Urban - a code word?

[Jesse Sheidlower]

On Sun, Oct 10, 2004 at 07:41:22AM -0400, James A. Landau wrote:
> Jean Schiffman, "Audition Hell" in Dramatics, VOlume 76, number 2, October
> 2004, page 28
>
> <begin quote>
>     Also beyond the actor's control are clueless directors.  When Brian Yates
> Sharber read for one of the jackals in the touring company of _The Lion
> King_, he was told, "I hate to sound stereotypical, but---be more urban," follwed
> by "You got a little too Connecticut for me."  Says Sharber, who is African
> American, "I'm thinking,, If you hate to sound stereotypical, then don't.  He was
> trying not to sy, '[Racial slur] it up,' but that's what he meant.  The only
> way he could feel comfortable saying that to a black actor is, "Be more
> urban.' That's the code word that some of us have come to know."
> <end quote>

Jim, is "[racial slur]" your edit, or does the source actually say
"[racial slur]"? If the former, what's in the source?

Jesse Sheidlower
OED