Have you ever seen girls playing guys? I got the part of Benny Southstreet, and this will be a challenge.

Several years ago, I saw a production of 'Man of La Mancha' at a local college in which a girl was cast as Sancho Panza. The only thing that gave her away was that she had a little trouble on the very lowest notes of her songs.

My advice to you is to start observing the men around you - how they walk, how they talk, their body language, etc. Scientifically speaking, men and women walk differently because of the difference in pelvic spread. You might consider using a slightly duck-footed walk (toes turned out a bit). Also, ask your director for ideas on how to avoid being readily recognizable as a girl playing a boy.

Just remember: you'll be in good company. Whoopie Goldberg and Joanne Worley both played Pseudolus, and let's not forget Mary Martin as Peter Pan...

Let us know how rehearsals go...

In the eighth grade I was cast as a (male) crapshooter . It was actually quite fun!! I haven't heard of male leads being played by females, but I'm sure you are fabulous enough to pull it off.

I also have never seen the male gamblers with lines/songs played by women before, except I did see a school in which Big Jule was played by a girl and the role was played as a female, but I didn't really care for that.

Arvide (Sarah's uncle) is routinely cast as a female by high school productions it seems (my own included). So it does happen.

Most schools will also use girls as crapshooters to assist the guys in dancing during Crapshooters Ballet and Luck Be A Lady.


As someone said, study the guys around you to try and pick up on some of their mannerisms and try to find a. safe. lower place in your voice from which to speak, if you're playing the role to be a male and not switching genders for the character entirely. Your director who cast you should be able to give you some other pointers on how he/she specifically would like you to play the role. In fact, they should be the first person you approach with this question for tips and suggestions as it is their vision you have to fulfill.

Community and school productions seem to have a chronic lack of men turning out for auditions, so cross-casting is common. This is not usually a problem as long as the gender of the character is retained.

I've thought of a couple more examples. The touring groups for the Capitol Steps comedy group consist of five performers - 3 men and 2 women. This means that there are often times when cross-casting is mandatory while other performers change for their next bits. For instance, Elaina Newport as Jim Lehrer in the Candidates Joke-Telling Debate and Ann Johnson as Kim Jong Il in 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Korea?'

Even in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, a number of performers in the Multiplying Santas routine are women. Of course, this is mostly danced, but the principal is the same. It's hard to tell them apart in the theater; you only notice it in the souvenir program.

So, as Benny, you're in good company. Keep us up to date, please!

I dont usually like females playing male parts, because they're usually as obvious as males playing female parts.

HOWEVER, in a few shows I've seen characters re-named slightly so they can be females, ie:

Mr Briggs in Our Day Out became Mrs Briggs
Big Jule in Guys and Dolls became Big Jane
and
Monsieur D'arque in Beauty and the Beast became Madame D'arque.

"Big Jule" could still be a female. Or maybe "Big Jules"

I was a male crapshooter in year 7. As MisDivaKate said, none of our guys could dance. So about 15 of us, I think, had to be guys. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The main difficulty was getting the drawn-on moustaches off in time to be girls in Havana

When i did this show 4 years ago, there were only 2 guys in the whole show. Even so, the show was great! This was a middle school production, so of course no guys would really want to sing...you know what i mean? But we worked with what we had. I think it is okay for girls to play as guys, but yes, it is noticable.

Previous Parts:
Star-to-be: Annie
Sarah Brown: Guys and Dolls
Pink Lady: Grease

I sort of like the idea of Big Jule being Big Julie and Angie the Ox remaining male, or vice versa. Otherwise, the conclusion I have drawn in my sick middle school mind is that the two have a thing for each other. Although it may just be the actors (out of the four guys I know who have played the roles, all were pretty feminine)

Oh and I LOVED being a very manly crapshooter in Guys and Dolls, even though I'm one of the girliest girls you'll ever meet. Playing guys is so much fun!

I have seen many a production where there is cross gender casting. I saw Godspell with a female Jesus. I saw Joseph with females as the brothers. Dont worry you'll pull it off. Prolly just use a fedora and some duck tape.

there is nothing i hate more than Guys and DIolls productions using a female Arvide and girls in the crapshooters dance.

Once on youtube, I saw a school with a female Sky...