COALITIONAL CASTING:

A term coined by Brown University professor Patricia Ybarra, “coalitional casting,” refers to a casting strategy that educational and training institutions can use when mounting a production with actors who may not align with the cultural identities and experiences of the characters they are expected to play. Ybarra suggests that this type of casting allows student actors a chance to tell a different cultural story while acknowledging their differences and privileges. By using coalitional casting, students have an opportunity to do the work involved with respectfully telling marginalized stories while allowing the students to address their apprehension about playing someone else. See also “Cultural Intimacy.”