Theatrical History
In Face! A History of Female Impersonation on Stage is meant to focus on the professional artistry that is men playing women's roles. This section focuses on historical periods prior to the 20th century from around the world. For much of written history, women were banned from performing on stage because men thought women were inferior, and then later on the church proclaimed it was immoral.
This history is not meant to promote gender inequality, it is meant to help educate and appreciate those that had the courage to embrace the feminine roles and bring them to life.
Anciet Greece and Rome
A part of our ancient history section, the ancient Greeks and Romans were the first to make the rules that men had to play women's roles on stage. In ancient Greece, acting troupes were limited in size, and many times men played both the male roles and female roles.
When the Romans took power the tradition continued, but the men playing women were normally slaves and were treated for pure amusement when on stage. To the Romans, entertainment was very brutal and often mixed theater along with gladiator fights. If a slave playing a woman's role did not perform the way the audience wanted, they were many times abused or killed. Sounds a little like how some of current society treats transgendered people now, huh?
Shakespearan Times
England ca 1500-1800 AD
The rules around men playing women continued on throughout European history. The reasoning changed from the views based on governing beliefs from emperors to religion creating morality laws. The Globe Theatre was the premier stage for London. Plays like Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and others were performed on the stage. Our beloved characters such as Lady Macbeth and Juliet were all played by men until 1660 after the Restoration of King Charles II.
Shakespeare Theatre Company
Washington, DC
Romeo and Juliet
by William Shakespeare
Performed between September 9-October 18, 2008. Juliet was played by James Davis. The play was directed by David Moses.
Kabuki Theatre
Japan ca 1600AD-today
Kabuki is a tradition Japanese style of theater with singing and dancing which is overly dramatic with the exaggeration of costuming and performance. Originally created by a woman named Okuni, these performances gained popularity for the style in which it compelled the audience. Soon after though, the government created laws banning women from performing due to sensuous dances and prostitution of the actors. In 1629 when the law as created young boys played the roles and in 1652, men started to take over all roles in the theatre. Kabuki is still performed today, even though the original theater was closed in 2010. The National Theatre in Tokyo still holds performances and the new Kabuki Theatre does as well.
Even Ted Ed has a lesson on Kabuki!
Watch the history lesson on Kabuki from Ted Ed about the origins, history and evolution of Kabuki.
The link below is to the official website for Kabuki today.
Peking Opera
China- ca 1632-1912 AD
Also known as the Beijing Opera is the most dominant form found in China. It brings the talents of music, vocals, mime, dancing, and acrobatics to the stage. All-female characters are called Dan, which were divided into multiple types of roles. There was Laodan (an older woman), Wudan (a martial woman), Daomadan (Young Female Warrior), Qingyi (Married and Virtuous Woman), and Huadan (the single vivacious woman). Later on, a sixth type was created blending Qingyi and Huadan into a more exciting character.
When the opera was created, all Dans were played by men. The men that played these roles were known as Nándàn. One of the most famous Nándàn was Mei Lanfang. While the original Peking Opera ended in 1912 when the government decided to take control, a new modern version has started to emerge again bringing back the classic traditions.