pretty hilarious. Speaking of Frasier, they also used Griffin Dunne as a guy in a wheelchair. I suppose they could have searched for a wheelchair bound actor. But there’s probably a greater pool of abled people to choose from. You’re likely to find someone with the look and acting ability you want if you select from a bigger pool. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/28 "2009-11-01T05:04:25Z")
It’s an opportunity for her to whine and get her name and her organization’s name some free publicity. It’s done all the time. There are no deaf and blind actors. Having only one disability would just be pandering. Actors are not hired on their ability to have the abilities or disabilities of their characters, but rather on their abilities to pretend to do such and have a name that will draw in crowds. All of those things are necessary. There are deaf actors and blind actors who are quite good, but cannot pass as a child and act and draw in the crowds that way that this actress can. [Marlee Matlin - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marlee_Matlin) Marlee Matlin is an Oscar winning deaf actress, and I would love to see her take on an older Helen Keller. ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/29 "2009-11-01T20:08:09Z")
**Attack from the 3rd dimension** said: > [@](#): > > I paused at this one as well. I decided to go with an interpretation: “In adult movies there are many attractive actresses who do lesbian scenes for the titillation of male viewers, but who are not, in point of fact, lesbians in their own personal lives - they are acting, within the restricted sense of ‘acting’ in the adult film industry - and therein lies the humour” Why did you jump to “adult movies”? I would imagine this applies to mainstream movie and TV actresses. In fact, porn actresses tend to be more flexible minded when it comes to choice. Look, in porn, when you’re hired for a role, you know up front who you’ll be screwing and what acts will occur. Now it’s possible for some young actress to decide she should play along to get work but her preference is straight. But what I think you’ll find if you talk to real porn actresses is that they enjoy the crossover work, or they wouldn’t do it. Actually, porn stars tend to be much more open in their regular sex activities, not just work related ones. ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/30 "2009-11-01T22:22:48Z")
I think it is an unreasonable complaint. Being deaf and blind would force the producer to devote more effort to simply communicating with her and telling her what she needs to do, especially for an audio-visual medium like theatre. It’s like expecting english-speaking directors to hire actors who don’t speak english, only worse. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/31 "2009-11-01T22:33:11Z")
It’s reasonable of the activists to _want_ this, provided they can suggest an actress who would do the job better than anyone else and who would also be able to cope with the practical aspects of rehearsing and performing a play. However, to suggest that in any given production the ideal casting is _necessarily_ an actor who shares some fundamental characteristics with the character to be portrayed is nonsense, and other posters have already offered several possible rebuttals. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 6:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/32 "2009-11-02T06:28:12Z")
Similar complaints have arisen about not getting Native American or Aboriginal actors to play characters with those origins. I definitely don’t think there’s any obligation to cast only actors who are perfect replicas of their characters. However, I think that for productions where the main role(s) is/are notable for it’s minority background or a large portion of the background characters are, it’s a Nice Thing To Do to at least advertise casting calls in places of notice for those communities. That said, the show must go on. If a white person is ultimately the best person able to play Martin Luther King Jr, then so be it. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/33 "2009-11-02T07:38:17Z")
At least it’s an American. You know the economy is in trouble when the roles of Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller are being [outsourced to India](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_%28film%29). And I think it’s absolutely ridiculous to require an actual blind and or deaf actress. There was a similar kerfuffle when Alfred Molina (an English actor of Spanish descent, but not a Jew) played Tevye. The big one was when producers paid megabucks to bring over (white English actor) Jonathan Pryce to reprise the role he originated in London- the Engineer (a Franco-Vietnamese pimp) rather than hiring an Asian actor; the protest was ironically joined and vocalized by [Tony Randall](http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y174/vejiita4eva/19647FacesofDrLao-TonyRandallasDrLa.jpg). I wonder if anybody was irate that the role of Edna Turnblad didn’t go to an actual fat actress. Frankly- I think it’d probably work better than most of the actors- the man in drag thing as homage to Divine is gimmicky. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/34 "2009-11-02T12:46:06Z")
I just find this confusing. Why would a blind-deaf actor even exist? Theater is only about sights and sounds. And, I also think only the disenfranchised party really has the right to be upset about this. Having a spokesperson is okay, but they should actually be representing the people who are actually being discriminated against. And why would the deaf-blind, who can’t even perceive the theater, care? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/35 "2009-11-02T14:01:57Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Moreover, I wonder if Signora Jensen would not prefer an actress who was BOTH deaf and blind (and profoundly so) to play the role, as such would be required to truly replicate Keller’s conditions. Somehow I doubt the supply of talented deaf and blind actresses is extensive. One would hope that their first obligation is to art, and their second to making money. I’m thinking we don’t have a truly deaf/blind actress who will meet both requirements or we’d have heard of her already. And how authentic does it have to be? Would they have to choose someone who was deaf/blind from the age of two or would a victim of war suffice? The whole thing is stupid. I’m not sure what they’re trying to accomplish. After all, Helen Keller wasn’t an actress! ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/36 "2009-11-02T15:57:38Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I just find this confusing. Why would a blind-deaf actor even exist? Theater is only about sights and sounds. > > And, I also think only the disenfranchised party really has the right to be upset about this. Having a spokesperson is okay, but they should actually be representing the people who are actually being discriminated against. And why would the deaf-blind, who can’t even perceive the theater, care? Aren’t they just saying that they want a blind OR deaf actress? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/37 "2009-11-02T16:22:42Z")
> [@Freudian\_Slit](#): > > Aren’t they just saying that they want a blind OR deaf actress? I thought it was OR as well. And yes, there are plenty of deaf actors out there. (Eg/ National Theater of the Deaf) A recording engineer I met in New York used to be an interpreter for a deaf community theater group. The actors signed and he used to speak the lines for the hearing audience members. It’s also not that unusual for some productions to face this dilemma. The TV series “Sue Thomas F.B.Eye” almost cast a hearing actress for the lead role, before casting Deanne Bray, after getting a little pressure. (The series is best on a true story and with the real Sue Thomas sometimes being a consultant on the series, producers eventually determined it would kind of be in poor taste not to let a deaf actress give the part a whirl.) ---
**Author:** ![wierdaaron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/eada6e/32.png) [@wierdaaron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wierdaaron)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/38 "2009-11-02T16:58:49Z")
I, for one, was offended that they didn’t cast any real lions in The Lion King. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/39 "2009-11-02T18:50:39Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I just find this confusing. Why would a blind-deaf actor even exist? It would explain a lot of the acting on soap operas. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867/40 "2009-11-02T19:04:18Z")
I forsee complications if they ever decide to remake _Tommy_. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-reasonable-for-activists-to-want-a-deaf-of-blind-actress-to-play-helen-keller/515867.md?page=3)