4 ms·

My first exposure to "gayness" as a thing was La Cage aux Folles. I'm curious if they are required to audition women now to play gay men? It seems like that wou

My first exposure to "gayness" as a thing was La Cage aux Folles. I'm curious if they are required to audition women now to play gay men? It seems like that would just confuse the issue and dilute the drama. What about Philidelphia? Do we want a woman to play a gay man who is dying of aids in the 80's. I'm a senior citizen and find this all to very confusing, so I usually don't say anything, because it truely doesn't make sense to me. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cage_aux_Folles_(musical) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Cage_aux_Folles_(musical)

midoridensha 4y ago
What about a story about a historical event? If there's a play about soldiers in a war long ago, or some male historical figure, are they required to allow women to audition for the roles?
- labrador 4y ago
  I think what they're saying is Waiting For Godot could be played by any gender and it would still make sense, but Samuel Beckett made it a legal requirement that they be men. It seems that is viewed as sexism from the grave?
  - midoridensha 4y ago
    Yes, I get that. I'm just wondering about other hypothetical plays that don't have such a legal requirement from the author, but where it simply wouldn't make sense to force women into the roles because they're obviously male roles.
jfengel 4y ago
No. They're required (at this program) to put on shows that have both men and women. La Cage does have female roles in it, but if it didn't (and were forbidden to change that), they simply wouldn't perform it. It was a mistake to put it on their schedule without nailing down the rights, but that's a mistake theaters make all the time. (We tried to put on a Zoom production of a play during the pandemic, and were told that the broadcast rights are not available. Fortunately we realized that before we got too far in the process.) The writers get to make their rules for performances. The theaters get to choose what plays they put on.

midoridensha 4y ago

What about a story about a historical event? If there's a play about soldiers in a war long ago, or some male historical figure, are they required to allow women to audition for the roles?

labrador 4y ago
I think what they're saying is Waiting For Godot could be played by any gender and it would still make sense, but Samuel Beckett made it a legal requirement that they be men. It seems that is viewed as sexism from the grave?
- midoridensha 4y ago
  Yes, I get that. I'm just wondering about other hypothetical plays that don't have such a legal requirement from the author, but where it simply wouldn't make sense to force women into the roles because they're obviously male roles.

jfengel 4y ago

No. They're required (at this program) to put on shows that have both men and women. La Cage does have female roles in it, but if it didn't (and were forbidden to change that), they simply wouldn't perform it. It was a mistake to put it on their schedule without nailing down the rights, but that's a mistake theaters make all the time. (We tried to put on a Zoom production of a play during the pandemic, and were told that the broadcast rights are not available. Fortunately we realized that before we got too far in the process.) The writers get to make their rules for performances. The theaters get to choose what plays they put on.