Casting Shakespeare provides users with "a visual deep dive into data from 1,000+ productions of 10 Shakespearean plays between 1900 and 2018." Designed and coded by Eric William Lin, this award-winning website (featured in the 12-14-18 issue of the Scout Report) uses engaging analytics to tell the story of "how age, gender, and race affect casting." With its interactive display and creative data mapping, users can click through graphs and captions that create a comprehensive catalog of the actors who have starred in various Shakespearean roles. In doing so, users can further explore how aspects of performers' identities have shaped the roles and interpretations of Shakespeare's work over time. After clicking through the various charts that demonstrate the "conscious and unconscious" bias that has shaped casting, the user's experience concludes with a note about the changing landscape towards "a more equitable equilibrium," and the work that has yet to be done.
Comments