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Today's comment comes from Benjamin Collins in response to the Weekly Volcano review of last November's production of Grease by South Puget Sound Community College and Saint Martin's University.

Collins writes,

Honestly, I find this review to be insulting. As an ethnic actor myself, I understand the difficulty in being cast as anything other than the "minority" role. I've seen many a show where white actors are cast in highly specific minority parts (white Coalhouse Walker, white Bloody Mary, etc). The actress that played Frenchy was incredible; most definitely the standout from the Pink Ladies. So it baffles me that someone would find her, an African-American actress, playing a non-racially specific character offensive. It's Grease. It's Olympia, Washington. It's the 2010's. Who cares if Rydell High was not racially integrated in the 50's? I find the remark about the cast "having a lot of fun, so it can be forgiven for such historical revisions as a presciently integrated Rydell High" incredibly pretentious and offensive.