Crossing the Stage: Controversies on Cross-dressing

Description

"Crossing the Stage" brings together essays which explore cross-dressing in theatre, cabaret, opera and dance. The volume contains pieces which have become standard texts in the field, as well as recent work especially commissioned from leading writers on performance. This text encompasses: the cross-dressed actor in classical Greece; the Renaissance tradition of adolescent boys playing female roles; Restoration "breeches roles"; the contemporary phenomenon of "voguing" and many other aspects on cross-dressing in performance. It is a sourcebook on theatrical cross-dressing, and should be of use to all those interested in performance and the representation of gender.

""Crossing the Stage is packed with valuable information. . . . It underscores, once again, that the time has come for transgendered people to dig up and interpret our own history and for all of us to crystallize a sex and gender theory that unites--not divides.."-"Lambda Book Report "Although "Crossing the Stage was intended for academics, it's conceivable that research oriented directors, critics and actors might turn to the slim volume...the fact that a theatrical phenomenon would attract both scholars and pop culture audiences justifies the need for the anthology."-"The Commercial Appeal, April 1994 "Ferrer's anthology provides an exciting resource book for those wishing to study the phenomenon of cross-dressing, both as a whole and more intimately in a specific instance. The quality of the articles and the scope of the work only add to the book's already considerable topical appeal."-"Theatre History Studies