Brutus and Other Heroines: Playing Shakespeare's Roles for Women

by Harriet Walter

Overview

Why didn’t Shakespeare write more roles for mature women? For Harriet Walter, the solution was to ignore the dictates of centuries of tradition, and to begin playing the mature male characters.

An exploration of the Shakespearean canon through the eyes of a self-identified "feminist actor" – but, above all, a remarkable account of an acting career unconstrained by tradition or expectations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781848422933
Publisher:	Theatre Communications Group
Publication date:	02/21/2017
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Harriet Walter is one of the most acclaimed actresses of her generation. She has played most of the great Shakespearean female roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as appearing at the Donmar Warehouse, the National Theatre, and in the West End and on Broadway.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Acknowledgements xi

1 Ophelia: A Case Study 1

2 Helena: Heroine or Harpy? 13

3 Portia, Viola(& Imogen): A Year of Playing Boys 23

4 Imogen: Peeling Back the Layers 49

5 Lady Macbeth: A Portrait of a Marriage 73

6 Beatrice: A Woman with a Past 107

7 Two Loves: Or, The Eternal Triangle 117

8 Cleopatra: The Consummate Actress 129

9 Brutus: The Honorary Man 155

10 Henry IV: 'Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown' 181

Epilogue: A Letter to Will 203

A Chronology of Shakespearean Performances 209