Often times the roles of female characters are played by members of acting companies. The female roles are usually given to prepubescent boys between the ages of 10-21. The reasoning is that they are still feminine enough in their features and uncracked voices that they can more effectively pass as a female character. When cross-dressing actors perform gender onstage, gender specific features are often highlighted such as when Orsino speaks to Cesario about his feminine features when saying, “Diana’s lip is not more smooth and rubious...thy small pipe is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound and all is a semblative a woman’s part” (Act 1, Scene 4). Cross-dressing further serves to highlight the ambiguity of gender both with the characters in the play, and the actors performing it on stage. In other words, it stresses that gender itself can be performed. Viola and her male alter ego Cesario are a prime example of what it means to perform
Often times the roles of female characters are played by members of acting companies. The female roles are usually given to prepubescent boys between the ages of 10-21. The reasoning is that they are still feminine enough in their features and uncracked voices that they can more effectively pass as a female character. When cross-dressing actors perform gender onstage, gender specific features are often highlighted such as when Orsino speaks to Cesario about his feminine features when saying, “Diana’s lip is not more smooth and rubious...thy small pipe is as the maiden’s organ, shrill and sound and all is a semblative a woman’s part” (Act 1, Scene 4). Cross-dressing further serves to highlight the ambiguity of gender both with the characters in the play, and the actors performing it on stage. In other words, it stresses that gender itself can be performed. Viola and her male alter ego Cesario are a prime example of what it means to perform