A Historical Misunderstanding

For years I'd heard stories and even saw references to it in pop culture about how sexist the theater industry was before the 17th century. I always thought it was creepy how they had men playing all the parts in the Globe Theater, even the female roles.

That is, until I read something surprising that was written by a Shakespeare geek over on Frock Flicks: https://frockflicks.com/twelfth-night-by-the-globe-theater/#

Get ready for a shocker here:

Using young boys to play the female roles was not, despite the quaint notions put forth by "Shakespeare in Love" and countless high school and college English and theater teacher/professors, the result of any law banning women from acting professionally on stage. Prepare to have your mind blown kiddies: It was NEVER illegal for women to act on stage in England. Because the London theater owners were trying to petition for the formation of a Theater Guild, and Guilds did not allow female members, the theater companies voluntarily emulated the guilds and did not cast women in their productions in hope that doing this would bolster their cause. But it was ONLY the London theater companies that made this stylistic choice. Outside London, women performed on stage all over the place up and down England.