The Art of Casting: By Examining its Current Methodologies & Proposing its Future Training Practices

“I started when this art (and I do think it’s an important one) of casting was just beginning…” (p.11)

- Marion Dougherty,

First Casting Director est.1949

Introduction

For the last 70 years, the role of the Casting Director has discreetly underpinned the entertainment industry by establishing one of the most inconspicuous creative roles to “rank among the most influential operators” in the business (Barnet, 2013). Unknown by many, they are a limited compilation of professionals who total to less than 1500 qualified members worldwide (Castingsociety.com., 2017; Spotlight.com, 2019) through their recognized professional organizations: the Casting Society of America (CSA) based in the United States and the Casting Directors Guild (CDG) based in the United Kingdom. A tightly knit profession evolving out of the dissolved practices of the talent rosters used during the Hollywood studios golden age, in which the producer’s assistants previously assembled the contracted actors for their projects (Dougherty and Roussel, 2015, p. 11), the Casting Director role emerged as a response to fill the vacancy presented before them as the producers no longer had a liaison between the actors and their productions. This new role was defined as “a preproduction process in film, [theatre], and television that involve[d] the selection of actors and other talent to hire for a live or recorded performance” (Dougherty, and Roussel, 2015, p. 12).

Forging the path through their own journey of self-discovery and self-worth within the industry, or as Casting’s pioneer Marion Dougherty explains, “there were no guidelines established for casting in those early days, so I did what everyone else did and had to learn as we went along” (Dougherty and Roussel, 2015, p. 49). Casting Directors have become prominent creative team members on the artistic teams they serve and are continuing to gain the recognition they are warranted from those industry professionals whom have long ignored acknowledging their contributions to some of the most successful movies, TV and theatre shows of our time. These successions include:

· a newly petitioned British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) award in Casting forthcoming (Bafta.org),

· to a recently published podcast entitled Placing Faces which interviews leading Casting Directors in Los Angeles that promotes the awareness of the role and their transparent professional insights (Chappell, 2018),

· to the CSA’s introductory training and education program (Casting Society Cares, 2019) and release of celebratory archiving project which honors those Casting Directors who have shaped the profession (Castingsociety.com, 2019),

· to the election of David Rubin as the first Casting Director to become President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Rottenberg, 2019),

all beckon the call that these progressions be utilized as an impetus towards the continued advancement of the profession’s future.

Aptly recognizing these historical shifts for the role of the Casting Director, the current climate of the demands of equal representation among marginalized actors (The Act for Change Project, 2016), and the growing need for authentically diverse voices in these influential places of power (TIFF Talks, 2019), this essay proposes the idea of whether the art of Casting could begin its training in higher educational institutions and by which mode these modules and frameworks could strengthen the professions accountability and accessibility to establish a firm foundation in creating future Casting Directors. The aim of this paper is to explore who these artists are, how their role serves the greater context of the TV, Film and the Theatre industry, the methods currently in practice as the established path into a career in Casting, and what specific courses could be implemented into established curriculums that could work on a modular pathway in creating the optimal Casting Director curriculum. Through an extensive research led project and a quantified gathering of academic and professional sources, I have collected a subject-specific body of knowledge through personal experience, live interviews, questionnaires, archival footage, and articles from the industry’s leading journalistic outlets, in hopes to propose an idealistic program that identifies where the profession of Casting can see growth and gain further accreditation for its continued evolutionary journey.

Personal Route into Casting

As a response to challenging the professions current processes in gaining entry level positions, I will attempt to share my personal experience upon entering the field and examine the accessibility deficiencies found in its path. During my first attempts in gaining an internship with a Casting Director, I quickly realized the vagueness in the practical steps outlined and faced the recurring challenge of navigating this profession through its surprisingly undefined route. The professional organizations will tell you:

· “There is really only one way to become a Casting Director – You have to work as a Casting Assistant" (Thecdg.co.uk, 2018).

· Where the Casting Society of America states “It takes time to build your knowledge base and to develop contacts, which is why the most common path into casting usually begins with a job as a Casting Assistant” (Castingsociety.com, 2017).

· Facing the new inquiry of ’How to become a Casting Assistant,’ revealing: “There are no specific qualifications or training to work in casting” (ScreenSkills, 2019).

· Conclusively leading to the traditional path of “interning [as] the best way to get into the field and lead to becoming an assistant” (See Appendix 3).

