west side story anita assault

 

Van Hove also added multi-racial actors, but sent mixed messaging by casting them as the Jets, originally intended to be white. While incredibly painful to sort through, it’s essential the events surrounding these West Side Story incarnations are not forgotten. Rescripted: Artist-led interactive commentary on the state of the arts, including reviews, dialogues, and essays. He brought on choreographer Sergio Trujillo and ballet dancer Patricia Delgado for consultation to make the dance more “authentically Latino”, but only after the cast requested it. As Beatrine Shahzad from Discussing Film addresses, “…There is still a power imbalance between a teenager and someone in their twenties.”. Despite the buzz, these West Side Story remakes have many issues to unpack. Is our work worthwhile if it comes at the cost of silencing those who need to be heard most? Sexual misconduct allegations resurfaced after a casting decision in the Broadway revival — and when shooting wrapped on the Speilberg film, a new claim was introduced. It especially seemed keen on rectifying casting issues of the original highly acclaimed 1961 film. In recent months, there have been many discussions in the theatre community of the work we want to come back to. The 2020 film will also include a new Black character named Abe, played by Curtiss Cook. She liked a series of tweets supporting the notion that she was under no obligation to defend him. Long after filming wrapped on June 19, 2020, a young woman posted to Twitter that she was sexually assaulted by Elgort in 2014, when she herself was seventeen. Anita reluctantly does so. Or like Ramasar, will his art absolve his character? The musical explores the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds. She recounted details of their relationship including him asking for nude photos and propositioning to have a threesome with one of her friends who was also seventeen. When she arrives, she encounters violence at the hands of the Jets. In West Side Story, the supporting character of Anita, a Puerto Rican immigrant living in New York City, is taunted and (nearly) raped by members of the Jets, a white street gang. Baby John is lifted up high and dropped on her as Doc enters from the cellar door and yells.] And how in good conscience can we portray violence against women when it’s being swept under the rug for a fellow cast member? West Side Story (1961) Rita Moreno as Anita. She is the girlfriend of Bernardo and a close friend and confidante to his sister Maria. One example of this is the taunting scene in West Side Story, (trigger warning for mentions of sexual assault) a show that is already about gang fighting between one with white members, the Jets, and one who’s members are from Puerto Rico, the Sharks. Oscars Best Picture Winners Best Picture Winners Golden Globes Emmys Women's History Month STARmeter Awards San Diego Comic-Con New York Comic-Con Sundance Film Festival Toronto Int'l Film Festival Awards Central Festival Central All Events We switch blame instead of actors. In reviews for the Broadway revival, some summed up the controversy around Ramasar in one sentence while others unpacked the implications of this decision. That makes Anita a nice contrast to our heroine: showing what horrible things she could have done and chose not to. The character is vivacious and gossipy. As seen in West Side Story, the Broadway musical is a collaborative medium which involves the librettist, composer, lyricist, director, and choreographer how to best convey the story they wish to tell. West Side Story/ United Artists During the filming of “The Taunting Scene,” where Anita is taunted and sexually harassed by the Jets, Rita Moreno was reduced to tears. There have been numerous discussions about the show and film playing into Latinx stereotypes. It feels unavoidable. In Aphra Behn (of Guerilla Girls)’s Gender Across Borders article, she disparages the ’09 Broadway revival as it turns the assault and “mock rape” of Anita into a real rape with the unzipping of A-rab’s pants: If all this isn’t enough, West Side Story includes a scene of a rape attempt. But for many of us, it’s the umpteenth time we’ve seen Anita assaulted for dramatic effect, each time under the guise of greater authenticity.” There needs to be more effort from white artists when staging violence against women of color, as such violence has become so prominent in our daily lives. Wilder was in the original London cast of “West Side Story,” where she played Teresita and understudied Anita. van Hove may have “no iconic relationship” to “West Side Story,” so he may not feel the oppressive repetitions of the history of violence against brown women bearing down on his body. Anita, on the other hand, … yeah, when I saw it, it was like Nettik described. “West Side Story.” Book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. Unable to locate him, she comes upon the Jets who harass and attempt to rape her. To some, it refers to the Ivo van Hove-helmed Broadway revival. Rita Moreno, who will also play a role in this year’s version, originated the onscreen role of Anita. This production reminded me of details I had forgotten about "West Side Story," including the horrible assault on Anita (Courtney Arango) and how vile a … At the peak, she is shoved so that she falls in a corner. It’s impossible to predict what the arts will look like on the other side, but it would be wise to consider what, and whose, art is worth doing. 