| re: The understudy is female | |
| Last Edit: Chazwaza 06:56 pm EST 11/30/24 | |
| Posted by: Chazwaza 06:54 pm EST 11/30/24 | |
| In reply to: The understudy is female - dramedy 04:23 pm EST 11/30/24 | |
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| I can't tell if your post is sincere or cheeky... drawing the distinction between Cole and a male in drag, and female actor vs a specifically non-binary actor... seems pointless. Pronouns and gender identity is one thing, but Cole is a male-bodied person who is dressing in the clothing and hair of the female bodied character they are portraying (call it drag or don't, it would be the same "drag" or not drag if Michael Urie or another male identifying+bodied actor were doing the role). The understudy is female because Cole thinks she is a brilliant comedic actor (and she is) who would kill in this role, and by all reports that is the case. Cole has been doing female characters and clothing/wig/make-up since long before they identified as non-binary (let's also remember that a non-binary identity is not about *not* having a male or female body, or trans-male or trans-female body, it's about not identifying with or within the binary of gender roles in society)... I do not think there's any reason to think Cole wrote Mary FOR non-binary performers only, nor do I think Cole is trying to cast NB actors specifically or not. They've spoken several times about women they'd like to see do the role, and their understudy is a woman. How do we know who is or is not "being considered"? Do you mean by Cole and the producing team? Or by this board? I would be shocked if Alex Newell weren't on a list... but let's remember too that this is a play, a comedy play, and a very exhausting difficult comedy play for the huge lead actor playing Mary. Being a broadway star like Alex Newell doesn't necessarily mean you're the right fit, or being considered, for a comedy play just because it is queer in nature and in creation. Maybe Newell has the specific comedy chops for this, maybe not, being queer or NB or a broadway star does not make them automatically a good fit. I'm not saying you said that it does, I'm just thinking aloud about Newell in this. I think the most obvious choices are from the alt comedy world, the two I most especially could see doing it are John Early (he/him) and Kate Berlant (she/her)... whose comedy exists in the same world as Cole's (and in fact they were both probably influenced by Cole in the early days), and who are extremely skilled stage performers and actors and comedy people in this style. Amy Sedaris (she/her) seems like one of the obvious choices as well. Cole has listed many actresses who are not part of the same world of stage and comedy, and they could be exciting fits too. Hell, I could see Patti doing this role and doing very well in it too. But I think the youth of the cast is a big part of the vibe of the production, and I imagine that'll be maintained. They can really take the casting of this role in any direction they want, but so much of its success lives in Cole's performance, and that kind of performance is not something most people can do or even know how to do anymore. |
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