244:, both female and male, in the United States became highly successful performing artists in nightclubs and theaters. There was a concerted effort by these working female impersonators in America, to separate the art of female impersonation from queer identity with an overt representation of working female impersonators as heterosexual. Some of the performers were in fact cisgender men, but others were closeted due to the politics and social environment of the period. It was criminal in many American cities to be homosexual, or for LGBTQ people to congregate, and it was therefore necessary for female impersonators to distance themselves from identifying as queer in order to avoid criminal charges. The need to hide queer identity was prevalent among female impersonators working in non-LGBTQ nightclubs before heteronormative audiences from the early 1900s to as late as the 1970s.
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138:. In ancient western cultures, women often were not allowed to perform onstage or become actors, therefore male actors played the roles of women also. This demonstrates how female impersonation can be traced back to the earliest forms of entertainment and spectacle. Not only this, but men and boys were expected to dress as women, or in drag, for many religious ceremonies and rituals in Ancient Greece.
224:
In the 19th century and early 20th century minstrel show female impersonators did not attempt to present the illusion of femininity, but rather lampooned cisgender women through a comic representation of women that did not attempt to completely remove the actor's masculine physical traits. Minstrel
291:
With vaudeville becoming more popular, it allowed female impersonators to become popular as well. Many female impersonators started with low comedy in vaudeville and worked their way up to perform as the prima donna. They were known to perform song and dance routines with multiple outfit changes.
205:
was used in a racist form of entertainment where the performers would mock
African American men, but as time went on they found it amusing to mock African American women as well. They performed in comedic skits, dances, and "wench" songs. Black people themselves were largely excluded from being
267:
shows of the late 1800s to the early 1900s. In addition to the "wench players", minstrel shows developed the role of "prima donnas", who appeared more elegant and refined while still retaining their comedic elements. While the "wenches" were purely
American creations, the "prima donnas" were
288:, began to appear in vaudeville. This type of performer did not use humor to denigrate women, but rather attempted to celebrate women by presenting a realistic looking woman in tasteful fashions of the period.
760:
510:
117:, and perceive drag as something that is not limited to the stage or to performance. In contrast, female impersonation is specifically limited to performance and may or may not involve an
753:"Minstrel Songs | Popular Songs of the Day | Musical Styles | Articles and Essays | The Library of Congress Celebrates the Songs of America | Digital Collections | Library of Congress"
141:
There is some controversy as to whether this is actually where drag emerged, or if it occurred later in history, in the 19th century with forms of entertainment such as
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752:
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At this time being a female impersonator was seen as something for the straight white male, and any deviation was punished. However, African-American comedian
284:, vaudeville's broad comedy and music expanded the audience from minstrelsy. Near the end of the 19th century a new type of female impersonation, the
355:. He performed at the Grand Opera House and Central Theater, among other venues, went on tour with United Vaudeville, and later appeared in the film
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502:
438:
43:
390:. Both the minstrelsy and vaudeville eras of female impersonation led to an association with music, dance, and comedy that still lasts today.
93:
is a type of theatrical performance where a man dresses in women's clothing for the sole purpose of entertaining an audience. While the term
640:
221:, performance troupes began to be composed of Black performers. The shows maintained popularity in American entertainment into the 1920s.
225:
show female impersonators often employed sexist and racist stereotypes within bawdy humor to make fun of women, often in black women, in
853:
882:
611:
Boag, Peter (2012). "Chapter 2: "I Have Done My Part In
Winning the West": Unveiling the Female to Male Crossdresser".
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343:(1913), which provided beauty and fashion tips, and he posed for corset and cosmetics advertisements. Meanwhile, in
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Drag!: Male and Female
Impersonators on Stage, Screen, and Television: An Illustrated World History
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356:
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662:
Behind the Burnt Cork Mask: Early
Blackface Minstrelsy and Antebellum American Popular Culture
51:
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was a celebrated blackface female impersonator who performed under the name Master Floyd in
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and
Shakespeare's plays, as he often incorporated male actors as female impersonators.
