Arts and Humanities Commons^™

The Theatre Of Ambiguity, Hannah Wamhoff

Celebration of Research

The increased diversity of beliefs surrounding the definition of gender identity and gender roles has enhanced the need for research on historical societies' beliefs and practices. By examining the private and professional theatre of Elizabethan England through contemporary scholarship, primary sources, and plays of the time, I found a contrast between companies comprised entirely of boys and those comprised of adult men. Boy players were able to play female and male characters across a wide age range. My analysis shows that the Elizabethan society's acceptance of this theatrical convention depended upon the widespread view of adolescents as ambiguous in age …