Breslins Broadway Appointment Met With Criticism Message Board and Comments

The Alliance fully supports artistic freedom and has never protested the casting of Abigail Breslin in The Miracle Worker. We support the creative freedom that all artists bring to the casting process. However, it was our disappointment not with the selection, but the process in which the production selected Ms. Breslin, an actor of immense talent, that required that we speak. It would be our hope that the producers of work such as The Miracle Worker consider in their casting process actors from the communities we service, actors who could also bring significant breadth and depth to the role. That is our hope for the future of this project, this role, and other roles and projects in this same position -- consider those in the community represented on-stage. And to be clear, it is not and never has been our position to call for the firing of any actor and we only wish Ms. Breslin the best in her Broadway debut. The Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts

I would like respond to the news about the disabled advocacy group raising a riot over the casting of Abigail Breslin for the part of Helen Keller instead of a real blind and deaf actress. Excuse me, but did Patty Duke have to deal with this Politically Correct brand of liberal fascism when she was cast for the part? What makes these advocates think that this bit of nitpicking guardianship of the public's moral conscience is going to rectify the social inequities presumably suffered by blind/deaf people, inside or outside the theatre business? How many deaf and blind people can they find who can act as well as Abigail Breslin? God help anyone trying to recast the lead for The Elephant Man! Or a new stage version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame!!!! Quick! Somebody call the Anti-Deformation League! By the way, I tried to post this response on another news website. It was rejected with the note that my data was invalid.

Doesn't anyway watch NCIS - this young lady also played a similar part as a blind, handicapped etc., daughter of a navy officer that had been kiddnapped. It seems she knows these types of sappy parts well, with Notebook too. She should change her pickings...typecasting seems to have gotten a hold of her. No matter as far as I'm concerned, do not care for her at all - way toooo dramatic & boring. -- annoying for my taste, sorry!