ABSTRACT
A blending of an interview and an article, this “inter-article” merges a dramaturgically-minded conversation between Hana S. Sharif (the celebrated director, playwright, producer, and theater administrator) and Faedra Chatard Carpenter (a dramaturg and theater scholar) with the latter’s critical musings to invoke a broader and deeper understanding of casting within professional American theater. Asserting that the practice of casting extends beyond the designation of onstage roles, this chapter invites readers to consider how artistic leadership is often cast and how deviations from all-too-typical practices challenge both audiences and production stakeholders to confront narrow ways of thinking and doing. By fully recognizing the role of casting when it comes to artistic leadership – and reflecting on their shared experience with Baltimore Center Stage’s production of Pride and Prejudice – Carpenter and Sharif highlight how diversions from traditional expectations must be considered and championed in order to bring forth greater equity and manifest inclusive opportunities.
