Aspen Community Theatre’s run of "Big River" is on stage this week. The musical is a 1985 adaptation of "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain, set in the South during the time of slavery. Aspen Community Theater’s production eliminates much of the racist language in the original. However, staging older theater productions often raises questions about portrayals of race, gender and American history that go deeper than words.
Local actor Gerald DeLisser’s favorite song in "Big River" is “River in the Rain.”
During this number, DeLisser’s character, Jim, a runaway slave, solidifies his bond with Huck Finn, a young white boy, while they huddle on a raft on the Mississippi.
"When he offers the blanket that he’s using to shelter himself from the rain for to me to use it as well, I feel like that’s the moment where we connect as equals and, really, true friends," said DeLisser.
The friendship between a white and a black character and the anti-slavery message in "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" were shocking to many white readers in 1885. By the time "Big River" was written in 1985, it was the racist language in the book that took audiences aback.
Producer Rita Hunter did some research before Aspen Community Theatre took on the production.
"I read Mark Twain again, just to make sure. I read the story and thought, 'hmmm…' because there’s a lot more language that can be offensive for sure,” Hunter said.
Aspen Community Theatre chose an adapted script for this production. It substitutes words like “servant” or “slave” for racial slurs. Director Marissa Post says that, when the n-word is used, it’s meant to highlight a character’s racism, not condone it.
"We are using it maybe six times in the entire piece, and the characters that use it are the actual people that would sell someone else," Post said.
Actor Gerald DeLisser says that eliminating all racist language would paint an inaccurate picture of the time in which the play is set.
"I’m not really for the whitewashing of history," he said.
However, questions have been raised about "Big River," and many works seen as classics, that go beyond just the use of the n-word. After a 2017 revival in New York, a New York Times theater critic said the production felt ill-timed in an era of re-evaluating film and theatre roles for African Americans. She said that the slave character, Jim, is sidelined, while the story focuses on the experiences of white males.
DeLisser says that Jim’s portrayal in "Big River" isn’t as overtly racist as in Twain’s novel, is still a bit problematic.
"Not that he’s smart in this production, but in the Mark Twain book, he’s even more of a caricature, almost like a minstrel,” he said.
Bud Coleman teaches American theater history at the University of Colorado.
He says that older works can challenge theater companies to re-evaluate casting choices and reflect history more accurately. Take the 1943 musical "Oklahoma!":
“It’s really kind of creaky in terms of its sexual politics, and there’s no mention of Native Americans in the entire piece, yet it takes place on Native American land,” Coleman said.
He says even when sticking to an outdated script, production choices can kickstart critical thinking.
He says modern revivals of "Oklahoma!" have included an all-black cast to highlight the existence of black townships on the Western frontier, and the casting of transgender actors or females in male roles to challenge the audience to think about gender in different ways.
Theater companies can also take steps outside of the production itself to raise awareness about the context in which a play was written, and why they’re staging it.
“They can start talks before the production even opens to help generate a conversation, and then there could be follow-up,” he said.
Aspen Community Theatre isn’t hosting discussions about "Big River," but producer Rita Hunter says the message about friendship could not be more clear.
“I can’t imagine - but I could be just living in the clouds - anyone not getting the gist of the story and interpreting it in any other way,” said Wilson.
Director Marissa Post does want audiences to think about the messages in the musical.
"It is the quintessential anti-racism story, and it is as applicable today as it was back in the day when it was written," she said.
Gerald DeLisser agrees.
"A white boy and a black man: You just never see two people like that hanging out and being friends and sharing such a great experience together," said DeLisser.
It's an experience that Aspen audiences have the opportunity to reflect on as the show continues its run this weekend.
