[qpidsangel]

Do you think the narrator could/should be played by a female?

[norayouadora]

I suppose it certainly could, as the Narrator isn't really romantically involved with anyone, and there are no overt references to his gender that couldn't be fixed. And at the very least, I guess it wouldn't pose a problem in the Jr. version. But really, but I don't think it should be; I wouldn't like it. I don't really like when changes are made to a show, period. Lol.

[what_the_heck013]

I don't see it as ANY problem. I think she would need to play it as a more goofy woman, though. Sort of an Angela Lansbury thing.

EDIT: I just got back from a production of ITW. It was interesting because the narrator was dressed more like and played the role more like Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream. It worked wonderfully.

[IwishIwasA]

It could be played by a female but I think its supposed to be a mna as he doubles up as the mysterious man who turns out to be Jacks dad, but otherwise dont see why not

[Baker]

It can work... only thing I see against is that the Narrator is the only man who dies... so by changing the Narrator to a woman, your making so that only women die in the show.

[Kaiana]

My friend is the narrator in our production and she's doing wonderfully. (We're not doubling her and mysterious man obviously.) She has this really great old radio drama voice that works perfectly.

[broadwaybaby124]

[ConverseSneaker]

[what_the_heck013]

I don't like the idea of multiple narrators... but I could see the show done very well with one female narrator telling the story to her children, adding to the whole "Children Will Listen" idea.

[ConverseSneaker]

I love that idea! What_the_heck, you may be on to something here!

[Baker]

[what_the_heck013]

[Ep-Griz-Reno]

whyis the narrator always an od man?!?!~

woops

old

not od

possibly odd

if i was ti id be odd

that' cause i feel like i'm the the titanic and aate cranberries and had sugar with the prime miister of georgias
zdfhkldmgh;m

opkay


oopss


okay?

[what_the_heck013]

Because Tom Aldredge originated the role on Broadway, and he was an old man so he couldn't really play it any other way than an old (odd) man. And almost every other subsequent production copies the original.

[ravenwork]

I am NOT and OLD man!



Well, I suppose that is a relatively term. I actually grew a goatee because I knew I had more gray hair there. So, the Aldredge effect is hitting me too.

There is a particular tension between the Narrator/Mysterious Man and the Witch that can only be achieved with a man and a woman. For instance, note how many times the Narrator accentuates the witches OLD age, and how the Witch tells him she doesn't like the way he is telling the story, and then proceeds to throw him to the Giant. I firmly believe the show is best done with a single male as the Narrator and Mysterious Man.

Opening in Reading, PA, on August 11, 2006, as the Narrator/Mysterious Man, with Reading Civic Theatre...

[broadwaybaby124]

^^HEY! I live near reading, pa...
To answer the question above, the "lead narrator" the one who gets the solo during ever after is the only one who does the giant scene. The rest of them wander about and simply disappear in the end because without the narrator leading them, they're nothing. Thats how it was explained to us. I'm not exactly thrilled at the idea either, but it worked out pretty well.

[ConverseSneaker]

Does it strike anyone odd that they're are two narrator threads?

[what_the_heck013]