“Between a Mask and a Face”: Race, Nation, and Nontraditional Casting in Ruth Negga’s Shakespeare on Broadway

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This article examines how Ruth Negga's race and nationality shaped audience perceptions of nontraditional casting in Shakespeare productions.

Negga's performances in Hamlet and Macbeth highlight how race and identity influence audience reception.
The case study reveals issues of cultural specificity and how it was overshadowed by a colorblind approach.
By presenting Negga’s identity as conceptual, the productions ultimately failed to engage with her Black Irish heritage.
The analysis raises broader questions about race, gender, and national identities in contemporary theater.

McHugh et al. (2025) studied this question.

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View Full Paper

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Authors

This article examines how Ruth Negga's race and nationality shaped audience perceptions of nontraditional casting in Shakespeare productions.

Negga's performances in Hamlet and Macbeth highlight how race and identity influence audience reception.
The case study reveals issues of cultural specificity and how it was overshadowed by a colorblind approach.
By presenting Negga’s identity as conceptual, the productions ultimately failed to engage with her Black Irish heritage.
The analysis raises broader questions about race, gender, and national identities in contemporary theater.

McHugh et al. (2025) studied this question.

View Full Paper

Ask AI

Bookmark