Casts

Casts is a term with several distinct uses in English, spanning entertainment, medicine, and manufacturing. While the contexts differ, each use denotes a defined group, object, or process that serves a specific function—from coordinating performers to immobilizing bones to forming manufactured parts.

In the performing arts, the cast is the ensemble of actors portraying characters in a play, film, or television program. Casting is the process of selecting performers for roles, often shaping interpretation, onstage chemistry, and audience reception. Cast lists accompany productions to credit the performers and their characters.

A medical cast is a rigid immobilization device applied to a limb after fracture or injury. Casts are typically made of plaster or fiberglass and may be padded for comfort. They protect the healing area by restricting movement, but require skin care and monitoring for irritation or pressure sores. Removal is performed by clinicians using a specialized saw when healing is sufficient.

In manufacturing and art, casting describes a process in which liquid material—such as molten metal, plastic, or ceramic slip—is poured into a mold and allowed to solidify. Common methods include sand casting, investment casting, and die casting. The term can also refer to the final object produced or to the mold shape used to form it, as in lost-wax casting in sculpture.