Cast lists

Encoding Instructions (new P5 version)

The WWP uses castList as described in TEI, with a few exceptions and some cases which require special treatment. Cast lists appearing in the text should be encoded where they appear, usually within front, inside a div type="castlist". In addition to the transcription of the printed cast list, however, the WWP also usually encodes a separate cast list within the hyperDiv, whose function is simply to contain xml:id values for any speaking parts who do not appear (or are not listed separately) in the printed cast list. Because we require the who attribute on sp, all speaking parts must have xml:id declared somewhere, and the hyperDiv cast list is where this happens.

Some special cases are described below:

1. In some cases, the text may have no cast list at all. Because the WWP requires the who attribute on sp, we need to have a cast list in which to declare ID values for each speaking character. If the text has no printed cast list, the WWP creates one, and places it inside the hyperDiv. For more information on xml:id values, see the entry on “ID values: General Notes”.

2. In some cases, the castList contains a castItem which references two minor parts, such as “Two Gentlemen” (or “various servants and others”), but the body of the play contains instances of each of the two gentleman talking, with perhaps one of them called “First Man” and the other, “Second Man”. Since each speaker needs a separate role xml:id, we use the cast list in the hyperDiv to declare these characters separately, using a single castItem for each character, giving each a unique xml:id. We still transcribe the original castItem in its original place in the real castList, but we do not give it an xml:id value.

3. Two-part plays usually contain a separate castlist for each part, with some redundancy of characters. Characters appearing in both parts (or in the first part only) should be given a single unique xml:id value in the first castlist, and no xml:id value in the second castlist. Characters appearing only in the second part should be given an xml:id value only in the second castlist. For characters with names like “First Gentleman”, unless it is clear from the content of the play that the same designation is being used for two different characters, only one castItem is necessary. Both parts of the play should be encoded as a single text; the first castlist should be encoded within front, and the second castlist should be encoded as a separate <div type="castlist"> within body.

4. For castlists which give multiple descriptions for a single role, we encode multiple roleDesc elements within a single castItem: see example 1.

 5. For castlists which group multiple roles under one description, we enclose the roles within a single castGroup element, with the description encoded as a roleDesc (either preceding or followingthe castitems): see example 2.

If the description is positioned to the left of the cast items, the roleDesc should precede the castItems; if it is to the right of the cast items, the roleDesc should follow them (using the principle of “reading order”: reading left to right, left is “before” and right is “after”).

6. Groups of multiple non-speaking parts should be encoded with a single castItem, with a type=“list”. Since these are non-speaking, they don’t need xml:id values. But it is important to ascertain that the parts are all truly non-speaking. See example 3.

7. Renditionally difficult cases

There are often cases where a set of character names is grouped together (e.g. with a brace), and some common label, prefix, or trailing description is applied to the entire group. Our current solution is a hack, which we will revisit as soon as possible. In cases where the common component falls before the grouped items, use head. In cases where the common component follows the braced group, use trailer.

For any group of items which are braced, put “braced()” on some reasonably appropriate element. This information will not currently be rendered; it will serve largely as a placeholder for when we go back to investigate bracing in detail.

8. DTD Changes:

TEI does not allow label to be a direct child of castGroup or castList. The WWP DTD has been changed to accomodate cases in which each item in each castGroup is preceded by a label of some sort, as shown in example 4.

Example 1. 
          <castlist> 
            <castItem> 
              <role xml:id="r.bru"><persName>Bruce Wayne</persName></role> 
              <roleDesc>orphaned child</roleDesc> 
              <roleDesc>millionare businessman</roleDesc> 
              <roleDesc>nearly psychotic crimefighter</roleDesc> 
            </castItem> 
          </castlist>
        

Example 2. 
          <castlist> 
            <castGroup>
              <castItem>
                <role xml:id="r.vic"><persName>Vicky Vale</persName></role>
              </castItem>
              <castItem>
                <role xml:id="r.sel"><persName>Selina Kyle</persName></role>
              </castItem>
              <roleDesc>suitors of <persName>Bruce Wayne</persName></roleDesc> 
            </castGroup>
          </castlist> 

Example 3. 
          <castlist> 
            <castItem type="list">
              <roleDesc>Joker’s cronies</roleDesc>
                <role>Henchman 1</role> 
                <role>Henchman 2</role> 
                <role>Henchman 3</role>
            </castItem> 
          </castlist> 

Example 4. 
            Strange People: 
            1. The Lady Probiscus 
            2. The Lady Unfortunate 
            3. Sir John Hairpiece 
            Boring People: 
            1. Jane Smith 
            2. John Doe 
            3. George Johnson
            
              <castList>
                <castGroup> 
                  <head>Strange People</head>
                  <label>1.</label>
                  <castItem>
                    <role><persName>The Lady Probiscus</persName></role>
                  </castItem>
                  <label>2.</label>
                  <castItem>
                    <role><persName>The Lady Unfortunate</persName></role>
                  </castItem>
                  <label>3.</label>
                  <castItem>
                  <role><persName>Sir John Hairpiece</persName></role>
                  </castItem>
                </castGroup> 
                <castGroup> 
                  <head>Boring People</head> 
                  <label>1.</label>
                  <castItem>
                    <role><persName>Jane Smith</persName></role>
                  </castItem>
                  <label>2.</label>
                  <castItem>
                    <role><persName>John Doe</persName></role>
                  </castItem>
                  <label>3.</label>
                  <castItem>
                    <role><persName>George Johnson</persName></role>
                  </castItem>
                </castGroup> 
              </castList>