A Maine town is searching for two Black actors to play minor roles in a musical that’s already pushed back its opening for a week.
The Grand theater in Ellsworth may have to cancel its production of “Big River” if its unable to cast the parts of a slave and her daughter in its “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” inspired show, according to the Bangor Daily News.
A Black actor has been cast to play one significant role in the musical, but the parts of two Black female characters — a mother and her daughter — remain open.
Only one Black actor reportedly auditioned for the “Big River” casting call. He will play a former slave named Jim, who was a main characters in the Mark Twain novel that formed the framework for the musical.
The U.S. Census bureau reported in 2024 that 92% of Ellsworth’s roughly 8,700 residents are white.
When the Grand presented “Big River” in 2000, white characters in blackface were said to have played the parts the theater was unable to fill with Black actors.
Executive director Nick Turner told the Bangor Daily News the show hoped to have other characters on stage reference the two Black characters the musical is missing without showing the pair, but was warned that altering the musical’s licensed script would constitute a contract violation .
The Grand emailed supporters last week hoping for help finding two Black female performers to join its show. Aspiring actors were assured no experience is necessary for the play set to open Friday and perform eight times. On Sunday, Turner said he’d been contacted by candidates who might be interested.
“It looks promising,” he claimed.
Turner said in his 25 years of theater work he’s never come across the problem the Grand is experiencing, but using white actors in blackface in 2025 isn’t an option.
“We believe strongly in what we’re doing and we’re going to do it right,” he said.
It’s unclear if the Grand had any luck completing its ensemble Monday. Theater representatives couldn’t be reached for comment Monday night.
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