Spokane Civic Theatre Cancels Hunchback, Pledges More Inclusive Path Forward

by Chris Peterson

Spokane Civic Theatre has officially canceled its upcoming production of The Hunchback of Notre Dame following weeks of controversy surrounding the show’s casting.

The controversy followed the release of a cast list that community members said was largely white in a show centered on the persecution of Romani people. It was also reported that after a white performer dropped out of the show, saying she understood that the role should have been cast with a performer of color, she received anonymous death threats for initially accepting the role.

In a statement shared with the community, the theatre said the decision came after “careful and intentional reflection” and described the cancellation as an effort to support “community healing” while taking accountability for harm experienced during the casting process. The company also said it will announce a new show next week, one it believes will reflect its commitment to “equitable and inclusive community productions.”

Their next choice of show now matters more than anything else in the statement, because this is the moment where Spokane Civic needs to be very careful not to learn the wrong lesson.

First, they did the right thing in canceling Hunchback if they didn’t feel they had the right talent for the characters in question. Whether they actually did or not is another question, but they could not go on with Hunchback with the casting they had announced.

However, canceling Hunchback does not automatically equal accountability. They wrote in black and white that the next show will reflect its commitment to an equitable and inclusive community production.

Their choice better not be retreating into something safer, easier, and less diverse.

It better not be Oklahoma, with the only diverse casting being Ali Hakim.

So yes, the production is canceled. Fine. But now Spokane Civic has to show that this was about reflection and not retreat.

Theatre companies get into trouble when they mistake controversy for a reason to pull back rather than a reason to do better. If Spokane Civic responds to this by choosing a title that is noticeably whiter, less challenging, or easier to cast without hard conversations, then it will be hard to see this cancellation as anything other than a step backward.

That would send a very clear message, and not a good one.

So this is the warning.

Do not backtrack.

If Spokane Civic wants people to believe this cancellation means something, then the next production has to prove it: not in a statement, not in a promise, but in the actual choice.

Because once you say inclusion matters, people are going to notice when your next move says otherwise.