Hillcrest Center for the Arts’ Young Artists Ensemble’s Summer 2022 production of the groundbreaking diverse musical Rent, has cast White actors in lead roles that are meant to be played by POC actors. Additionally, these same POC leading roles that they have decided to cast White actors in have POC understudies. 

The issue with casting White actors in POC roles is that POC actors have very limited opportunities to be represented within the arts. They are disproportionately set back in terms of how many roles are explicitly made for them. By choosing to cast White actors as leads in Rent, Young Artists Ensemble has chosen to further limit opportunities for young POC actors to have a chance to be represented on stage. 

At the very minimum, we demand that Young Artists Ensemble double casts the POC understudies with their White leads.