Loading...
The Need for Color Conscious Casting over Color-Blind Casting
Rigor, Therese Marie T.
Rigor, Therese Marie T.
Citations
Altmetric:
Journal Title
Readers/Advisors
Dickstein, Rachel A.
Journal Title
Term and Year
Publication Date
2025
Type
Book Title
Publication Volume
Publication Issue
Publication Begin
Publication End
Number of pages
Collections
Files
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
Racial and ethnic diversity are a major part of the fabric that is the American identity, but so are white supremacist ideologies. These harmful ideologies perpetuate exclusionary and divisive tactics that are very prominent in our culture, especially in American theatre. But in the past few decades, to combat the lack of representation of people of color, the color blind model of casting rose to prominence, in which casting does not take the race and ethnicity of the actor into account during the casting process. Instead the casting directors will make it a point to call for all people of different races and ethnicities to audition, and they simply cast the actor who fits the role best.
However color-blind casting follows an "I don't see color" model, where the intent is to look past an individual's appearance, one's race and ethnicity in this case, and look instead to their personalities and abilities. However this misses the anti-discriminatory mark as it lacks the nuance in relation to how race is perceived in American society. The United States is built on categorizing people by race, class, gender, and more both systemically and culturally. In order to undo years and years of systemic discrimination, one must take into account how race is perceived.
Instead, color conscious casting serves as a better model to represent underrepresented groups. Color conscious casting considers race and ethnicity in the casting process, ensures minority representation, and takes into account the complexities of a visual-based industry alongside the text. This research looks different productions such as Hamilton (2015), All My Sons (2018), Awake and Sing! (2015), and Cats: "The Jellicle Ball" (2024) and analyzes their casting in relation to the text, and whether or not their castings were color-blind or color conscious.
Citation
DOI
Description
Accessibility Statement
Purchase College - State University of New York (PC) is committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have an opportunity equal to that of their nondisabled peers to participate in the College's programs, benefits, and services, including those delivered through electronic and information technology. If you encounter an access barrier with a specific item and have a remediation request, please contact lib.ir@purchase.edu.