(no subject)

[bardic_lady]

I've written two out of three full research proposals to send off to my supervisor tomorrow, to let her choose. For the third, about cross-gendered casting, I'm all amuddle about which character would make for the most interesting paper. (I think they'd all be fascinating. What do y'all think?

[Poll #1600403]


::Edit::
For my further thoughts on each character's benefit in genderswap, see this comment

Comments

[viridian.livejournal.com]

Just the other day I was thinking of figuring out how genderswapped Hamlet would work, and then contemplating fantasy casts.

I say Mercutio is the most interesting of all of those in general and therefore would be the most interesting as a female.

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

They each have interesting aspects. Mercutio has the taunting of Tybalt and "conjuring" Romeo, both of which are fascinating if it's a woman saying them.

Tybalt as a woman is terrifying because of the way the character is made fun of, it makes the rage a lot more understandable and sympathetic coming from a woman who's being insulted like that. It also completely changes the relationships between Tybalt and Juliet and Tybalt and the Nurse if they're all women.

Benvolio is interesting because the character is one of the ones who survives and who, from the beginning, is most often seen offering advice to Romeo. If Romeo's best friend and closest confidant is a woman, it changes the lens he sees Juliet through.

Bottom being female changes a lot of the dynamics of the play. Having the laoudest and most insistent voice in the Mechanicals be female can effectively modernize the group to represent the current status of amateur theatre groups that are often primarily female. That the lead actor is an actress but is still given the lead male role is an interesting dynamic and may say something about Flute as well. On top of which, it problematizes the use of the love flower because not only does Titania fall for a "monster" the relationship is doubly monstrous because it's a lesbian relationship.

Horatio is sort of the voice of reason in Hamlet, the calm at the eye of the storm in Denmark, but the character isn't from Elsinore. It's a further degree of isolation if Hamlet's only confidant is female. It completely changes the dynamic between Horatio and Ophelia and brings up the possibility that Horatio also has some sort of romantic intentions towards Hamlet, which makes the ending of the play even more poignant.

Tranio is fascinating on a couple levels. As a close personal servant of Lucentio, it's interesting that a bachelor would travel with a lone female in his entourage. The line "I am content to be Lucentio because so well I love Lucentio" takes on a whole different meaning. Beyond that, Tranio enacts the part of Lucentio in Padua, which makes the part a double gender swap because she has to play a man. In that respect, with the genderswap, Tranio has strong echoes of Viola in Twelfth Night.

Wow, that was a lot more rambling than I intended...

[fringelement.livejournal.com]

I say Mercutio, but this is mostly colored by the fact that I once saw an absolutely fantastic Mercutio played by a girl. It was a high school production, but she's still my favorite of all the Mercutios.

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

Half the reason Merc is on the list is because he's easily my favourite character in the play and the only one I would consider playing myself.

[dramatrauma.livejournal.com]

I picked Bottom, no good dramaturlogical reason. I got a chance to play him tho and I wish more comediennes did.

Suprised you didnt include hamlet as Ive heard of several female ones.

[dramaturgca.livejournal.com]

Hamlet is far too big for a 20 page paper.