A planned production of Cinderella has been canceled over concerns that the cast was too white.
“It was 98% white,” artistic director Michael Brindisi said of the cast. “That doesn’t work with what we’re saying we’re going to do.”
Chanhassen Dinner Theatres in Minnesota has now decided to scrap the project altogether and will instead turn to producing Footloose in 2022.
“After careful consideration and with our ongoing commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres has made the decision to cancel our upcoming production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” the company said in a statement. “Our hope in beginning the production process again with a new title will allow us to put into practice an intentional process based on the work we have been doing towards equity and inclusivity.”
Brindisi, who originally pointed out the lack of diversity in the cast, said that Chanhassen considered recasting the show. Instead, the company opted to “scrap this and start fresh with a clean slate.” While some of the cast members were disappointed by the decision, Brindisi said they “got it and that they respected the very hard decision we had to make.”
The fresh start will allow the company time to implement strategies for casting that will be more inclusive, a commitment they made last year in the wake of George Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.
“Last June, after the killing of George Floyd, a call to action came from theatre artists across the United States and in our own community to foster change in our industry in regard to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) – both on our stages and within our creative teams and administrations,” the company said last month. “We have taken this call to heart. Since that time, leadership has been looking deeply at our practices, our biases and historical mistakes we have made with open hearts and minds to change. As theatre artists and business leaders, we are fully committed to having not only our stages but our entire organization be a reflection of the beautiful and rich diversity in our society.”
In preparation for next year’s production, the company has hired diversity consultant Kelli Foster Warder, who will help devise a strategy that will change how future productions work.
“We wanted to meet it head-on,” Brindisi said. “We need to fix things, and we’re going to do just that.”
Brindisi said the experience has also led him to make changes in his personal life.
“I’ve taken on some specific things in my personal life and some longtime issues I’ve had with family members,” Brindisi said. “I’ve confronted some things that I haven’t confronted before. I’m on a journey to find out where I can be a better person and even an activist and ally.”
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The company’s production of Footloose will debut sometime in 2022.
