Musical Theatre Workshop: Casting, Identity, and Creative Responsibility

Catalog description

This performance-based course invites students to explore the intersection of casting, identity, and storytelling in musical theatre. In workshop format—integrating script (book) and score—, students will rehearse and present substantial sections from musicals (including solos, duets, and ensemble numbers) to examine how intentional, identity-conscious casting can reshape or deepen a narrative. Through guided discussions and critical reflection, students will consider how thoughtful casting choices can expand a story’s relevance, reach, and resonance. But what happens when reinterpretation challenges the writers’ original intent? This course embraces the creative risk involved in such choices, encouraging students to engage in a process that may not always “work”—and to learn just as much from those outcomes, as falling short can offer valuable insight into the piece itself and the range of possibilities it holds. (MT Workshop is open to all Sands Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors.)