Abrief narrative on how you would cast certain roles in Oedipus Rex and Richard III in a way that speaks to current events

Dear Class,

To say this semester has been challenging for all is a gross understatement. Still, we formally examined Oedipus Rex and Richard III (and looked briefly at Paula Vogel, August Wilson, the development of “Frankenstein” for National Theatre, and the development of Broadway).

In the end, the art of theatre is a way of experiencing humanity in an artistic medium. Indeed, “acting” has been defined as “human behavior under imaginary circumstances.” When actors step onto the stage, they are “standing in” for other humans in an effort to create some measure of identification with that character, situation, and the outcomes that follow. This suggests that there is some “responsibility” placed on the part of directors and producers to consider casting minorities in productions so that there is more representation in Theatre. This has been done with great success (think “Hamilton” on Broadway).

So, if a white male plays the role of Richard in Richard III, what are the implications? What group does the production most directly lend itself to and what groups are left out? Alternately, if an African-American male plays the role of Richard in Richard III, what are the implications?

For our final exam, I’d like you to write a brief narrative on how you would cast certain roles in Oedipus Rex and Richard III in a way that speaks to current events. NOTE: You MUST connect your choice in casting to the respective play AND identify the current event that it relates to.

Oedipus Rex characters that you must “cast” and write about: Oedipus, Jocasta, Tiresias (look up these characters to jog your memory)

Richard III characters that you must “cast” and write about: Richard, Richmond, Lady Anne

Be creative. To use a cliche, think “outside the box.”

MLA format
You’ll want to research/review those specific characters in each play (Google, wikipedia, Sparknotes, etc.)
Less about page length and more about you answering the question with integrity and demonstrate an understanding of the plays. (With your introduction and conclusion, probably about 2 pages)