Watch the Short Video of a historically accurate Elizabethean style performance (with an all male cast)
Read the short article "Costumes and Cosmetics."
Discuss with your group:
Now that you know that Romeo and Juliet was originally performed by male actors (and no women), how does that change how you think of this romantic play? Do you think it will change how you read and interpret the play? How might this impact how you see the women characters in the play (Juliet and the Nurse)?
In what ways do the characters follow gender roles that we still find relevant? What actions seem old fashioned and out of date?
Write down one thing you learned that surprised you or you wondered about.
