Mental Health Effects of Performing Gender in Theatre and Dance

Gender has been an integral part of theatre and dance since its inception. In many cultures and styles of theatre women were not allowed to act, so men had to perform all roles including women. As theatre has grown and more people were allowed to act, plays often still have roles that are binarily categorized as male or female. Theatre and Dance have very specific visions and representation of gender, often split between male and female. These gendered aspects had me asking how, in modern day, embodying specific, sometimes stereotypical, gender roles affects performers and their mental health. Often people who do not fall into the gender binary have to build their own places, such as in drag or by creating their own theatre/dance. My research looked to get perspective from college students via an administered questionnaire and journal prompts to discuss their experiences with performing theatrically in assigned gender roles. Often people are comfortable playing roles that do not fit their specific gender roles but they find themselves most comfortable within roles that do not have a set gender expression.