After months of emailing offices to no avail, I eventually gained my internship experiences through the old adage of ‘knowing someone,’ and questioned if fortuitous coincidence was the best method of practice for entering into this career. I could not help pondering, “If casting could be taught in an educational setting, would it be able to create a greater foundation for the employability prospects of its student’s trajectory into the workplace? Could this potential accreditation establish a stronger respect, awareness and level of recognition from the industry’s set of educational standards?” Thus, I began to research ways in which the profession could become more accessible by identifying what Casting Directors do, as well as:

· critiquing the current models of training that exist,

· participating in multiple professional audition sessions and conducting interviews with several Casting Directors (See Appendix 8),

· attending workshops that addressed the efforts towards greater equal representation in diverse casting (Skilbek, 2019),

· finding the limited but existing literature on the profession in both the academic and industry realms,

· researching which technical tools can enhance this knowledge and skills they possess in an educational setting,

· recognizing the intuition-based proficiencies: thus, finding their development through hands-on experience and learning on the job,

· sending a questionnaire to the office of Tara Rubin Casting, one of New York City’s most prominent Theater Casting offices, as well as gaining insight from an Assistant in one Los Angeles’ leading Casting offices, Ulrich/Dawson/Kritzer (UDK) Casting. Altogether generating feedback from each level of their professional experiences and listing their suggestions in the area of a hypothetical curriculum (See Appendix 1-7).

This methodology all served in leading to the discovery of which institutions, companies and organizations supply an ideal educational framework that could provide preliminary models of where a fully realized and comprehensive curriculum could be best incorporated into.

What Casting Directors Do

Beginning with the cataloguing of what Casting Directors do, the CDG presents the following definition of what the role entails: It is a job that requires an understanding of psychology, artistic taste and style, interpretative taste, current and historical social politics – and also, of course, knowing our core subject thoroughly – the different levels and styles of national and international actors and acting. [personal emphasis] (Thecdg.co.uk, 2018). I would argue that these descriptions are left vague and up to the readers interpretation as scholar Brian Eugenio Herrera concurringly points out that “Casting – has largely eluded historical and theoretical inquiry” (Herrera, 2015, p.1) thus finding allowance in its ambiguity. In the effort of defending these listed qualities, I will attempt to illustrate the terms used in practice to better clarify the skills required for the job.

In terms of psychology, several surveyed Casting Directors mentioned attributes of adaptability, empathy, passion, ability to adjust at a moment’s notice, self-effacing humor with no ego, and the interpersonal skills and emotional resilience expected as top qualities Casting Directors should possess (See Appendix 3, 4, 6). These commonly recognizable human behaviors play a key component in the audition rooms and negotiating offices when the stakes of the projects are high, and the levels of professionalism need to be held at a calm and respectable standard. It becomes an environment which implores cognisant emotional intelligence and matured acumen. These skills include: “emotional awareness, or the ability to identify and name one’s own emotions; [with] the ability to harness those emotions and apply them to tasks like thinking and problem solving” (Psychology Today, 2019).

Whereas it is my belief that artistic taste, style and interpretive taste fall under the category of both inherent skills and the studious capabilities acquired by gaining the depth of knowledge through the study of history in the theatre, film, and TV industries and their wide breath of iconic entertainment influences. I believe these tastes can sharpen over time by building educated opinions on the subject matter through reviews, discussions, and first-hand experiences. Moreover, the current and historical social politics listed presumably indicate the ever-developing conversations challenging the “embracement of inclusion, diversity, and equal representation” as astutely described by Casting Assistant, Louis DiPaolo (See Appendix 6). It should then be understood that with these assumed proficiencies comes the necessity of understanding and being aware of prominent acting techniques, styles and the varying levels in which actors will use these to convey their characters in their auditions. Learning their vernacular and the ability to provide clarity in these characters interpretations also imply the Casting Directors comprehension of their core subject’s world.

Current Training Methodologies for Casting Directors

Since there is almost no formal training with the exception of two sanctioned programs with the CSA, the following section aims to provide an overview of the training programs currently offered in the training of Casting Directors. Outlining their courses below in Figures 1-3, an analysis of their pioneering achievements and deficiencies lie herein.

In an encouraging effort towards changing the aforementioned routes of entering into the Casting field, the CSA’s newly created training course acknowledges the industry’s fault in the availability of such a tailor made educational program but struggles to provide a comprehensive model and rather relies on a general overview in a three part course encompassed over three, 8-hour days. The topics covered are necessary to be studied but rudimentary and would best suit an introductory level module in a lengthier curriculum.