9 Things About "West Side Story" That Are Terrific, And 8 Things That Are Not So Great. It is currently Sun Apr 18, 2021 5:41 am, Board index » Across the Boards » Simply Sondheim » West Side Story, Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 3 guests. Elgort, who was twenty at the time, stated the relationship was legal and consensual denying the sexual assault claim. I’m no expert on the show or its history, but even I’ve noticed plenty of criticism. There has already been quite a bit written on this revival, so instead of a traditional review this is going to be more of a semi-organized set of thoughts about some problematic aspects — things that I feel need to be talked about and addressed more. I’m not gonna do that.” They even doubled down by changing the cast’s bows from singular to group when notable boos could be heard during curtain call for Ramasar. Learn In this adaptation, he chose to stage Anita’s rape explicitly onstage with a camera zoomed in on the face of Yesenia Ayala, who plays Anita, as her reaction is projected. West Side Story (1961) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. As a sexual assault survivor, the scene was difficult for her to film but her cast mates were very supportive. The lack of skepticism about pairing twenty-six-year-old Elgort with seventeen-year-old Zegler makes it evident that casting older male actors opposite young female actors as romantic leads has been normalized. Regarding Elgort, Twitter users aimed both passionate support and outrage at Elgort, and the woman who spoke out against him. As revenge, she switches her message to hurt Tony by claiming Maria is dead. He never publicly apologized, as Diep Tran from Token Theatre Friends notes in this illuminating analysis about race and casting in van Hove’s revival. Ayala is no stranger to West Side Story. Mar 1, 2015 - Photo of Anita in West Side Story for fans of West Side Story 31067788 The story is set in the mid 1950s in the Upper West Side of New York City, a multiracial, blue-collar neighborhood. It's mostly a Birdie story, so be warned! i know in the movie version, the shop keeper stopped the gang. An online petition created by ballet dancer, Megan Rabin, called for his removal from the production and in-person protests leading up to and on opening night were spearheaded by seventeen-year-old NYC high school student and performer Paige Levy. Karen Olivo and the cast of West Side Story perform "America" on Letterman March 12, 2009. In staging sexual assault, it’s imperative to address the imbalance of power across gender and race within our industry and beyond. It says a lot that the public was more outraged over van Hove’s modern-day changes to West Side Story than they were about an actor who could influence the safety of a work environment around young women. At the time, Moreno was made to darken her skin to appear more stereotypically Puerto Rican. Afterward, Ramasar went on to achieve success with his Broadway debut in Carousel. This incident was sadly one of many instances of harassment toward female company members happening at NYCB. It's written to be stopped before anything occurs, but I've always thought it would be more powerful had there been more suspense. Paige Levy, a 17-year-old New Yorker, is planning them. Wilder and Rita Moreno where the only Puerto Rican born actors on the set. In July 2019, it was announced that Amar Ramasar would play the supporting role of Bernardo, leader of the Sharks and Maria’s brother, in Hove’s production. Their predominantly white male creative teams for one — which, based on reputation, seem to go generally uncriticized. The problems of Ivo van Hove’s “West Side Story” are almost too numerous to fit into a single piece, but I am going to try. The U.S. Department of Labor reports the unemployment rate in New York City spiked 6.7 percent in 1961 (the year “West Side Story” was filmed and released). When it became unavoidable, The New York Times, Vulture, and The Guardian documented the protests. This revival marks the first time a Broadway version of the show will not include the original Jerome Robbins choreography; instead, it … Whether it’s a show you enjoy or revile, all of this tension came to a head when an unexpected link came to light about these two revivals. These included eliminating Maria’s only solo, “I Feel Pretty,” and the quintessential “Somewhere” ballet (buh-bye Jerome Robbins) while compressing the three-hour musical into one act. If we’re being honest, West Side Story has seemed a little out of date for quite a while. In September 2018, Ramasar was fired from the New York City Ballet for sending explicit photos of a female company member without her consent with another dancer, Chase Finlay, who eventually resigned from the company. