Cross Dressing for Theatrical Purposes

[Sune]

Hey all, I've been wondering lately, is cross-dressing in plays and productions sinful due to Deut 22:5? Given that the intent is only to play a role and not deny one's gender do you think it's permissible? Personally as a young child I played male villager 2 in a school play at my Christian school so I'm not really sure as it seem to usually be because there are not enough extras or for comedic effect (Cinderella's step-sisters or step-mother are often male in ballet)...

 

[Sabertooth]

My opinion?
The intent of that verse is gender dysphoria.
Unless the part is promoting trans-genderism,
such play-acting does not violate the intent of that Scripture
(though some might seek out such a part

in order to satisfy their personal fetish...

).​

So, it depends...

Movies that come to mind,

• Some Like It Hot, 1959
  
• Tootsie, 1982
  
• Mrs. Doubtfire, 1993
• Mulan, 1998

 

[AubreyM]

Hey all, I've been wondering lately, is cross-dressing in plays and productions sinful due to Deut 22:5? Given that the intent is only to play a role and not deny one's gender do you think it's permissible? Personally as a young child I played male villager 2 in a school play at my Christian school so I'm not really sure as it seem to usually be because there are not enough extras or for comedic effect (Cinderella's step-sisters or step-mother are often male in ballet)...

Hello Sune, very cool that when you were a young child you played male villager 2, in a school play. Very silly title though is it not for you are a female. What play was it you were doing in school?

To answer your question Sune, Is cross-dressing for a theatrical production a sin? : My looking at sin is on a personal level inside by the looking at ones own heart. To look towards God first and love him, is like that of following the Lord Jesus Christ in the sense of - having mercy on others, having kindness, having patience, having love ; that is not boastful, or proud, or rude, that doesnt rejoice in injustice but rejoices when truth wins out.

One must look inside of their heart, for we are all ungodly and in need of a savior in which God had shown his love for us and had sent the Lord Jesus Christ so that we can have a relationship with the Father again which was lost when the Fall had happened. (Romans 5:1-8) (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) (1 John 4:7-21) For scripture references.

 

[adderbolt]

The venue and the character that one represents surely come into the matter. Would a Christian want to take a part as a drag-queen or king on a float in a gay parade? Would a Christian want to take part in anything that glorifies the LGBTQ lifestyle?

 

[com7fy8]

About "comedic effect" > comedy can be a way to charm people to accept what is wrong.

I do not think I would play the part of a female in a movie or whatever.

However > if I read a scripture quoting what a woman has said, I might tone my voice to sound somewhat like a woman, for that quote.

 

[bèlla]

Once upon a time all roles were played by men. Including women’s. Watching women perform is a modern change.

Women in Theatre

The Western tradition of theatre has its origins all the way back in ancient Greece and Rome. The Greeks started their theatre practice with tragic plays, which started around 532 BC. The problem was that Greek culture put women in a position of being inferior to men, so womens' role in society was very restricted in many ways.

Women were not allowed to be on the stage because it was considered "dangerous." Men played male characters as well as female characters! "The Greeks believed that allowing women to perform publicly would be too dangerous and that having men portray them neutralized the danger."

So what about the Romans? Well, the Romans had a similar view of women, which made it impossible for them to make it onto the stage. But over time, Roman plays did start to have a few female actors.

Theatre was an important tradition in Medieval times too. Medieval theatre was certainly an exciting thing, but how much were women involved? The answer... not a whole lot, but sometimes.

There was still a perception in society that theatre was something that was better suited for men and not women. One interesting exception was the German writer Hrothsvitha, who "is considered by some to be the first person since antiquity to compose drama in the Latin West.”

She wrote several plays, and her plays tended to present women as people with strong, noble personalities. This contradicted the view of women that most people in her society had, which was that they were weak in character.

In the 17th century in Europe, something great happened: Opera! The great thing about this type of musical theatre was that female singers were included in it. This did not please the strict Christian church, though. Their belief was that it was impure and improper for women to be on the stage. This is why castrati would sometimes sing parts that required a higher voice. These high-pitched men were an alternate choice to women, but that didn't completely stop women from being opera singers.

Then, still in the 17th century, the English Restoration period occurred. One big step forward for women in theatre was Aphra Behn, who dared to go against cultural norms by becoming the first professional female playwright. Until then, it was unheard of for women to make a living writing plays!

As for female actors, they sometimes played male characters, even though the opposite had happened in the past: "One might expect the admission of women on stage to be related to a demand for greater realism, but the actual result was not only that men and women got to play roles appropriate to their gender, but that the impersonation of the opposite sex could now go both ways."

As the years passed, women in theatre were gaining ground slowly but surely, despite the trends and traditions that told women no. This happened in early American theatre as well. There were female playrights, females acting on stage, plays that gave female characters a prominent role, and also, many females in the theatre audience. "Women helped change the dynamic of theater in the second half of the 19th century and were directly responsible for the rise in its popularity."

Given the church’s stance it appears they supported men playing female roles.

~bella

 

[Sune]

Hello Sune, very cool that when you were a young child you played male villager 2, in a school play. Very silly title though is it not for you are a female. What play was it you were doing in school?

To answer your question Sune, Is cross-dressing for a theatrical production a sin? : My looking at sin is on a personal level inside by the looking at ones own heart. To look towards God first and love him, is like that of following the Lord Jesus Christ in the sense of - having mercy on others, having kindness, having patience, having love ; that is not boastful, or proud, or rude, that doesnt rejoice in injustice but rejoices when truth wins out.

