A protest is underway over the decision to cast a hearing actor in a Deaf role in The Heart is a Lonely Hunter. The Acting Company-New York Theatre Workshop production will take place in New York starting November 13th. When playwright Rebecca Gilman adapted the Carson McCullers’ novel to the stage, she decided to opens and ends the play with speeches by a central character, John Singer, who is deaf throughout the book. Hearing actor Henry Stram has been selected for the role. The play originally opened in Atlanta during 2005 with Stram playing the same role. Stram says he learned sign language for the part. Gilman says she may change the opening and closing parts of the play for future productions to avoid the controversy.