Though a stunted program, its existence is one of progression and provides a steppingstone towards additional components of its training proposal. Additionally, the certificate of completion gained at the end of the course and its affiliation with the CSA does provide the only level of ‘accreditation’ currently offered for the entry-level Assistant position and could pose as the new benchmark in gaining fairer access to these opportunities.

The following framework in Figure 2 is provided by Syracuse University in New York which best illustrates the bridging of the professional and academic gap in studying Casting at the scholastic level. This model gives the responsibility of training to Universities and enables further occupational context to be explored towards the skills needed to be developed. Its greatest advantage provides direct opportunities of built in workplace experience and highly regarded industry connections, also associated with the CSA. Pointedly so, as the surveyed Casting Directors unanimously reported, “[i]nterning / working for a CD [Casting Director] – nothing replaces that. Being around CDs you admire to see how they do what they do” (See Appendix 5), concluding it as a compulsory component to be included in a Casting program. Furthermore, each of the suggested courses in the core curriculum are convincingly methodical and directly aid the pedagogical components of the program as well as to the professional criterions. The chief shortcoming of the apprenticeship outlined is its limited duration of study, being only offered during a spring semester at this single University.

Based on my belief in needing to promote more accessible opportunities for those interested in pursuing this career, this program could be best utilized in multiple Universities integrating its offerings. I would also argue in their dutiful sentiment of “foster[ing the] next generation” of Casting Directors, the University should partake in expanding their subject matter in the modules offered when educating their future pupils. As California State University professor and scholar Melinda D. Wilson ardently states:

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I believe that institutions of higher education in general…offer safe havens for candid discussions about race and ethnicity. If the primary purpose of university theatre is to educate students in order to cultivate future practitioners and patrons, then it needs to challenge students’ social knowledge and present more questions than it presently answers. By calling more attention to race, selectively producing socially conscious plays, and making deliberate casting choices…University theatre can play a pivotal role in sharpening student actors’ and audiences’ perceptions, so we can dismantle misunderstandings of history and social identity. [personal emphasis] (Wilson, 2009, p.47-48)

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Her petition for these discussions is most prominently needed now in the current times of the social and political unrest being faced in both the US, where racial oppression plays on and off the stage (Akinnagbe, 2019), and the UK’s impending Brexit threat on the arts (Hemley, 2019) challenge honest discussions to be brought to the forefront of education. The unveilings of these ‘safe havens’ could cultivate diverse and inclusive change rooted in a foundational platform of sound and deliberate study.

The final model of training presently available is the online course found in Figure 3.

Once again, the obvious deficiency in this course is the inadequate duration of time to explore a comprehensive curriculum of study. Though there is room to argue its availability towards sharing the information online, the inadequacies outweigh its possibilities. Regrettably, there is no recognized organization affiliation as it is offered by a private company with no accreditation or quality assurance processes in place. It does not provide any real-world preparation and the biased perspective of a sole Casting Director is problematic. Upon personally taking the course, it proved to focus on the aim of assisting the actor in demystifying the role of the Casting Director rather than offer any training for those perspective Casting Director candidates. The topics covered in the core curriculum were discussed vapidly and were generalized without any practical connections. This course would best suit anyone who simply wanted to define the role and discover their lists of responsibilities.

Future Training Practices

This realization led to further motivations of collecting frameworks from comparable MA/MFA areas of study in the UK where the training models of Casting may find synergies within offered programs and borrow concepts towards building additional modules which could layer into those curriculums. Furthermore, the gathering of notable institutions and organizations whom may also be interested in bringing this debate to the forefront and engaging alongside were also highlighted for their potential partnership in developing future support for such a program to transpire. A few noteworthy examples discovered herein were:

· The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s Creative Producing MA/MFA course which enables “student-led collaboration with writers, actors and designers on other Central MA/MFA courses” (Cssd.ac.uk., 2019) and supports the idea of cross collaborative modules in a curriculum.

· As well as the degree apprenticeship scheme offered at Middlesex University in London where “as a degree apprentice, you'll get work experience alongside industry professionals as well as regular learning support from a workplace mentor and a tutor from Middlesex University” (Mdx.ac.uk., 2019) which could provide an initial bridge between an academic and professional partnership lending sustainability towards a developing program.

· Additionally, the placement scheme through ScreenSkills Trainee Finder which helps facilitate industry opportunities with entry-level positions (ScreenSkills, 2019) in multiple TV and Film roles which could grow into a mimicked model for potential Casting placements.

