The word DRAG has seemed to draw a great deal of contention recently; but the acronym was created some 500 years ago by British playwright William Shakespeare.
When Shakespeare was alive and producing plays only men were allowed to perform – no matter what the role. So, in order to designate certain roles in the plays, female roles carried the designation D R A G – Doing Role As a Girl!
In the years since Shakespeare, the use of the designation has expanded to cover performances by people dressed in the opposite sex for the role.
While some administrations are looking to erase any form of performance or label other than strictly male or female; actor Ian McKellen in accordance with the company Trans What You Will is putting on a production of Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” featuring Trans and Non-Binary actors.
The production is a one night only performance on July 25 at the Space Theatre in London and livestreamed around the world.
Ian McKellen spoke on the play saying, “’Twelfth Night’ is perhaps the funiest and most moving of Shakespeare’s plays. This is achieved through the complexity of gender and sexuality from first to last. I’m really looking forward to the impact of this latest version of the play at The Space. I hope to see you there!”
Director Phoebe Kemp adds, “’Twelfth Night’ already toys with gender and performance—it feels like Shakespeare wrote it for us. This reading is about joy, solidarity, and showing what’s possible when trans and nonbinary artists are at the centre of the story.”
Proceeds from the performance will go to the UK charity Not a Phase – an organization that supports trans and gender-diverse people.