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/boa ... d/84809552. Other Twitter users also came forward with similar stories of Elgort asking for photos and meetings with minors. ... Bad: The scene in which the Jets sexually assault Anita is entirely unnecessary. With this news having broken back in June, will it even be present in critics’ minds when reviewing Elgort’s performance? Opposite seventeen-year-old Zegler, twenty-six-year-old Ansel Elgort was cast as Tony in Spielberg’s film. Her star turn on Broadway is part of a particularly newsworthy WSS production. Baby john was wearing underwear. Unable to locate him, she comes upon the Jets who harass and attempt to rape her. “West Side Story” was Wilder’s first of 38 film and TV appearances. In 1949, Robbins had a Jewish and Irish-Catholic conflict in mind for the show once known as East Side Story or Gangway. It’ll be interesting to see what direction Spielberg takes in the upcoming adaptation with this particular scene. These issues being linked, not separate, require dialogue but also corrective action to ensure a safe and equitable workplace — especially in these matters. As of now, months later, there’s been no public acknowledgement by Spielberg or any of Disney’s representatives of the allegations, or how they might affect its release. She was part of two touring companies of the show, and will play a Shark girl in Steven Spielberg's film adaption, out in theaters this December. (~Anita to the Jets after they harass her) Anita (Rita Moreno), is a Puerto Rican immigrant. While I tend to be on the side of optimism, I wonder how much will change. The post included a photo and texts from that time, all which have been deleted. They’re just not as visible. Comic Book Resources (aka CBR) questioned whether Disney would replace Elgort in the film, given their young audience. Anita, a proxy for the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet , goes to find Tony to deliver a message of where to meet Maria. Here's the exact stage directions from the script. Across theatre and film, we continue to prop up troublesome narratives instead of implementing feasible solutions. Another recent adaptation that had the theatre community on its heels was Steven Spielberg’s film penned by Tony Kushner (Angels in America) still scheduled to premiere this December. Unlike Anita, Maria doesn't actually pull the trigger to spread the hate and vengeance, even though she's grieving just as bad. Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group. Actors Equity Association released a statement on behalf of the Broadway production supporting Ramasar’s casting since “the alleged incident took place in a different workplace.” Producer Scott Rudin responded, “Am I supposed to replace him in the show? Once Broadway reopens, will there be a massive shift in the works we see, or will someone somewhere always be clamoring to revive a “classic” musical like West Side Story, regardless of social and political relevance? We show diversity on stage and screen but continue to be gatekeepers behind the scenes, hoping the work will be good enough to distract from the damage. Scenes like Anita's sexual assault and the mass arrests following "Gee Officer Krupke" that originally featured white men committing crime now feature mostly black men, playing into the stereotype of black men as dangerous. Notably, there is also a line in her bio, “believe survivors always.” Interestingly enough, Zegler indirectly responded to Ramasar’s casting when asked by a fan about van Hove’s vision: “There are worse discrepancies to have with this production beyond what songs are cut or their storytelling.”. It puts into perspective that despite not getting as much mainstream coverage, #MeToo and #TimesUp are still prescient in the theatre and dance communities as much as in television and film. Ivo van Hove's "West Side Story" has faced protests over the casting of Amar Ramasar. Upon news of Ramasar’s casting, the backlash was immediate. Why did Anita lie to the Jets, telling them Chino killed Maria? The fact that there were two commercial productions of the same show associated with sexual harassment allegations is unacceptable. I n the Broadway revival of West Side Story, Amar Ramasar pulls the actor who plays Anita in for a kiss and tosses her around the dance floor. After union interference and mandatory counseling, Ramasar was reinstated with New York City Ballet. The response from these respective productions