The Atlantic: Bobby, the urbane bachelor and possible beating heart of Company, usually comes in shades of gray. Dean Jones in a heavy tweed with a black turtleneck sweater. Raúl Esparza in an Armani suit that bags effortlessly around the elbows. Adrian Lester in a fitted jacket with wide lapels. Neil Patrick Harris in dark brushed suede over a pale-blue button-down.
2 comments:
I really would be interested in seeing Carnegie Mellon do something similar to this. Reading about how changing the gender of a classic character has really intrigued me to how relatable a show can change to be. It makes sense to be able to truly resonate with a character because of the societal roles that are placed on you are similar, however I feel as though there is something so much deeper that gets into what it means to be human, that shows that rely on their gendered characters can’t achieve as well. It’s especially moving to see it be done with a piece that has existed for a while, it proves the boundaries of gender are not as rigid as we thought. I also feel as though a stronger connection between men and women can be achieved through the juxtaposition of knowing a show played both ways. Hopefully someday I can experience this kind of show sometime, eventually leading to plays more popularly being written genderless, and filled by the director and what actor fits best.
I go back and forth about whether things like this are actually getting us anywhere, Obviously, I enjoy that there is more work for women, and that these actresses especially older actresses have opportunities now that they didn't think they could have 30 years ago, but I feel like by doing this we are missing the larger goal which is to write and produce more stories about women. It is true that some stories can be played by anyone and if you want to do gender blind casting for that I think be my guest but that should be in addition to not in place of new work surrounding women of all ethnicities and backgrounds. Regardless I look forward to seeing more gender swapped plays and musicals out there and I hope that we continue to challenge audiences, especially older audiences, to question what they know and see classic work as new.
Post a Comment