So, I talked to Maya about whether or not she would want me to do another show this summer, and she said No. So I did not audition for the summer musical. There are other musicals coming up later next season that I'm interested in, so I am happy to oblige her. Hubby, however, will be auditioning. It will be great to see him up on stage again. It's been a long time since he's acted, since he's the big director now, but I think he'll see how much he missed it!
Having two actor parents, it isn't shocking that Maya wants to continue to do theatre after her debut stage appearance this past December. But something started to bug me the other night...Maya went with some friends to see Annie Jr. at a local elementary school. She had a great time, and the next night, we watched the movie. When it was over, I asked her if she would want to be in that show and she said Yes! Of course, she would want to play Annie. Then I imagined it. Would there ever be a director who would cast a tan-skinned Asian brunette as little red-headed orphan Annie? It made me wonder if she'll have challenges on getting roles because of her ethnicity. Will my daughter be able to get the leads normally played by white actresses? I know the challenges of not getting roles because I wasn't the right 'look', but will she have even more of those challenges? How many directors will cast color-blind?
I don't doubt that my daughter will have talent. At 6 years old, she's already asking for voice lessons and wants to plan a children's drama camp with her dad. I don't want to ever tell my child that she can't be what she wants to be. If she wants to be an actress, then I'm behind her 100%. But as an Asian-American, what opportunities will there be for her? Can you name even five Asian-American actresses? I don't know that I can either. How can I prepare her and nurture her to beat the odds?
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