Melanie Yarborough reports on an event sponsored by San Diego’s Diversionary Theatre. It brought together artists, playwrights, actors and others involeved in the theater world to discuss trans and gender nonconforming portrayal in theater today.
The theater of the ancients of Greece and Rome was different in several ways from theater today. At that time all of the actors onstage were male, no matter if the the character being portrayed was male or female. This type of casting was present up to the first century BC when female actors began to appear. Former TGForum contributor Hebe Dotson wrote about the presence of crossdressing and transgender characters and themes in Greek and Roman plays back in 1998. We bring her article back as today’s Retro Rerun.
From the plays of Shakespeare to Charlie’s Aunt, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Kinky Boots and Casa Valentina, drag has a grand tradition in the theater. This year that was quite apparent at The 68th Annual Tony Awards. There were several actors playing women or crossdressers/TGs and one woman who won for her portrayal of a drag king.