· Toward the overall structure surveyed in the curriculums found in the University program handbooks which outlined their core curriculum, educational aims, learning outcomes, assessment methods, and distinctive features of their programs.

Although the research conducted is limited and remains theoretical, the specifics of the proposed curriculum in Casting proceeds to generate new ideas to be fleshed out, finding new pathways towards its subjects’ specialities.

Inspired by the potential of what this hypothetical syllabus could contain, an initial list of core subjects emerged around a concentration in Casting. Based on the aforementioned frameworks and topics offered, this developed out of an assorted assembling of personal ideas, professional insights and academic influences. The following concepts were supported by a personal phone interview with CDG Casting Director, Jane Deitch, who enthusiastically encouraged the idea from answering my inquiry into knowing if the art of Casting could ever be taught or become a curriculum-based profession. This, as well as additional positive feedback in regard to this notion from professional Casting Directors (See Appendix 1-7) and academic advisors alike, led to the investigation’s development. Jane’s response was as follows:

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Well, I don’t know, I think but it could. I really do think it could. Perhaps your selection process would have to be very rigorous. Take another question: can you teach acting? Some people say you can't. Some people say it's inherent. But even if that's true you can still give people tools to use that inherent talent better. So, you know if your selection process is rigorous enough, you’d take people into a course that had that incipient knowledge of actors that sort of incipient instinct and then you give them the tools to use them properly. Let’s start a college, let’s do it now! Let’s start a course. [personal emphasis] (Appendix 9)

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The Core Curriculum

The proposed featured curriculum would entail a series of core courses, lectures, seminars, and cross-listed courses envisioning the ideal outline including those seen in Figure 4. An observation worth acknowledging is the evidently complex nature in regard to the geographical differences found between Casting in Film, TV, and Theatre and their fusion within the program. A more comprehensive curriculum model would subscribe to a solution in finding the specificities in each to link them to their eventual shared models as alluded to under the cross listed courses. Presently however, in an effort to explain each newly suggested course, I have highlighted the core courses and several cross listed courses below with additional mention to the lectures and seminars, providing further support and backing of the recommended ideas.

History of Casting: Theory and Practice

The inclusion of the core module, History of Casting: Theory and Practice, would be to take an in depth look into the history of the art of Casting and foster the formal study of the vocation. Spanning from its pioneers into today’s most prominent offices and individuals, the course could explore different case studies of the impact Casting Directors have made in the industry. The documentary entitled, Casting By (2012), would be required viewing lending itself as the catalyst towards finding further archived footage on the profession. Previous productions in the Theatre, TV and Film world could be contextualized and examined through critique and analysis of the miscasts or achievements in their work. As well as acknowledging their impacts outside of productions where they contribute to several charitable acts through their community outreach programs with the Casting Society Cares (Casting Society Cares, 2019). This could enable the students to gain positive philanthropic opportunities while also building their professional networks.

Ethics and Equal Representation in Casting

The topics of equal representation and the ethics of Casting were deemed significant focal points of study influenced by the wide net of polarizing attention this area of Casting draws towards itself. From the deliberation over the use of the ever evolving terminology of colorblind, color-conscious, race-conscious, non-traditional, and authentic casting (Pao, 2010, p.4; Banks, 2013, p.1; Wilson, 2009; TIFF Talks, 2019) to the magnanimous efforts needed towards rectifying the industry’s grievances of its infamous white washing practice, “in which white actors are cast in historically non-white roles, downplaying the significance and roles of other cultures” (Ezeabasili, 2018). A poignant quote from Daniel Banks’ academic essay entitled The Welcome Table: Casting for an Integrated Society, serves as a first step towards finding the solution to these issues. He probes, “what kind of training- in academic, institutional, and commercial settings – will be necessary for all parties to become fluent in the current sociologies and literatures of our nation?” (Banks, 2013, p. 14). Speaking predominantly of the sociologies and literatures in the US around racial oppression, the same question could be raised in the UK in regard to the societal conflicts and classist barriers (Equity.org.uk., 2019) which remain to be solved for today’s marginalized actors. Banks’ point highlights the importance of asking ‘what kind of training’ are these nations willing to invest for their future industry leaders? If Casting Directors are the influential gatekeepers of the industry (Barnett, 2013), is it not their responsibility to want to be training themselves and their successors with the correct equality standards, or at least striving for it? If they are willing to put forth these efforts, then why not sanction the education through University curriculums and opportunities of generating the conversation from those podiums?

