Many people wonder, "What is travesty?" due to lack of awareness in this area. There is also often confusion over the similar sounding of the words travesty and transvestism. The former is associated with theatrical activities, and the latter is often observed in people with gender dysphoria (i.e., when a person cannot accept his sexual status). An example of this is the recent film, the Oscar nominee - “Girl from Denmark”.
Definition of the term
So, let's understand in more detail the concept of travesty. The definition of the term suggests that it is a kind of theatrical role. It lies in the fact that the actor plays the role of the opposite sex, disguised in appropriate clothing. However, this concept is primarily associated with the case when an adult artist plays the role of a child (boy or girl).
This role originated mainly because it is rather difficult to require the child actor to accurately comply with all the instructions of the director. In addition, children grow up quickly, and performances, as we know, can go on stage for years and even decades. In order to avoid the constant introduction of new actors, children came up with this way of playing. After all, an actress or actor can play one role for quite a long time.
We hope that now it becomes clear what travesty is.
From the history
From the appearance of the theater to the sixteenth century, women were forbidden to go on the stage. However, no one has canceled female roles, so they had to play disguised men. More often these were young people (youths) or castrati (because of their thin voice).
These traditions in the European sense have long become wild. However, in some national theaters they were held for a very long time.
So, women still do not play in the traditional theater of Japan . Male actors there are deprived of some age restrictions. Some Japanese transferred their images to screens in the cinema. For example, Yukinojo played the role of a son and his mother in one film.
To understand what travesty is in Japan, just watch their film adaptation of such works as Romeo and Juliet, Lady Macbeth, where all women's parties are performed by men.
Role Types
In different years, travesty changed its appearance somewhat. In a drama theater, this concept could mean the roles of female actresses who, in the course of the action, had to change into men's clothes (for example, for the sake of a pun). Examples include:
- Viola in the play "Twelfth Night." Shakespeare's comedy tells the story of Viola and Sebastian, the twins. During a shipwreck, they lose each other. The girl, dressed in men's clothing, remains in the palace of the Duke of Orsino under the name Caesario. Everything would be fine, but only Viola falls in love with him, and Countess Olivia begins to dream of Cesario.
- Beatrice in the play “The Servant of Two Masters”. The girl dresses up in her late brother's costume to track down her lover, who is accused of murder.
It may also seem interesting what travesty is in the opera. There, of course, no one plays dressing up. This term is used in relation to the gender of the parties. So, for example, if an opera singer performs a musical part of a young man, she is called travesty.
For example, the part of the shepherd Lel in "The Snow Maiden" was performed by opera singer Anna Bichurina (1882), the part of Siebel in "Faust" was once performed by Elena Gribova, Margreta Elkins, Michelle Coman.
Russian artists
In Russian cinema, quite often we see an actor in the role of travesty, but do not even think about it. Who doesn’t remember the fabulous Baba Yaga? Her role throughout his life was played by the genius George Miller. And Alexander Kalyagin in the film "Hello, I'm Your Aunt"? These are all examples of travesty.
The Soviet theater and cinema sky had its own travesty divas. For example, Ioannina Zheimo, who played teenage girls all her life because of her fragile physique. Her most famous work was the role of Cinderella. At the time of filming, the actress was almost forty years old.
Here are more examples of actors who have tried themselves in this role:
- Olga Bgan, who played the role of the Little Prince;
- Larisa Golubkina. In her film debut in the film "The Hussar Ballad" she played the role of Shurochka Azarova, dressed as a cornet;
- Leah Akhedzhakova. She began her career in the theater with this role.
Travesty is widely represented on the stage. It is worth recalling only Verka Serdyuchka, New Russian grandmothers.
Foreign artists
Abroad, an actress-travesty is a rarity. Basically, this role is in the possession of male actors. But you can give as an example the work of Sarah Bernhardt in the movie "Hamlet Duel", where she played the main character.
In Hollywood, the most significant roles in this role went to Michael Jay Fox, who played his character (Marty McFly) at different ages in the trilogy "Back to the Future", as well as his son and daughter.
And the incomparable Dustin Hoffman embodied on the TV screen the image of Michael Dorsey, forced to change clothes by a woman named Dorothy Michaels to be with his children, whom he separated after his divorce from his wife.
From recent film works, Eddie Redmayne’s work in “Girl from Denmark” can be distinguished. For his reincarnation, the actor was nominated for an Oscar.