Civic theater cancels ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ following casting controversy

Following controversy after announcing a predominately white cast, the Spokane Civic Theatre has canceled its production of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

“After careful and intentional reflection, it is with a heavy, and hopeful heart that we have decided to cancel this season’s production of ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame,’ ” the community theater company announced on its Facebook page Wednesday.

“This decision was deeply considered and is a sincere attempt to further community healing while taking accountability for any hurt experienced during the casting process,” it wrote.

Based on the Disney animated film, “Hunchback” tells the story about the risk the Romani people face of being driven out of Paris because they are “gypsies.” Themes of racism and exclusion are central to the story being told.

The 24 actors cast were mostly white, with the main exception being the South Asian actress cast in the lead role of Esmeralda. Several people of color say they were shut out of the production as Romani roles were given to white actors. They argue that oversight is the latest evidence of unconscious but systemic bias against Black and Brown performers in Spokane theater.

“In the story, Esmeralda and her people, the Romanis, are the outcasts. They’re thought of as less than – they’re excluded. And then for the director to exclude all of the actors who fit the qualifications for those characters, it’s just such an obvious parallel to the story,” said Dana Sammond, a veteran performer and part-time employee at Civic, who auditioned for Hunchback.

Following the controversy, Civic postponed the production and held a community forum. At that forum, the theater promised to expand its board to create more positions for people of color and to slow the pace of its auditions to allow more careful consideration.

In their statement this week, the Civic said it will announce a replacement production that will run from late May to mid-June.