Colorblindness in Casting

Ethical Educator

Scenario: The young, ambitious drama teacher who runs a well-regarded student theater club at the community’s large suburban high school is trying hard to diversify the casts of future shows by involving students of different ethnicities and races. A conflict has arisen over a proposed production of “Fiddler on the Roof.” She is proposing the production commit to colorblind casting. Others, notably some parents, say that given that the play is about the Jewish community, they would consider this casting strategy to be a cultural appropriation. How should the school’s leadership approach this conflict?