Girl cast as Male Lead (High School)

[thebookofwhizzer]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 9:55am

Ive just been cast as Mr. Hart in my schools production of 9 to 5! Im super excited because its my first huge lead (A girl was also cast as the role of Joe, all the leads are girls) But im a cis girl so im a little nervous about playing such an in your face male character. Ive played many a male character (its what happens in majority female theatre companies), but this is my first time being such a big male character (and a sexist one). I know the directors chose me for a reason and im confident i can do a good job, im just wondering if any of you have tips for getting comfortable with the idea and the role?

I will be playing the role as a male, and singing everything how its originally written (Always a woman was cut from the MTI version)

[sparksatmidnight]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 10:15am

You should look up the Takarazuka Revue, it's an all female Japanese theatre company... you should be able to find many of theirs numerous productions to watch and maybe take a bit of inspiration in seeing woman perform man roles.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 10:27am

thebookofwhizzer said: "Ive just been cast as Mr. Hart in my schools production of 9 to 5! Im super excited because its my first huge lead (A girl was also cast as the role of Joe, all the leads are girls) But im a cis girl so im a little nervous about playing such an in your face male character. Ive played many a male character (its what happens in majority female theatre companies), but this is my first time being such a big male character (and a sexist one). I know the directors chose me for a reason and im confident i can do a good job, im just wondering if any of you have tips for getting comfortable with the idea and the role?

I will be playing the role as a male, and singing everything how its originally written (Always a woman was cut from the MTI version)"

 

Congrats! I'm not all that familiar with 9 to 5, so I can't speak specifically to this character. But I would say, since you've played men before, you may already be more prepared than you think. Just approach it how you would any role - playing the character as you see it. 

A couple other bits of advice that may or may not be helpful for this role:

1. In general, when playing a character of the opposite sex, I think you shouldn't worry too much about trying to sound like a man. Your voice is naturally higher than a cis-male's voice, and that's just the way it is. And if you try really hard to make your voice lower, it might be distracting for both you and audience. It might be a good idea to speak at a slightly lower pitch within your own voice range, but don't strain to make it as low as a cis-male's voice. Instead, it's better to focus on the character's speech patterns and mannerisms.

2. When playing characters that seem to be very different from myself, I sometimes find it helpful to imagine the character as closer to myself than it might be usually played. For example, if the character is usually played a very big, brawny man, and you're a short woman, maybe you can imagine the character as a short, feminine man whose overcompensating by being very sexist. I don't know if that applies to this case since I don't know the show very well, but this is just an example of how you can bring your own traits to a role to re-imagine it or deepen it. 

3. Talk to your director and get their advice. Talk to them about your worries, and ask them how they imagine the character played in this production, and see if you can find a common vision. 

 

[Ado Annie D'Ysquith]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 12:07pm

I saw the Takarazuka troupe perform CHICAGO at Lincoln Center and it remains one of the most memorable theatergoing experiences of my life.

Anyway, I went to an all-girls' high school so we committed this all the time, even in classic shows...

• Once Upon a Mattress: Minstrel and Jester were female
• Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella: The Cook was female and several dancers during the ball scene dressed as men
• Disney's High School Musical: Jack Scott (the school PA announcer) was played as female

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 12:39pm

1. In general, when playing a character of the opposite sex, I think you shouldn't worry too much about trying to sound like a man. Your voice is naturally higher than a cis-male's voice, and that's just the way it is. And if you try really hard to make your voice lower, it might be distracting for both you and audience. It might be a good idea to speak at a slightly lower pitch within your own voice range, but don't strain to make it as low as a cis-male's voice. Instead, it's better to focus on the character's speech patterns and mannerisms.

I fully agree with this suggestion as it was the creative direction for Edna Turnblad in HAIRSPRAY.  Harvey Fierstein used his own voice for Edna and let female speech nuances and the costumes inform she was a woman.  All the other actors who took on the role also used their own voices successfully.