New Calgary show flips gender stereotypes: ‘a topsy-turvy world’

Some talented Calgarians are taking the stage hoping to shift people’s perspectives.

Offering a comic look at a serious subject, cast and crew are teaming up for the Alberta premiere of the play Beautiful Man. The show takes a satirical look at gender stereotypes in film and television.

“It’s a topsy-turvy world, where the women hold more power,” actor Meg Farhall said.

That “topsy-turvy world” depicts what happens when traditional roles are reversed.

“The power dynamic is flipped,” actor Linda Kee said. “It mirrors how men speak about women, allowing ourselves to see things from different perspectives.”

Beautiful Man was written by Canadian playwright Erin Shields.

“It’s looking at this idea of what if men were objectified the way women are,” director Clare Preuss said. “But when you see it in the context of men being objectified, I think it becomes really clear how odd it is.”

The play is being co-presented by Calgary theatre companies Downstage, Handsome Alice and Verb Theatre.

“So much media is centred towards men, the male story and the male gaze,” actor Joel David Taylor said. “It’s so ingrained in our society that you don’t even think about it until it’s shown to you face-to-face.”

Beautiful Man runs Feb. 29 through March 10 at the Motel Theatre in the Arts Commons complex in downtown Calgary.

“Maybe some people will walk away and be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t realize that’ or ‘Oh, I’d like to be a bit more mindful of that’,” actor Katelyn Morishita said. “Or ‘I wish things would shift. How can I be part of that shift’?”

People involved in the production are hoping it’ll get audience members thinking in different ways about gender roles.

“We can hopefully break down some stereotypes, so that it creates more connection and understanding,” Kee said.