Though heavy issues and perhaps uneasily solvable, “our theatre field could be, should be modelling a better more inclusive world – not replicating weaknesses in our society” [emphasis in original] (Banks, 2013, p. 14). This module could hold lectures, seminars and host keynote speakers addressing the business's unethical history denoting the casting couch culture in the wake of the #METOO era, tackling ethnicity biases in Casting, instructing accurate terminology for race, gender, and other ostracized groups of actors. With the dissolvement of these archaic methods, these efforts could cultivate towards the new age of equal and authentic Casting, which is currently manifesting throughout the industry seen recently at the Toronto International Film Festival during a panel discussion on Authentic Casting: The Real World On Screen (TIFF, 2019) with speakers representing the disabled, transgender, Asian and Middle Eastern acting communities. The answer to what kind of training is on the cusp of its formation, which allots the remaining questions: when, where and how will it find its support?

Negotiation, Business, Entrepreneurship Courses

Another course heavily emphasized in the curriculum would be based on the negotiation training, clerical skills, and business coaching necessary in order to best prepare for the administrative side of the job. In preparing to become an Assistant, proficiency would be found in learning to create the necessary documentation helpful in the running of Casting offices and their audition sessions including:

· session sheets,

· updating the lists of actor’s availabilities,

· keeping agent lists up to date,

· scheduling appointments,

· editing and uploading auditions,

· organizing and filing headshots and CVs,

· and becoming familiar with the leading industry online resources in Breakdown Express, CastIt, EcoCast, Spotlight Profiles and IMDBPro which are used to gain intel on actor submissions, submitting Casting breakdowns, finding contact information for industry professionals, and generating lists of actors for different projects.

There would also need to be the understanding of actor contracts and union terms as procured from the examples and insights through the Actors Equity Association (AEA), SAG-AFTRA and EQUITY. As this familiarization would then lend itself useful upon the negotiation responsibilities discussing salary, perks, and billing eventually conducted by senior Casting Directors. This also includes the responsibilities of generating deal memos, which “outlines the main points of [the actor’s] agreement and [that is given] to the production company who [are] responsible for writing up the actual contract between the company and actor” (Dougherty and Roussel, 2015, p.17). It is worth highlighting the significance of professional instruction in negotiating for the role of the Casting Director as they are the chief liaison between the producers and the agents during this point in the process and should negate the previous methods of learning through ‘trial and error’ (See Appendix 7). Advocated by Casting Director, Jane Deitch who was sent to negotiation classes at her time Casting for the BBC (See Appendix 8) to scholar and Casting Director, Nike Imoru who stressed the importance in understanding the terms made in the negotiable deals made, she also notably mentions how this side of the business is “grounded. Non-artistic. More like an accounting course... More pragmatic. [and] it’s the business side that takes up 50% of Casting” (Imoru, 2019). Giving a glimpse into the less glamorous side of the work. This proposed course could foresee expansions in addressing further areas of cross listed courses found in potential accounting and tax classes and forums discussing entrepreneurial ventures and working freelance for future independent Casting Directors.

Industry Placements and Internships

The following course stems from the leading consensus that the most effective development of a Casting Directors practice is found by being in the room and learning on the job first-hand (See Appendix 1-7). Unfortunately, the most common way of achieving this experience has been through unpaid or minimally stipend internships, leading to the inevitable argument against whether this practice is fair or an abuse of power towards those entry level professionals who succumb to this industry norm (Horton, 2019). Having engaged in that exact culture during my internships and finding the value behind the systems set in place, I would propose a bid to shifting this problematic narrative and finding improvements in its standards. Through stronger accountability where the “companies [can] see the internship as a two-way arrangement, rather than a source of free labor” (Horton, 2019) opens the possibilities of educational grants, scholarships, or sponsorships being implemented around company budgets proactively considering the intern as a remunerated role. As well as, building the internships and industry placements into the curriculum as a way of gaining that invaluable experience while having the scheduling and resource availability to do so. Perhaps, a starting point would be behind the mentorship notion Casting Assistant, Daniel Schwab, suggested as a way of offering further accessibility into the industry for those wishing to pursue Casting as their profession by saying, “I think the question is more if there can be a way to help people that DON’T have a connection to be in a position where they can MAKE a connection... So, if there was a way to systematize this and create an avenue for connection with the casting community, that would be best” (See Appendix 7).

