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A Black Broadway actress is suing a production company after her requests for a protective hairstyle were allegedly denied.
Zuri Washington, cast in the Broadway musical revival of "1776," said she asked producers for a wig or protective style so she wouldn't have to worry about maintaining her natural hair while on tour. Washington cited that she had previously damaged her locs while on tour with the musical "Hairspray."
Washington alleged that her emails regarding the matter were ignored. White actors received wigs even when they didn't ask, while Washington and other actors of color on the cast were denied, the actress said. Washington further alleged that she received a last-minute picture of a protective style producers wanted her to wear, but she was left with no time to find a stylist or products she needed to make it happen.
When she threatened to file a formal complaint, Washington said she was cut from the cast.
“I was made to feel like I did something wrong in the course of this entire experience, and I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” Washington told the Los Angeles Times. “I could have done things differently, perhaps. But what they did to me is like a legal version of tone-policing, and like I’m being constantly punished for existing and telling my truth.”
The original, Tony award-winning "1776" premiered in 1969, depicting the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The directors who revived the production said they wanted to give it "a new frame" and chose a diverse cast to reflect the country we live in.
With the revival's goal of diversity, Washington said she believed she would be given more consideration when it came to protecting her hair.
“Black hair has been a hot-button issue within the theatrical community for many years now, so at this point, it feels like willful ignorance,” she said. “You’re putting us in these productions, but you’re not taking care of us, and it ends up imbuing harm on our spirits and our bodies that we have to use eight shows a week.”
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