Tony Kushner On “West Side Story”
‘I mean, it’s a little tricky with West Side Story, which was written by four Jewish guys. It’s also not exclusively about Puerto Ricans. It’s about white guys and Puerto Rican guys and white girls and Puerto Rican girls. So what does that mean, we should have two directors and two screenwriters? I’m not just saying this to cover my ass. I’m a big believer in identity politics and political correctness. There needs to be a commitment to the idea of culture not as a real estate battle, though sometimes battles have to be waged. I’m aware of my privileged position, but do I believe I’m doing something wrong by writing ‘West Side Story’? I absolutely do not. I’m much more afraid of the musical theater queens.‒ More here.
