Casting

Nelson T. Eusebio III addresses the argument that the “best” actor must always be cast in a role, regardless of race.

Director Desdemona Chiang provides an overview of Asian American discrimination and cultural appropriation in the US and argues that there is no way to divorce The Mikado from this problematic history. 

Victor Maog interviews Leah Nanako Winkler on her response to the controversy around NYGASP's The Mikado.

Playwright Rehana Lew Mirza argues that those who defend producing The Mikado using yellowface on the basis of its “historical significance” are supporting centuries of imperialism and oppression.

Michael R. Jackson proposes a way to challenge whiteness as the standard lens through which to see story and song artistically and politically.

Justin Kaiser explores the issues of representation and neurodiversity in casting for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.

Actor and Tumblr curator Lynne Marie Rosenberg shares her guide for writing inclusive casting breakdowns.

Karena Fiorenza Ingersoll and Deena Selenow provide practical advice for making recruitment, retainment, and casting practices more equitable and inclusive.

Addie Gorlin describes the benefits of casting actual teenagers to play the roles of teenagers, despite what common practice is.

Julie Rada shares her process for casting devised pieces, and explores the extreme difference in the way auditions are run when a group is creating together.

In this installation, MJ questions what makes a trans character credible onstage, and how does gender fit into color-conscious casting?

Larissa FastHorse explores the issues she deals with as a Native playwright, from finding an agent to what happens when she has to un-Native American a character.

Director Lavina Jadhwani ask three questions, addressing how color-conscious casting impacts the story being told.

Are Equity tours of a higher quality than non-union productions? Very possibly. There’s a larger talent pool to work with and performers tend to be more experienced. That said, whether or not a tour is a union production has never been shown to have a demonstrable effect on ticket sales that I’ve been able to uncover.

Drawing a comparison between the manifestation of love and activism, Annie Danger offers compelling insight into queer art in theatre.

MJ Kaufman shares insight on the necessity of trans voices being developed and acknowledged in diverse, multi-faceted, and complex narratives. 

Srila Nayak reviews the American Repertory Theater’s production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and highlights how the production uses music, color-consious-casting, spectacle, and stage-magic.

Pearl Cleage writes about color-conscious casting in productions of A Christmas Carol, and the importance of representation during the holidays and beyond.

This Thursday's topic Trans Casting will moderated by MJ Kaufman who wrote the recent HowlRound Journal article: Don’t Call me Ma’am: On the Politics of Trans Casting.

MJ Kaufman offers compelling insight on the politcs of trans casting.

A look into how director Mary Zimmerman brought The Jungle Book, steeped in racial contexts of British Colonization and 1960s America, to today’s conversation of what has and hasn’t changed.

We need to stop asking to find space for artists of color and instead give them the space. This starts by looking at what plays we are and are not presenting.

If the play doesn’t explicitly need the genders prescribed to convey the story-do we need to cast the roles as listed then? It is time to start talking about open-gender conversation.

P.Carl meditates on the power of saying Yes instead of No to new ideas.

Taylor Mac discusses actor professionalism, and trusting rather than auditioning them.