DreamWorks’ Prince of Egypt under fire over lack of diversity

Concern about a lack of diversity dominated the Oscars this year. Pride about an unusually diverse theatre season permeated the Tonys in June.

Now the issue has entangled an attempt by DreamWorks to adapt a popular animated film from 1998, The Prince of Egypt, into a stage musical.

The issue erupted on social media after the Bay Street Theater announced plans to hold a free concert performance of the developing show next month in Sag Harbor, N.Y. It will be the first time the full script and score have been heard by the public.

The problem is this: although the show, about the life of Moses as described in Exodus, is set in ancient Egypt, the bulk of the cast is white, and initial publicity led to the mistaken impression by some that the entire cast was white. (According to Bay Street, a third of the Equity cast, including two of the six principals, are actors of colour.)

Reaction was swift. Cynthia Erivo, a British actress of Nigerian descent who won this year’s Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for The Color Purple, posted on Twitter, “It saddens me that after such a wonderful multicultural season on Broadway a piece set in AFRICA has not one POC,” meaning a person of colour, and then, after being corrected, “The piece is set in ancient EGYPT, i.e. AFRICA where people darker than I resided. That is my point.”

The artistic director of Bay Street, Scott Schwartz, posted his own statement online: “Please rest assured that your concern about the need for diversity and authenticity in this project is something we hear and take seriously.

“All of us on the creative and producing team hope to continue this conversation, not just about The Prince of Egypt, but about diversity and authenticity in casting in all the art we create.”