also sets a troubling precedent. View unanswered posts | View active topics We change bows instead of actors. Elgort’s sexual assault allegations were treated like so many others: briefly acknowledged, but then buried in a pile of fluff pieces building up hype for the celebrity’s next project. Character description, analysis and casting breakdown for Anita from West Side Story Join StageAgent today and unlock amazing theatre resources and opportunities. Van Hove has a reputation for graphic representations of sexual violence. CONTENT WARNING: This article contains descriptions of sexual harassment and assault. Shock and anger over the situation were also misguidedly directed at Elgort’s co-star, Zegler. There’s so much dancing around it makes it hard to see where we’re going. Listen to the crowd scenes from the St John Passion, a community baying for blood, then to the musical pack-violence of the choruses leading up to West Side Story’s ‘Rumble’. Anita's character is based loosely on Juliet's Nurse in Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. Directed by Ivo van Hove, based on a conception and original direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins, video design by Luke Halls, choreography by Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker. [The taunting breaks out into a wild, savage dance, with epithets hurled at Anita, who is encircled and driven by the whole pack. We cut songs instead of actors. In the mid-1950s when Robbins, Laurents, and Bernstein revisited the project, they read coverage of Los Angeles riots by gangs, which shifted their focus from religion to race. The items on display provide a rare window into this complex process. The jets would not let her deliver her message to Tony & began to assault her: What is maria's father's pet name for her? The Nurse lived in the House of Capulet and was Juliet's maidservant and closest friend, and one of the few people who knew about Juliet's secret … Van Hove made drastic cuts from the original, which tracks with his reputation for re-imagining classics. We protect the accused instead of those willing to risk everything by voicing their truths. WHAT WE DO Interview Series: Calamity West. In addition to the description of the acts by Ramasar and allegations about Elgort, there were many upsetting factors from these incidents. According to Carina del Valle Schorske in The New York Times, “Mr. __ Maruca: According to Tony, what is the most beautiful sound I ever heard? I noticed that Chita Rivera played both Rose and Anita, which got the creative gears in my head turning… picks up at the end of Bye Bye Birdie and runs through the plot of West Side Story. He embodies his character Bernardo – … __ Maria: Name some songs in West Side Story: Anita, a proxy for the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, goes to find Tony to deliver a message of where to meet Maria. With the exception of Moreno, most of the actors cast in Puerto Rican roles were white; the most prominent being Natalie Wood as Maria, who would inspire many white women to covet the role for years to come. Like the state of 2020, no one could have predicted the show that would mark this year would be West Side Story. An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works In the motion picture , starring Natalie Woods and Rita Moreno , Doc ( Ned Glass ) manages to stop the rape before it officially happens but the damage is done. The story of West Side Story explores young love and tensions between two gangs on the streets of New York City—the white American Jets and the … The members of the Sharks, from Puerto Rico, are taunted by the Jets, a white gang. Intimacy choreographers have been a great addition, but the exploitation of sexual assault and violence against women continues. Did I mention there were also cameras? News coverage of the incidents also sparked anger. Boasting the film debut of many young talents including newcomer Rachel Zegler as Maria and Ariana DeBose (Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, Hamilton) as Anita, it has come with a lot of buzz. While legally there may not have been cause to dismiss Ramasar or Elgort from these projects, it still speaks volumes of how much they were protected in the process. A book by Arthur Laurents and distinctive choreography from Robbins further support this, along with the show’s inspiration. Fans hoped that if she would affirm his character then it would disprove the allegations. If all this isn’t enough, West Side Story includes a scene of a rape attempt. While the pandemic caused van Hove’s production to close early and slightly altered Disney’s film release plans, it’s vital in this period of pause to examine the familiarity of the issues in these productions. Well, this “West Side Story” is the tale of an America in 2020 that is destroying itself from within. 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