One must look inside of their heart, for we are all ungodly and in need of a savior in which God had shown his love for us and had sent the Lord Jesus Christ so that we can have a relationship with the Father again which was lost when the Fall had happened. (Romans 5:1-8) (1 Corinthians 13:1-13) (1 John 4:7-21) For scripture references.

Hi AubreyM, it's always a good thing to remember that it's what's inside is important. To answer your question, I was a chorus member (and villager) in Beauty and the Beast.

 

[Eftsoon]

It's a difficult one. I think you have to judge this on a case by case basis. The growing culture of transgender activism also plays a part. It's scary that there are kids (yes kids) lining up to receive hormones with very little pscyhological assessment. I think that that should factor into one's decision-making process.

 

[Ronar Prefect]

Everyone on here saying "it is just what is inside that counts" is wrong. We are to worship in spirit and in truth, not just in spirit. It wasn't sufficient for Abraham to want to take Isaac up on the mountain, tie him down, and raise the knife--he had to actually do it. The flip side of that is that doing something God has said He hates(and God doesn't change so He still hates it) is wrong no matter what your deceitful heart says.

 

[Stephen3141]

Hey all, I've been wondering lately, is cross-dressing in plays and productions sinful due to Deut 22:5? Given that the intent is only to play a role and not deny one's gender do you think it's permissible? Personally as a young child I played male villager 2 in a school play at my Christian school so I'm not really sure as it seem to usually be because there are not enough extras or for comedic effect (Cinderella's step-sisters or step-mother are often male in ballet)...

I would put these in the same category as the ancient Romans, putting on "spectacles" in the Coliseum, of ancient battles, in which real human beings were murdered. Ditch the idea that "theater", or all art forms, are compatible with Christianity.

 

[FireDragon76]

Once upon a time all roles were played by men. Including women’s. Watching women perform is a modern change.

Women in Theatre

The Western tradition of theatre has its origins all the way back in ancient Greece and Rome. The Greeks started their theatre practice with tragic plays, which started around 532 BC. The problem was that Greek culture put women in a position of being inferior to men, so womens' role in society was very restricted in many ways.

Women were not allowed to be on the stage because it was considered "dangerous." Men played male characters as well as female characters! "The Greeks believed that allowing women to perform publicly would be too dangerous and that having men portray them neutralized the danger."

So what about the Romans? Well, the Romans had a similar view of women, which made it impossible for them to make it onto the stage. But over time, Roman plays did start to have a few female actors.

Theatre was an important tradition in Medieval times too. Medieval theatre was certainly an exciting thing, but how much were women involved? The answer... not a whole lot, but sometimes.

There was still a perception in society that theatre was something that was better suited for men and not women. One interesting exception was the German writer Hrothsvitha, who "is considered by some to be the first person since antiquity to compose drama in the Latin West.”

She wrote several plays, and her plays tended to present women as people with strong, noble personalities. This contradicted the view of women that most people in her society had, which was that they were weak in character.

In the 17th century in Europe, something great happened: Opera! The great thing about this type of musical theatre was that female singers were included in it. This did not please the strict Christian church, though. Their belief was that it was impure and improper for women to be on the stage. This is why castrati would sometimes sing parts that required a higher voice. These high-pitched men were an alternate choice to women, but that didn't completely stop women from being opera singers.

Then, still in the 17th century, the English Restoration period occurred. One big step forward for women in theatre was Aphra Behn, who dared to go against cultural norms by becoming the first professional female playwright. Until then, it was unheard of for women to make a living writing plays!

As for female actors, they sometimes played male characters, even though the opposite had happened in the past: "One might expect the admission of women on stage to be related to a demand for greater realism, but the actual result was not only that men and women got to play roles appropriate to their gender, but that the impersonation of the opposite sex could now go both ways."

As the years passed, women in theatre were gaining ground slowly but surely, despite the trends and traditions that told women no. This happened in early American theatre as well. There were female playrights, females acting on stage, plays that gave female characters a prominent role, and also, many females in the theatre audience. "Women helped change the dynamic of theater in the second half of the 19th century and were directly responsible for the rise in its popularity."

Given the church’s stance it appears they supported men playing female roles.

~bella

In Ancient Greece and Rome, and the late ancient Byzantium, they had actresses on stage. But they were associated with prostitution, also. So my guess is that lead to pressure to keep women out of acting.

 

[ViaCrucis]

As someone who considers what people wear as an ever-shifting aspect of culture, attempting to enforce strict gendered clothing seems bizarre to me.

I still meet the occasional person who argues that if a woman wears trousers she's "dressing like a man", though we have pretty much all accepted that there is nothing inherently male or female about bifurcated leg garments. Because these things change constantly through time and location.

As far as theater is concerned, it seems odd that this should even be an issue. Theater is theater.

In other words, I don't understand why anyone cares what anyone else wears. It just seems like moral busy work to engage in pretend holiness.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[CoreyD]

Hey all, I've been wondering lately, is cross-dressing in plays and productions sinful due to Deut 22:5? Given that the intent is only to play a role and not deny one's gender do you think it's permissible? Personally as a young child I played male villager 2 in a school play at my Christian school so I'm not really sure as it seem to usually be because there are not enough extras or for comedic effect (Cinderella's step-sisters or step-mother are often male in ballet)...

Hello.
I guess you may have asked the question, perhaps because of someone voicing disapproval.
If you asked for another reason,perhaps you heard that is is not approved by God, or maybe from your knowledge of Deuteronomy 22:5
“A woman shall not wear a man’s clothing, nor shall a man put on a woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.

I think you are the best person to answer that question, because when you do, you would not be confused, or in doubt, on what is the right thing to do.
So, you could start by asking yourself, Does this law apply to me?

How would you answer that question.