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The evolution of female impersonation and drag in the United States was influenced by
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The concept of drag can be seen in the earliest forms of entertainment, including
113:. Additionally, many drag artists view drag as a lived form of self-expression or
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performers as at this point in history. Blackface in minstrel shows emerged in
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Inside the minstrel mask: readings in nineteenth century blackface minstrelsy
383:
344:
328:
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171:
142:
360:
174:. The term female impersonator was in wide use during the 19th century in
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Female
Impersonation in Nineteenth-Century American Blackface Minstrelsy
399:
297:
264:
230:
179:
114:
98:
897:
Wilmeth, Don B.; Miller, Tice L. (1996). "Male/Female
Impersonation".
503:"In Ancient Greece, Children Wearing Drag Was a Religious Obligation!"
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known as "wench" and "dame" roles. These roles were performed by both
784:"Gender Crossings; Female Impersonations In American Entertainment".
409:
234:
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to refer to a specific type of performer in minstrel shows and later
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The broad comedic stylings of the minstrel shows helped develop the
213:, but became more established with the creation of the character of
404:
379:
296:, who was known for portraying gossipy old Irish women, started in
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187:
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inspired by both
American and European cross-dressing shows, like
198:'s Nightingales; a leading minstrel show of the 1850s and 1860s.
815:
Glitter and
Concrete: A Cultural History of Drag in New York City
101:, they are not the same. Drag as an art form is associated with
118:
259:
as a female impersonator in the Fascinating Widow, early 1910s
105:
whereas female impersonation may come from a wide a range of
473:"History of Drag: From Antic Greece to RuPaul's Drag Race"
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and in some rare cases openly non-heterosexual. The actor
959:
Wide Open Town: A History of Queer San Francisco to 1965
547:
Wide-Open Town: A History of Queer San Francisco to 1965
312:
in 1902. Other vaudeville female impersonators included
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eventually led to the decline of vaudeville during the
584:
Historical Dictionary of Contemporary American Theater
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stage performing as a woman. He published a magazine,
247:
162:
Samuel S. Sanford, a blackface female impersonator in
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Bordman, Gerald (2001). "The Doings of Mrs. Dooley".
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found success, and he eventually made his way to the
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877:. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland & Company, 1994.
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757:Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
304:star; portraying the title role in the musical
217:, which was first performed in 1828. After the
724:"Blackface: the Sad History of Minstrel Shows"
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186:heterosexual men, and by queer men who were
40:The examples and perspective in this article
892:
890:
848:. Hanover, NH London: Wesleyan Univ. Press.
641:"Deaths In the Profession; Thomas L. Moxley"
813:Goodman, Elyssa Maxx (2023). "Chapter 4".
370:found success as a female impersonator on
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78:Learn how and when to remove this message
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899:The Cambridge Guide to American Theatre
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351:was the top female impersonator of the
300:in the late 19th century, and became a
280:of African Americans, and an influx of
97:is sometimes used interchangeably with
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229:. This type of humor continued on the
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201:These shows were an example of how
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437:French, Sarah (13 April 2017).
125:History of female impersonation
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617:University of California Press
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320:as the Widow Bedotte, and the
240:In the twentieth century some
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842:Bean, Annemarie, ed. (1996).
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331:, famous female impersonator
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932:Oxford University Press, USA
666:University of Illinois Press
660:Mahar, William John (1999).
649:. 12 July 1890. p. 279.
176:theater in the United States
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955:Boyd, Nan Alamilla (2003).
544:Boyd, Nan Alamilla (2003),
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324:who portrayed Irish maids.
54:, discuss the issue on the
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903:Cambridge University Press
786:Queering the Popular Pitch
242:cross-gender impersonators
341:Magazine and Beauty Hints
306:The Doings of Mrs. Dooley
694:Bean, Annemarie (2001),
507:Tales of Times Forgotten
357:Yankee Doodle in Berlin
582:Fisher, James (2021).
440:Staging Queer Feminism
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164:Sanford's Opera Troupe
445:Palgrave Macmillan UK
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136:Ancient Greek theatre
109:paradigms, including
991:Female impersonators
819:Hanover Square Press
790:Taylor & Francis
646:The New York Clipper
359:(1919), produced by
91:Female impersonation
60:create a new article
52:improve this article
42:may not represent a
873:Moore, F. Michael.
700:New York University
95:female impersonator
378:. Connection with
286:female illusionist
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18:Female illusionist
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728:AMERICAN HERITAGE
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111:heteronormativity
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511:Archived
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415:Travesti
405:Onnagata
394:See also
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372:Broadway
337:Broadway
302:Broadway
274:castrati
215:Jim Crow
188:closeted
50:You may
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