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Macbeth - gender roles flipped

  • 1.  Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-19-2019 20:50
    I am just starting my 20th and final year at my current school.  My Technical director is a former student from way back in the day.  We were thinking about re-creating the season from that first year and Macbeth was on it.  The problem current day... low numbers of boys.  In the brainstorming process we circled back to MacBeth and wondered...what if we went ahead with it and flipped all the genders?  So Macbeth would be female and Lady McBeth would be male, etc.... (Name suggestions?).  I think the idea is so interesting and it keeps rumbling around in my brain, but I'm not yet clear on it.  

    I trust this group and have learned so much over the years, so I come to you for thought exchange.  What are your thoughts? Concerns? Suggestions? Cautions?  

    TYIA!!!

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    Amy Learn
    Ballwin MO
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  • 2.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 08:52
    I just read an article about a school that did that exact thing. I don't even remember where I saw it, but if I can dig it up I'll send it on. Point is, it can be done! (And I figure that if the production merited an article written about it, it can be done very well.)

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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher
    Winfield AL
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 09:14
    My college used to do gender swap Shakespeare all the time!  I was in a gender flipped production of Hamlet back in my day.  I haven't tried that in a high school setting, but I bet it would be fun and stir up even more interest from your students and audience!  I think you should go for it and let us know how it goes!

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    Brooke Phillips
    Omaha NE
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 09:53
    If it works for your cast, then yes! If you have to, cast gender-blind - who cases if both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are the same gender? The beauty of Shakespeare is that us drama teachers can do anything we want with it, and no one will care because they think Shakespeare is "high art!"

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    Ken Buswell
    Drama Teacher
    Peachtree City, GA
    http://mcintoshtheater.org/

    Theater kills ignorance
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 12:04
    Hi Amy,
    Congratulations on twenty years!  So, a number of years ago I wanted to do Macbeth, but as always a shortage of boys.  I decided that we would do an Amanon's tale and went with a female cast.  We put the play in a tropical setting and added some serious battle scenes. Some of the women played Amazons as well the aggressors, who predominately male       ( They were, for the most part, not willing to learn a bunch of Shakespeare (??) but were eager to fight and die on stage).  We found some great armor and use some local fight choreographers, to handle all of the fight sequences. It was a huge hit!  The women were great at the sword fights and ended up forming quite a cadre of war like Amazons.  The few roles that were women in the original, stayed as women.  We didn't explain, except to say that men are not permitted in Amazonian culture.  I let the audience work that out, and they went with it.

    Best of luck with the production. BTW  we made the witches quite beautiful, but we put them in nude bodysuits which we painted vegetation and branches starting at the ankles and hands, as if they were part of the earth.  We added shredded cloaks to complete the look.

    We had a blast with this, and the women became a real driving force for the production.

    Best,

    Mack

    --
    Mack Dugger
    Teacher
    Department of Teaching and Learning
    Pacific Avenue Education Center
    440 W. Lomita Ave., Glendale, CA 91204
    "Totus Mundus agit historionem"
    Bravo award winning Teacher
    Kennedy Center Creative Ticket Award
    Laissez les bons temps rouler!



    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 12:10
    Mack, 
    I love this idea!  It's helping to clear some of the foggy story concerns.  Thanks!!
    And thanks for the congrats - it's actually 30 total.  Preparing to hand over the reins :-)

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    Amy Learn
    Ballwin MO
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    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 12:25
    Another troupe in my area did exactly this as their entry in our district-level one-act play festival a few years ago.  Every male role became female; every female role, male.  And they created every bit of scenery for this cutting with their bodies - a forest, a castle, everything.  It played very well onstage.

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    Jeff Grove
    Theatre Teacher, Aesthetics Department Chair
    Stanton College Preparatory School
    Jacksonville FL
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 12:57
    A number of years ago, I heard from a teacher who'd done a gender flipped Macbeth.  She and her cast did tons of research on the ancient Celts, where the women were warriors and leaders, setting the play firmly in that time.  It all worked logically with the script and made all kinds of things in the character choices new and interesting.  She said it was one of the most memorable, richest shows she'd ever done.

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    Ellen Koivisto
    San Francisco CA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 15:39
    I say go for it! At the ESU Shakespeare finals in NY, among the 54 students, there were 6 Lady Macbeth monologues. The best of the lot was a young man who ended up earning second place. I encourage giving female students the opportunity to play male roles, especially in Shakespeare plays.
    Best wishes!



    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 16:37
    A gender flip is reasonable, as long as the story isn't seen to be about a "masculine struggle for power" that some people believe is the root of the story.  Going back to the script, right back to the language itself, allows for the gender blind casting suggestion made earlier that gives you even more possibilities in staging the story.

    I would personally hope that you minimize language changes.  Unfortunately, 'lady' and 'lord' have different syllables, but 'dame' and 'lord' ...

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    Jym Kinney
    Tacoma, Washington
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 17:06
    I am just about to have auditions for Macbeth with teens at my theatre company outside of school.  As I always do when I do Shakespeare, especially in an educational setting, I am planning to do some gender-conscious casting.  This means casting the best actor for the role, taking into consideration what each actor needs to grow, their comfort with their own gender presentation, the imbedded gender dynamics of the play and the needs of the production. Some roles I will change the pronouns to match the gender of the performer and some I will have them play it as written, depending on the factors I mentioned above. I indicate in the casting breakdown which characters can be changed.  I have found gender-conscious casting to be a wonderful tool for developing flexible, versatile young actors, but it also helps those that may be questioning their gender identity or sexuality explore different presentations and dynamics.  

    My only caution would be against deciding on an entirely gender-swapped production before auditions.  I recommend letting your actors know in advance that you may swap some or all of the roles and let them decide what roles they are interested in, regardless of gender.  This gives them the opportunity to challenge themselves, and you the opportunity to build your concept around your actors.

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    Elana Kepner
    Theatre Instructor
    The Oakwood School
    Greenville NC
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Macbeth - gender roles flipped

    Posted 08-20-2019 20:30
    This is such a neat idea. I don't think there is a single play that I've seen more productions of than Macbeth. I've seen everything from one-man versions to a production done with tiny ninja action figures, and yet I've never seen it gender-flipped! I say go for it!

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    Brooke Pierce
    Co-author of the "spy musical" Sympathy Jones
    www.sympathyjones.com
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    Original Message


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