Drag : a history of female impersonation in the performing arts / Roger Baker ; with contributions by Peter Burton and Richard Smith.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Baker, Roger, 1934-1993, Author.

Contributor:

Penn Sexuality Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Impersonation--History.

Impersonation.

Female impersonators.

Drag queens.

Drag performance.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xi, 284 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations ; 22 cm

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : New York University Press, 1994.

New York, N.Y. : New York University Press, 1994.

Summary:

"Men have been dressing as women on stage for hundreds of years, dating back to the thirteenth century when the Church forbade the appearance of female actors but condoned that of men and boys disguised as the opposite sex. Forms of transvestism can be traced back to the dawn of the theatre and are found in all corners of the world, notably in China and Japan. In recent years, drag has witnessed a dramatic and widespread revival. Newsday recently observed, "People are talking about all those fabulous heterosexual film idols who now can't seem to wait to get tarted up in drag and do their screen bits as fishnet queens." Drawing on a cinematic tradition popularized by Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon in Some Like it Hot, Dustin Hoffman (Tootsie) and Robin Williams (Mrs. Doubtfire) have each delighted mainstream audiences with their portrayals of women. Even former drag queens have experienced newfound fame; witness the recent popularity of the late Divine, renowned for her oddly compelling appearances in underground John Waters films. Music, too, has been profoundly influenced by drag sensibility, from David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust and the Rocky Horror Picture Show to Boy George and RuPaul (the self- proclaimed Supermodel of the World). Tracing drag tradition from the Golden Age of stage transvestism during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I in England to the current quasi-drag inclinations of American grunge bands, Drag is an entertaining overview of this popular and complex medium."--Back cover

Contents:

pt. I. The Rise and Fall of the Female Impersonator. 1. Out of the Chancel, Into the Street. 2. No Place for a Lady. 3. Acting Style and the Sound of Juliet. 4. Swinging Arden. 5. Onnagata and Tan. 6. Western Approaches. 7. The Male Actress Takes Early Retirement

pt. II. Fantasies, Fairies and Follies. 1. Diplomats in Dresses. 2. Squalling Cats. 3. Shame in the Ladies' Morgue. 4. The Things that Are Done by a Nun. 5. Amateurs

pt. III. The Rise and Rise of the Drag Queen. 1. Enter Pursued by Laughter. 2. Dames by the Dozen. 3. All Legs and Limelight. 4. Glamour Girls and Terrifying Termagants. 5. Hollywood and Bust. 6. Frock Tactics.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 265-270) and index.

Local Notes:

The Forrest Performing Arts Collection

ISBN:

0814712533

9780814712535

0814712541

9780814712542

OCLC:

31239314

Online:

Contributor biographical information

Publisher description