“I would like to be open about the decisions regarding the casting of this project, the process, and the reasoning behind it. This audio drama features a cast of characters that are LGBTQ+ (meaning characters with non-straight sexualities, and trans and nonbinary identities), and some of these characters are POC.

The casting of this project was not done through a casting call: all of the members of this team are friends of mine from a close knit group. The gender, sexuality, racial, and ethnic make up of our group was not selected for, but is rather a reflection of a real friend group that formed naturally.

Characters, as a result, were distributed and casted based on a different criteria. Every actor was assigned a character that I felt matched their voice and that I felt matched their character traits and personality (ie, who could act them best). But above all, each person was given a character that we felt reflected parallels in their own spiritual healing and growth journeys. In that way, given the circumstances, it felt more that the characters chose their actors, rather than the other way around.

As a result, we have a character who matches an actor's ethnic identity, but not gender or sexual identity. We have two characters who DO match perfectly with their actors. We have a cis white character, further down the road, who is voiced by a POC with non-matching sexual or gender identity. We have a POC who is voiced by a white actor, who matches with them in sexuality, and similarly in gender.

In some circumstances, some may consider this a strange or bad move. However, as the writer of this podcast, I would like to acknowledge up front:

I am not attempting to write about the experiences of sexualities, ethnicities, or racial identities that are not my own. It is not my place to speak on those. This project focuses far more on the lives of characters in supernatural investigative context, where we do not delve into those experiences.

What I find to be most important, is that that the characters' identities are concrete, intentional, and communicated clearly. I wanted to carve out those identities Intentionally and Without Mistake, in a way that creates a space for listeners who DO know and live those experiences.

I acknowledge, understand, and respect any qualms listeners may have. However, given the focus of this podcast, I do believe I have casted the correct people to communicate the character arcs, personalities, voices (technically), and the spiritual journeys of the characters in question. And I hope each actor finds great healing through it.”

- Damien [He/Him] (Director, Writer, Actor)