Monday, September 10, 2007
What I like about cross-dressing
Guardian Unlimited: "Gender switching has been a vital part of theatrical tradition, but the current fashion for turning male classic roles over to women - and vice versa - can have very mixed results."
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5 comments:
I think cross-dressing is a spectacular way to explore characters in a different way, and in many cases, more in-depth. Played well enough, many characters don't need to be a specific gender. It is more about what other qualities and motives they bring to the table.
Of course there will always be certain roles that require certains genders, but hopefully we can manage to open up key roles to everyone.
I agree that cross dressing for certain shows can be entertaining. While at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh last summer I saw The Sound of Music in drag. It was lip sung all by men in womens clothes and the lead role was a huge overweight man which made the show funny to most.
I thought it was somewhat funny but over in Scotland the reviews were all very high and everyone loved it, it surprised me. This is an example of one way drag can work in theatre.
I also agree and even take it to a point where I believe that drag might be a more effective choice than having an actual woman play the role. this is true in broadway's hairspray which has edna as a man in drag and though I have not seen it yet, I always thought that Ursala in the little mermaid would be much more effective on stage as a drag queen as opposed a woman...though i am sure sherie rene scott does an incredible job in the role, i think the element of drag gives that over the topness that is necessairy for certian parts...
I think it is definately a sign of the times that cross dresing can take on a less cartoonish and a more explorative role in drama. It goes to show the easing up of gender roles in our culture and the beginings of a more open diologue when it comes to transgenders.
In addition, I think when depth can be added to a character or even a play as a whole through the use of cross-dressing, it is a wonderful tool. To explore the femine side of Romeo and the masculinity of Juliet would create different meanings in a play so often analyised with an opposite viewpoint. I think it is also great that women can now take on such rich roles as Hamlet without a scrutinizing eye. It is however, when cross-dressing becomes a tool for caricaturing a gender when it becomes less valuable to a performance.
I think that when characters are cross-dressing it is important that they are clearly cross-dressing. Part of the problem when they don't is that the audience might feel like they are tried to be put over. It becomes vital that they are seen for what they are. A Man as a woman. Not a man trying to be a woman.
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