A white sign language interpreter who sued the Broadway production of The Lion King after being fired and replaced by a black employee has settled his lawsuit.
Keith Wann, 53, said he and another artist were pulled from the show by the company that employs ASL interpreters for the nonprofit Theater Development Fund because they were white and represented black characters.
Wann filed a lawsuit two weeks ago against the group and Lisa Carling, the director of nonprofit accessibility programs, who said she was ordered to eliminate Wann on behalf of ASL director Shelly Guy.
The interpreter has since announced that the lawsuit was settled after backlash from the deaf community on the case. It’s unclear who decided to settle down and whether the Lion King bosses blinked first or Wann decided to do so after waking up to social media mouth-mouths claiming he was in the wrong.
“The matter between me and TDF has been settled and both parties are satisfied with the discussions that ensued,” Wann wrote in a social media post announcing the settlement.
“I look forward to reviewing the resulting process which will hopefully benefit the interpreting profession.”
Keith Wann, 53, has settled his lawsuit against the nonprofit Theater Development Fund, which fired him from the Broadway musical and replaced him with a black ASL interpreter
The decision was made at the behest of the show’s ASL director Shelly Guy (above), who ordered that white staff interpreting black characters be replaced
The performer was only brought in to work on the musical in March after working elsewhere on Broadway for over a decade. The gig also paid $1,000 per show
While defending his position, Wann acknowledged the controversy sparked by the lawsuit.
“Over the past week I’ve seen a lot of pain in our community and also seen some much needed conversations,” Wann wrote on Facebook. “It is unfortunate that assumptions have been made and conclusions drawn without all the facts.
“For those of you who know me, you know that I have deep roots in the deaf community and, as my true friends and my wife can attest, have been an ally of the BIPOC community for decades,” Wann added, noting, that his wife is latina.
“I have never fought for myself to take my place in a majority-Black production, nor have I ignored the need to reinforce BIPOC performers,” Wann said. “Again, I support deaf, deaf BIPOC and BIPOC performers and performers.”
The performer was brought in to work on the musical back in March after a decade-long career on Broadway. The gig also paid $1,000 per show.
However, the group said it was “no longer appropriate for white interpreters to portray black characters in American Sign Language for Broadway shows”.
The show’s ASL director Shelly Guy said that the interpreter “is not a black person and as such should not represent Lion King.”
The Theater Development Fund did not immediately respond to ‘s request for comment.
The case sparked online disputes, with many black ASL figures agreeing that Wann should have given performers of color a chance at representation.
“You disgusted me,” said Randy Spann, a deaf talk show host, in response to Wann’s lawsuit. “Let black people have their opportunities to be in the spotlight.”
Raven Sutton, a deaf performer, posted a viral TikTok video also condemning the lawsuit.
“It’s not discrimination,” Sutton said. “Reverse racism is not a thing.
“Stop taking all jobs when we have black interpreters who are a better fit. Wipe away your own white tears because we won’t do that for you.’
Randy Spann, a deaf talk show host, said he was “disgusted” by Wann’s lawsuit and said he had to give up his position on the show for a black interpreter
Raven Sutton, a deaf performer, also posted a viral TikTok video condemning the lawsuit
Written by Elton John and Tim Rice, the musical, which has been on Broadway since 1997, has always had a mostly black cast on stage.
In emails received by the New York Post, Carling asked Wann and another cast member to “retire” from the show so they could be replaced by black ASL interpreters.
Wann, who says he’s translated for black actors before, including as Donkey in Shrek: The Musical, called it “discrimination” and said it “shouldn’t matter whether I’m white or black”.
He added: “It’s obvious and I would only hope that other people who have experienced this would step forward.”
Written by Elton John and Tim Rice, the musical, which has been on Broadway since 1997, has always had a mostly black cast on stage
Wann, who says he’s translated for black actors before, including as Donkey in Shrek: The Musical, called it “discrimination” and said it “shouldn’t matter whether I’m white or black.”
When is filing a lawsuit against the Theater Development Fund and Lisa Carling, the nonprofit’s director of accessibility programs
Within days of being cast, Carling emailed him, citing the “current social climate”: “It is with great embarrassment and apologies that I ask you both to stop interpreting the show for us on Sunday April 24th.
“I don’t see any other way out. It seems to be the best solution.”
Carling said the decision was on behalf of the show’s ASL director Shelly Guy, who told Carling to get rid of all non-Black interpreters.
In an email accompanying the lawsuit, Guy wrote: “The majority of the characters in The Lion King are black actors and the content is set in Africa.
“While Keith Wann is a great ASL performer, he’s not black and shouldn’t represent The Lion King.”
Wann claims he “lost sleep” over the decision and said that “wrong is wrong”.
According to ABC7, Lion King is celebrating its 25th anniversary on Broadway with an invitation-only performance on Sunday night.