Blog post 4- Reflection

REFLECTION

The more I looked into high school shows, the more I realized how many factors and how much thought had to go into inclusive casting decisions to ensure that they are truly inclusive to the full extent of the director’s ability. There were way too many factors for there to be a one-size-fits-all method. The thing I can conclusively determine is that in this case, it really is the thought that counts. The research process taught me a lot about the differences in casting methods, and about how the source material plays a huge part in dictating whether a casting method is applicable for a show in the first place. Additionally, it was really interesting to get to interview the driectors in person, and I found that talking to them directly, whether it was over the phone or in an in-person meeting, was much more effective than talking to them via an online survey or email. When in person, I could ask split-second questions to the directors or ask them to explain what they meant by an answer or their justification for using a certain practice. I had one director respond only online through tht survey, and ended up not being able to use their data because it wasn’t thorough enough. In person interviews consistently yielded better results for me, which I will keep in mind the next time I go through this process. With that, the evaluation process proved to be the easiest part for me. Getting started was the hardest, but once I had a solid research plan, I was able to confidently gather my data points and evaluate them. Going through the IRB was really helpful for me, because I had the opportunity to get questions about my project early on and recognize a lot of potential flaws and fix them early. Also, it was a big selling point for the directors I asked to interview that my project was IRB approved, because that meant I was trustworthy in keeping their information private and confidential. It was also really helpful to set an expectation early for what a presentation should look like, and I used feedback I got during the IRB process throughout the entire year. Overall, I’m really glad I had the opportunity to go through the research process. It taught me a lot about what it’s like to genuinely research something, and how much thought has to go into bias, ethics, and confidentiality when curating a research project that will return genuine and true results.

CONTENT: 

I learned a lot about the effectiveness of different casting methods. I had only preconceived notions about which methods were better or worse based on what I’d heard through the professional world with well-known shows, and hadn’t thought much beyond the context of the individual shows (ie, Hamilton, The Mountaintop), and didn’t fully realize that situations were incredibly individualistic. I also learned how hard it was to effectively quantify something that had such a grey area. I had a hard time with definitions when teachers could pull from so many different tactics when casting a show. Overall, I learned that using any method was better than no method at all, and that there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes when it comes to casting, so it wouldn’t be ethical to define an entire casting method as outdated or unethical when it could be applicable in a certain situation. I learned that colorblind casting is applicable for colorblind material, and colorconcious casting must be applied for color aware materials.

• What could you/would you/will you do next with the content? 

Next, something that I think would be really helpful would be to come up with an informative crash course that I could bring around to schools’ directors to inform them of the racial achievement gap their students are facing every time they gather up the courage to audition for a show. I could inform them of the benefits that considering implementing a casting method holds for their show. I think having a seminar on inclusive casting would reap numerous benefits across programs, because I encountered teachers who had little to no knowledge on casting processes– and it was reflected in their programs’ diversity level. I think examining things like sexuality in casting would also be really interesting, because thats another topic that has recently entered the professional understanding. If it’s agreed that Black characters should be played by Black actors, that raises the question of whether Gay characters should be played by Gay actors, or whether taking an actor’s sexuality into question would breach an individual’s privacy. 

PRODUCT: 

Despite better speaking skills, the oral presentation taught me how to think on my feet and answer questions fast. I had a lot of instances where the person I was presenting to, whether it was someone grading me, someone’s dad, or my friends I was presenting to, would ask me a question I hadn’t expected or thought through the answer for. I had to really trust that I knew my research best and had to learn how to quickly and clearly articulate and justify my methods without having a script in front of me.
The academic paper seemed intimidating at first, but in the end, it turned out I had enough research to complete my paper. The thing that was most challenging for me was making my thoughts understandable to the general public. I had to think about my research from the perspective of someone that didn’t know anything about it, and think about how best to convey my thoughts and justify my research in a way that would be concise and clear. I can apply this to my future learning by knowing how to write an organized and clear essay that is informative and accessible. 

PROCESS: 

I learned that I need a very concrete plan to follow, or else I’ll get too caught up on one part of the process and forget to move onto the next. When I have a timeline, I can keep myself accountable for the research and do my best work while staying certain that I’ll have enough time to finish. I learned that as a student, I need the incentive of knowing I have a deadline or else I’ll let myself become complacent. I also learned that I need to be passionate about my research to be fully invested in it, which I think I was. I think this year would have been a lot harder for me if I wasn’t as interested in my project as I was. As a human being, I learned that I have a passion for figuring out concrete solutions to inequalities. I am a very data oriented person, which is interesting sometimes because I involve myself so heavily in the arts. Quantifying inequalities made them make so much more sense to me, and allowed me to connect stories and facts. I will carry this forward because I now know that I work best with a deadline, and enjoy quantifying things that generally aren’t quantified, and that that can help me better understand someone else’s point of view.

What's next?

Next year, I’m planning on attending the University of Hartford in Conneticut to study musical theatre! Inclusivity is still something that’s really close to my heart and something I hope to continue learning about in the future. I will be majoring in musical theatre, and continuing to explore ethics in casting processes.

Thank you for following along!