Whether onstage or offstage, female representation is present throughout Spartan Theatre. This representation is not only seen, but discussed by the student body.
“I think now a lot more females are actually into theatre rather than males,” said junior Jaqueline Drobnis.
Even with the female representation in Spartan Theatre, many recent productions have had predominantly male roles. However, creativity has been used to find solutions.
“The theatre teacher, Ms. Nash, and [choir teacher] Mr. Brandt will sometimes gender-bend the roles so that more females can do the shows, whereas on Broadway, that rarely ever happens,” said Drobnis.
Gender-bending roles, turning them from male roles to female roles (or female roles to male roles), happens when a role does not need to be a man to fit the story, and to include more of the women, they change the role to one a woman can play. They will sometimes do the same thing with female roles changing to male roles, to accommodate and include as many people as they can.
Although there is female representation on the stage, most women are working behind the curtains.
“Honestly, out of everyone here, they basically run the theatre,” said junior Marcus Reese.
Representation for women as a whole in theatre has increased in the last few centuries. Underrepresentation for women goes a way back, with some of the most prominent examples being Shakespeare’s works, where very few of his characters were women. When Shakespeare did incorporate female roles, they were all played by men. As time went on, opportunities for women in theatre grew, and those changes are reflected in the school.
There is an effort to promote inclusivity and give female actors a voice and a place in Spartan Theatre.
“I think if you understand that you have the ability to [make] an impact, and you see yourself in [the] things that you want, then as you get older, you can work towards it, and shouldn’t be scared or intimidated by a profession,” said senior Rakeb Yihunie.
Senior Kaylee Wisner is playing one of the lead roles in the upcoming school musical, “Sweeney Todd.”
“I’m thrilled,” said Wisner. “I feel like I’ve been waiting for this for ages. I’m so excited about this character. I understood that it was very competitive, but I’ve been preparing all summer. She’s so fascinating to me.” The world of representation for women in the media and theatre has come a long way since the days of Shakespeare, but many would argue that there’s still a long way to go. While Hollywood is slowly beginning to open the doors for more women, Spartan Theatre has made a space for women in their community, giving them a place and a voice.
