A gender role reversal in a play performed around Christmas time?
No, this is not a pantomime.
But the suggestion drew a laugh from Jean Kosar, drama teacher at Steveston-London secondary who was busy preparing her students for their production of MacBeth, which takes to the school’s stage Nov. 30 and runs until Dec. 2.
The difference from the Bard’s original is that the tale features a gender fluid set of characters, with actors switching roles as Grade 12s Chevonne Thompson plays the beleaguered Scottish king, while William Watt takes a turn at Lady MacBeth.
“If you think of Lady MacBeth’s character, she leaves the traditional role of the supportive and kind mate,” said Kosar, adding there was a production of Romeo and Juliet last summer in Toronto where the roles were also fluid. “I think it’s kind of a trend. Plus, we have a number of girls in Grade 12 who are about to graduate, so I thought it would be interesting to do it this way.”
And when Kosar started to delve into lines in the play, many lent themselves to the switch.
“‘If then you were a man, but now you would be so much more the man. I could play the woman with mine eyes, but I refuse to do so,’” she said, reciting some lines.
“And of course, there’s that iconic one, ‘Unsex me here. And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full of direst cruelty.’ I think it really lends itself to a look of the gender switch.”
So, how did the students take to the changes?
“They are very flexible, modern teenagers,” Kosar said. “They’ve embraced it.”
The only hiccup was the staging of swordfights that male students tend to readily choreograph themselves.
“Boys seem to have a natural affinity for that,” Kosar said.
Tickets at the door are $5 for students, $7 for adults.
