Nithya Kanamarlapudi
Class of 2027Sunnyvale, California
About
Hello! My name is Nithya Kanamarlapudi, and this year I researched about the impact theater has on society. I chose to work on this project because I kept witnessing how on the internet something as small as a casting choice can be the starting point for a massive debate. After this project is complete, I would love to do more research on this topic, because there is so much more that can be done.Projects
- "The Impact of Diverse Casting Approaches on Societal Views" with mentor Sami (Aug. 25, 2023)
Project Portfolio
The Impact of Diverse Casting Approaches on Societal Views
Started June 1, 2023
Abstract or project description
Casting has always been an essential part of how a show is viewed, especially when it has drawn audiences into watching the production. Throughout most of history, the western film and theater industry has had a tendency to “white-wash” their shows, or in other words, have white actors non-white roles, which has caused many actors of color to be excluded and not given proper representation. Eventually, the industry slowly started to shift to “color blind” casting, which is where the race of a character is not taken into account. However, this type of casting can be problematic because color blind casting can lead to tokenism. But now the notion of color conscious casting has become more prevalent, which is the act of taking race and identity into account while casting a show. Though this version of casting has gotten significant backlash, this type of intentional casting still makes an impact on the significance of the message that the production is trying to portray, which can alter a person’s worldview. Research has proven that the way a show is casted can change the way an audience member views the production, and how they react and review the show.