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Playhouse heroines in early modern England were famously played by adolescent boys. When Charles II was restored to the English throne in 1660, however, he insisted that women’s roles be played by women, and the professional actress was born.
Strangely, this same Restoration period saw a distinct rise in ‘breeches roles’, in which a female character disguises herself as a boy. Elizabeth Howe (The First English Actresses, Cambridge UP, 1992) has argued that this was a deliberate move to allow the women to show off their legs.
Hence, Kate.
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fergusonicd890 liked this
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mammaviraginis posted this
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Early modern European freakery, and sexual politics, lesbian history and pop culture. Or whatsoever else I fancy.
The title is taken from one of my favourite 17thC homoerotic poems, by Katherine Philips: 'To my Excellent Lucasia, on our Friendship'.
