The Sword and the Gown
a comedy
After a masculine career as a soldier, diplomat and secret agent, the Chevalier d’Éon decides to become a woman. But surely a woman shouldn’t have to wear a dress.
CAST
The play may be performed by 8 actors.
(1 trans female, 3 female, 1 trans male, 3 male)
DOUBLING AND GENDERS
The author had the following doubling and genders in mind for the actors.
D’Éon: mature trans female.
Maria/Angelica/Kitty/Rose/Charlotte/Rosalie/Mrs. Bateman: young female.
George/Thomas/Drouet/Beaumarchais/Jacob: young or mature male.
Joseph/Poodle/Jack: young male.
Henry/Dauphin/Mary/Hermaphrodite/Louis/Charles/Madeleine/Léonard: young trans male.
Phoebe/Joan/Lydia/Marie-Antoinette/Primrose/Louise/Marie-Thérèse: young female.
Mrs. Cole/Comtesse de Maurepas/Betsy/Meg/Sophie/Françoise: mature female.
John/Bentham/Broglie/Horace/Fanny: mature male.
CAST
The play may be performed by 8 actors.
(1 trans female, 3 female, 1 trans male, 3 male)
DOUBLING AND GENDERS
The author had the following doubling and genders in mind for the actors.
D’Éon: mature trans female.
Maria/Angelica/Kitty/Rose/Charlotte/Rosalie/Mrs. Bateman: young female.
George/Thomas/Drouet/Beaumarchais/Jacob: young or mature male.
Joseph/Poodle/Jack: young male.
Henry/Dauphin/Mary/Hermaphrodite/Louis/Charles/Madeleine/Léonard: young trans male.
Phoebe/Joan/Lydia/Marie-Antoinette/Primrose/Louise/Marie-Thérèse: young female.
Mrs. Cole/Comtesse de Maurepas/Betsy/Meg/Sophie/Françoise: mature female.
John/Bentham/Broglie/Horace/Fanny: mature male.
Opening monologue published in WE/US: Monologues for the Gender Minority (Smith & Kraus, 2022)