Shakespeare’s plays were first performed at the Globe Theatre in London, only men were allowed to take part in the productions, as they were in religious rites. So when plays included female parts, the male actors would dress as women to fill the void. It’s in the theatre that the term “drag” is believed to have originated. When men played female parts, they would supposedly discuss how their costume dresses would “drag” across the floor. Drag began to take on more of an individual form of entertainment
HISTORY OF DRAG With its mainstream success, some may be surprised to learn that the history of drag as a form of entertainment dates back to Shakespearean times and for more utilitarian purposes. Indeed, the history of drag seems to be one inextricably tied to the theater, and before the theater of Shakespeare’s time, the stage was used for religious purposes. Drag, then, has a bit of history in the religious world.
But in the 17th century when
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