#tony kushner

Steven Spielberg and Tony Kushner met with Puerto Ricans in the run-up to Christmas to address concerns about their forthcoming new take on West Side Story. 

The famous musical depicts racial tensions between white and Puerto Rican gangs in New York, and there’s concern among some that Spielberg and Kushner’s involvement - over that of Puerto Ricans - is problematic. 

Both men sought to answer questions from 60 invitees to the University of Puerto Rico on December 14th, with Spielberg saying that he is striving for authenticity and that the film will act as a criticism of the Donald Trump administration. 

“This will always be Romeo and Juliet,” Spielberg said. “But it also speaks a lot to what’s happening today in terms of what’s happening at the borders. It’s very relevant today to essentially the rejection of anyone who isn’t white. And that’s a big part of our story.”

However, some of those at the meeting were not convinced by the answers. One - Isel Rodriguez, a theater history and acting professor at the university - spoke eloquently about the problems with the musical. 

“It’s beautiful music. And dancing. And it’s Romeo and Juliet. What’s not to like? But if you think about it, and you don’t have to think too hard, you kind of see, hmm, something’s off here.”

This is likely to be the first of many important conversations about the film, and it’s encouraging to see that Spielberg and Kushner are taking these concerns so seriously.

More comments from the event can be seen at The Hollywood Reporter

West Side Story (2021, dir. Steven Spielberg)

Steven Spielberg, WSS producer Kristie Macosko Krieger,WSS writer Tony Kushner, Rita Moreno and Ariana Debose attend the AFI Awards on March 11, 2022.⁣