Memory Training

In regard to the Memory Training course, it is worth mentioning as it was based on my own observations of the mnemonics used by Casting Directors as a key asset strengthened throughout their careers. By maintaining a continual retention of the accruing rolodex of actors, producers, directors and industry news assists them in their ability to cast most efficiently. It is this attention to detail which raises my belief in the importance of training the malleable muscles which could help recall the insurmountable volume of information they require to maintain. Through the numerously available memory strengthening techniques, each candidate could discover which methods work best. Such as, The Loci Memorization technique developed in 500 B.C. which centers on spatial memory, the Link or Story Memorization technique that follows building a story or linking names with familiar knowledge, or the Peg Memorization technique using rhyme and number associations to keep a specific order of data remembered (ImproveMemory.org., 2010).

These techniques could be utilized in exercise games, ways of assessment, and assisting in the creation of indispensable creative team members for their wealth of knowledge.

Mock Auditions Classes

The notion of including a mock auditions course derived from the thoughts of the advantages gained through an educational setting where the use of role play (See Appendix 2) could illustrate the ways to running an audition session. It also encourages further empathy and understanding for actors from the Casting perspective. As Marion Dougherty raises this notion in addressing, “[t]he most important trait for casting directors to me is liking people. Actors are human. Put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine their problems and what they have had to endure for their dreams and aspirations” [personal emphasis] (Dougherty and Roussel, 2015, p.16). This awareness in identifying the actor’s levels of stress, nervousness, preparation and vulnerability that comes from auditioning would enhance the training in hopes of forming perceptive Casting Directors. The class also establishes the opportunity where collaboration could development in working relationships created between the inclusion of other majors including directors, choreographers, writers, and the like. These collaborations could prepare the candidates by contextualizing the production’s needs, garnering their opinions when advocating for certain actors, and learning the proper auditioning etiquette.

Masterclasses

Relevant masterclasses intentionally programmed to benefit the strengthening of networking opportunities between the academic and professional Casting realms would be included in the curriculum and may include:

o Current Casting Directors share insights as Guests

o Academic Professors come as Guest Lecturers

o Scheduling AEA and Equity visits

o Spotlight Office Visits

o Breakdown Express office visits in NYC & LA

o Gender Smart Casting Workshops

o Tours of the Casting offices of Theatre Companies, Film Companies, Network studios, and Independent offices

o Industry Talks and Forums

o Attending Casting Networking Events

o Diversity and Inclusivity Panels

These masterclasses could find partnership with organizations such as the Act for Change Project whose mission is “to communicate to the unrepresented audiences that a future exists with them firmly featured in it” (The Act for Change Project, 2016) and holds discussions and debates on the progressions made within these efforts. To volunteering at CSA town hall seminars (Castingsociety.com., 2017), and finding topical workshops such as the Gender Smart Casting discussion held at The Young Vic (Skilbeck, 2019). As well as partnering alongside TriForce Creative Network who hold industry events including their Monologue Slam auditions held across the UK and LA, and whose mission summarizes the overarching aim towards solidifying these industry mentorships as they are “built and grown on a strong ethos of inclusivity not exclusivity” (Thetcn.com., 2019).

Conclusion

It is no coincidence that a role which was created out of the necessity to fill a gap in a shifting time of the industry should find a petition for its formal training to become institutionalized during the current progressive shifts which have contributed to the Casting Director’s vision in finding its scholastic accreditation by bridging its professional and academic gap. The achievement of such a created program would hope to reach those who are willing to take on the duty of playing a “pivotal cog in the wheel of entertainment” (See Appendix 7) by becoming the pioneers of the next generation of Casting Directors taught through academic instruction. The role of the Casting Director is one of integrity, accountability, and leadership. They are tasked with finding the best people for the roles they cast and they themselves are the key individuals needed to set this agenda in motion to then garner the academic support behind them. As Brian Eugencio Herrera accentuates the significance this role can have on future narratives shared, it inspires the notion that there is still room to grow and more possibilities to transpire: “In theatre, we build worlds. The simple act of critically and ethically reflecting on your directorial values, especially around the allocation of opportunity and access in the casting process, can introduce you to the guiding principles and practices that you will use to build your theatrical worlds – with your imagination, with your chosen collaborators, and with your audiences. There is power in casting, dear [Casting] Director. Use it well” [personal emphasis] (Herrera, 2015 p.149).

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