Man and Superman - Casting Statement

First and foremost, it is important to remember that Shaw was very much a man of the written word (and of philosophy). Therefore, many of his characters are heavily imbued with a particular philosophical or social standpoint, distinct from others of their group. The dialogue will often descend into heavy socio-political debate, and the actors cast must be confident in that sort of dialogue.

Class is very evident within this piece, as it is for most British literature, it being an inescapable defining characteristic of the empire, rather similar to race within the United States. By and large, the characters within the play are upper-class, though they have no titles and therefore fall outside of the aristocracy (though they may very well be wealthier than many aristocrats). Notable exceptions to this rule are Henry and Mendoza (plus his band of brigands, naturally). This means that the vast majority of the characters have lead existences free of financial burden, but rather full on leisure time.

Concerning race, I see no profound reason to exclude the option of colorblind casting for this play. I say this because the play is so far removed from the idea of race as to make it irrelevant. The setting is also far enough removed from our current reality that we are more willing to see changes made.

Concerning gender, I would certainly advise against cross-casting. In theory, one could cast some of the brigands as females, though that goes rather against the general air their dialogue cultivates. All that being said, I am a proponent of male roles going to actors, and female roles going to actresses, as there are roles for both sets in most plays.

On the topic of disabilities, they are allowable with certain exceptions. Henry Straker must be able-bodied, as he is working-class as well as a mechanic. Were he diminished physically, he would be less able to do his job, thus decreasing believability.  Whoever is cast as Ann must be graceful (or at least capable of physical grace), as mentions are made of her lithe form. To remedy this, one could cut the lines that reference her as such. This is up to the director. Mendoza and the brigands must look physically capable, for their “trade” requires that they live and work in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada (which are not quite as forgiving to the disabled as society wishes to be). Also, the officer sent to capture them must look capable of doing so. Apart from these exceptions, I see no reason not to cast actors with disabilities, provided they can deliver their lines and perform the basic actions of the play. As mentioned before, the members of these upper-class families want for little, and their physical capability is of little consequence to their character.

Age-wise, there are opportunities for both men and women to be cast from their twenties on up to old age. If presented at a college level, and one lacks the necessary ages, playing age will suffice. The concept of age, however, is important to the story, as there is a well-defined struggle between the old and new within Tanner and Ramsden.