A question

[Nightshade]

Humm does anyone know the title or authour of any good books on women in the history of the theatre or maybe (is the word Im looking for cross dressing -- men playing women??) in the history of theatre and the efeect it has on the performance of a play?


Thanks:D

[Xamonas Chegwe]

No books - but there is an extyensive article on Wiki - Here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_theatre) - that has tons of links and should have most of the info you're looking for Nightshade.

[TEND]

Hmm, I can't remember the exact title, but I read it in grade 9. It was about a boy who was in a travelling theatre who played women in these plays. Anyways I can't recall it all, but he was running from people for some reason or another(very descriptive, I know). Anyways the climax was in a tower, they discovered due to a hidden message in a letter.
Anybody know what book I'm talking about?

[Bandini]

I think I saw it in a cartoon once.

[Nightshade]

I think I saw it in a cartoon once.
What good enough to write a background essay on?

[ElizabethSewall]

Here's an article on one of the last actor who played a female part in England:
Edward Kynaston (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kynaston) .

[Bandini]

OK _ I was being facetious.

[IrishCanadian]

I've heard of a movie like that. Not a book. But if I remember correctly from my theatre history course theatre was banned from the British stage in 1611 (i think) partially because it was too vulgar. During the restoration (of King Charles and of the arts) in 1660 women were allowed on stage with the assumption that theatre would tone down abit and be a little more decent for those impressionable young ladies. Playes like The Banished Cavaliers by Aphra Behn show that just the opposite took place. Soon a stock-character jokingly called the pantaloon entered the stage. This was a woman character pretending to be a boy as a disguise that likely fits the plot. In this way the men in the audience could see not only the actresses ankle (scandelous) but right up to her knee in men's tights. Needless to say that it became sexually frustrating for the wealthy and powerful men in the audience (because those were the people who watched theatre after the restoration -- ussually opposite before) got sexually frustrated at a boy pretending to be a girl pretending to be a boy. Wheres the fun in that!??
WWoah, excuse me. I'm a drama major, I like this stuff ... but I'll stop typing now because this is getting long.

[Nightshade]

No thats klind of what I want to know its kind of been bugging me since I did My A level literature class last year and I read somthing wich said that having shakespears women played by men added a level to the play that is just lost in modern day adaptations and came across the film and it reminded me especially as we quoted Kynaston ( I think the source was peyps) on the differant charcters of othello.
:D
Thanks everyone all helpful Tend actually o I dont know it but thanks anyway :D