NickWhere
New Member
I am a student director in an educational setting, casting a show tomorrow. In this educational setting we are required to have multiple actor choices for each character because of varying reasons (this actor has been in five shows already, give someone else a shot, etc)
There's a character in the play that is a male villain, and my first choice for an actor is a male. However he's been in three productions at school this year, so I have a feeling that I'm going to end up having to pick a different actor. My back up plan is a woman. This woman did a better job than nearly all the men whom I called back for the role, and I figured why not?
I think my question is really, what are the politics of cross-gender casting. I would keep the character a male, but just have a woman play him. I'm not trying to be progressive, or make a statement (though I completely understand it makes one anyway), I'm just curious what are some possible reasons why this is not a good idea?
Also, if there is another forum for more question in terms of directing on the less-technical side, please point me in that direction, I don't want to blow up the technicians forum with this kinda stuff.
There's a character in the play that is a male villain, and my first choice for an actor is a male. However he's been in three productions at school this year, so I have a feeling that I'm going to end up having to pick a different actor. My back up plan is a woman. This woman did a better job than nearly all the men whom I called back for the role, and I figured why not?
I think my question is really, what are the politics of cross-gender casting. I would keep the character a male, but just have a woman play him. I'm not trying to be progressive, or make a statement (though I completely understand it makes one anyway), I'm just curious what are some possible reasons why this is not a good idea?
Also, if there is another forum for more question in terms of directing on the less-technical side, please point me in that direction, I don't want to blow up the technicians forum with this kinda stuff.