Swapping Genders in Lovecraft

[MediaGhost]

A comment by JulieH in another thread got me thinking (an unusual occurrence) about how a woman reader changes the tone in Lovecraft stories.  Having just seen the latest film treatment of Shakespear's "The Tempest", with Helen Mirren as "Prospera", this lead to another thought (two in one day!) about how swapping the genders of a character in many of Lovecraft stories would change the story's entire subtext.

Fer instance, listen to Julie's excellent reading of "The Outsider" (scroll down to the bottom of the page.)  After first hearing her rendition, it struck me that imagining the creature is, or had been, a woman, gives the story an extra frisson of creepiness - and all for just changing a few pronouns from "he" to "she!"

Similarly, try Morgan Scorpion's "From Beyond."  Making the protagonist a woman adds a whole new tension between the narrator and Tillinghast.

So, yeah, if you can do it with Shakespeare, why not Lovecraft?  Certainly the vast majority of swaps would be male-to-female since there's all of, oh, about two women characters in the stories.  But still, presuming the idea appeals, what other stories might benefit from a change in genders?

[JulieH]

There's a few females mentioned somewhere - Lavinia Whately,Mamie, Sally, and Miz Corey (Dunwich) the witch in the witch house, Asenath Whately (technically female), A couple of creepy ladies in the back story of Rats in the walls, A couple of daughters and an aunt in Innsmouth, and wives to several of the narrators of several stories - who get mentioned, but never by name, like Dan in Doorstep, Delapore in Rats, and Armitage in Dunwich.

Sorry - yes, I keep score.  LOL

You might also mention the Night Gallery renditions of Pickman's Model and Cool Air, both of which changed the protagonist into a female, and introduced some amount of romance.

[JulieH]

For me, though, I'm only doing a minor gender swap in Dunwich - crazy old Zebulon is becoming crazy old Widow Zebulon, since Rhys did such a good job reading the lines to cue people last weekend. 

If I do end up playing Armitage, I'll try and convince everyone I'm a guy...
LOL!

[MediaGhost]

You might also mention the Night Gallery renditions of Pickman's Model and Cool Air, both of which changed the protagonist into a female, and introduced some amount of romance.

That's right!  I'd forgotten all about those two episodes.  I thought it worked pretty well in Cool Air, but not so well in Pickman.  Possibly the difference was in the acting, it's been a while since I saw them.

For me, though, I'm only doing a minor gender swap in Dunwich - crazy old Zebulon is becoming crazy old Widow Zebulon, since Rhys did such a good job reading the lines to cue people last weekend. 

Outstanding!     That's an inspired idea!  I'd love to hear your take on the character.

[JulieH]

I think the reason the gender swaps in Night Gallery worked or not was that in Cool Air the Doctor was someone we could believe as a romantic lead, while Pickman is just ...creepy.

On the other hand, ladies love those bad boys...?

[In my Lovecraft 5 episodes, we're actually pretty sure Richard is gay.]

[TheMediocreYoungishOne -Tom-]

For those interested, here are the two episodes of "Night Gallery" mentioned earlier (via Hulu.com):

Pickman's Model

Cool Air

[Genus Unknown]

I don't really see how gender-switching changes anything about "The Outsider."

What about "The Shadow Over Innsmouth?" Turning Robert Olmstead into a woman suddenly puts a much more... "rapey" spin on the escape from Innsmouth.

[MediaGhost]

I don't really see how gender-switching changes anything about "The Outsider."

I dunno, really.  I guess it just surprised me.

What about "The Shadow Over Innsmouth?" Turning Robert Olmstead into a woman suddenly puts a much more... "rapey" spin on the escape from Innsmouth.

Holy Cats!  Yeah, I'd say that would definitely up the ick factor.  After all, Robert running from death at the hands of the fish people is bad enough, but "Roberta" running from possible forced breeding with fish people adds a whole 'nother level of desperation.  And then, when she starts turning into a fish person at the end....yipe!

[old book]

I liked the Night Gallery rewrites, but really, when you find yourself crawling on a thousand legs low to ground in a alien city built by and for such creatures on a stone world circling a blue sun against a celestial dome populated by wholly unrecognized constellations, gender swaps seem almost prosaic. Or maybe that's just me.

[Bob Lovecraft]

Holy Cats!  Yeah, I'd say that would definitely up the ick factor.  After all, Robert running from death at the hands of the fish people is bad enough, but "Roberta" running from possible forced breeding with fish people adds a whole 'nother level of desperation.  And then, when she starts turning into a fish person at the end....yipe!

Hey JulieH, what do you think? That really sounds like an idea that someone with your skills in production could really get behind and make truly frightening. What do you think? Willing to take a request from a fellow Cultist?

Bob

[MediaGhost]

Hey JulieH, what do you think? That really sounds like an idea that someone with your skills in production could really get behind and make truly frightening. What do you think? Willing to take a request from a fellow Cultist?

That's easily the best idea I've heard so far this millennium.  Add me to the petition. 

[old book]

But Julie, please, just switch one gender-role. No Old Crone Marsh please.

[MediaGhost]

For those interested, here are the two episodes of "Night Gallery" mentioned earlier (via Hulu.com):

Thanks, MYO!     I've been wanting to watch those two again.

[JulieH]

I'll consider Innsmouth for some time in the future - though I have had a "female view of deep ones" kind of story on one of my million back burners for quite some time that doesn't riff directly on the original - A group of chorines in the 1920s who get hired for a touring company of some big name broadway show, but are actually being put on a boat to  . . .  ya know.

I promise, if I end up playing Henry Armitage, he'll still be a guy.  I'll just have to really really work at it.  (but "very old dude", particularly "very old dude with accent" is a lot easier to be convincing at than any other kind of dude)
LOL
Frankly though, if I have to choose between my voice (and knowing how I want the character to sound, etc.) and giving the role to someone else just because of the chromosomes, when the performance won't satisfy me - I'll keep it. 

But I'm also playing Lavinia, since that's the role I wrote for myself. 
(and my brother is playing Wilbur - how creepy does that get)

Busy busy busy.....

[Bob Lovecraft]

(and my brother is playing Wilbur - how creepy does that get)

Considering where I grew up, I don't really find that creepy at all. I guess that says more about me than it does about your casting, huh?

Bob