I always think of Casting Directors as the mediators during Middle East peace talks.
Because not only do they find the talent, they then sit in the middle of the Director, Authors, Producer, Choreographer, and everyone else who has a say in the casting process. And getting that group to agree? Well, it isn’t easy.
1 comment:
I agree with the point that Rubin made about producers needing to take a stand on diversity in casting, since they hold the money and therefore the power. She spoke about how the casting director doesn’t have the authority of the producer to oppose the creative team. It left me wondering, is that just her personal experience or is she arguing that the creative teams in general are the source of casting diversity issues? And if it is the creative team, is it the director or the designers? I think that it is harder to have casting diversity in theatre than it is in TV or film. A lot of theatre casting is recasting, and I think that would make it easier to fall into a pattern of casting the same look without considering someone of a different race who would fit the part. I was surprised by how little overt influence Rubin felt that she had as a casting director. She shaped opinions and mediated for the creative team, but didn’t feel that she could directly state when she thought someone was wrong. She went so far as to discuss the times she has to ignore her gut instinct. I have never really thought about the strange position that casting directors have in a theatre hierarchy, just being at the beginning of a production.
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