Plot: It's seventeenth century London, a time and place where it is illegal for women to be on the stage in it being considered lewd, any female considering such a whore. Ned Kynaston, a member of Thomas Betterton's theater company, is the most celebrated of the actors performing in women's roles, he currently performing in what is arguably his most famous role, that of Desdamona in Othello. He is a divo or diva as the case may be. Part of that attitude stems from he believing that there is no artistry in men performing in men's roles. In his years of training in inhabiting these women's roles, he has somewhat lost the balance in his life of being a man and a woman without really realizing it. His faithful dresser, Maria, loves everything about the theater and, using a stage name, has secretly started performing in an underground production of Othello in the Desdamona role, she having followed closely Kynaston's every move on stage. Ned and Maria's relationship as confidantes is threatened when it is generally discovered what Maria is doing, with frivolously minded King Charles II, in the process, ultimately decreeing that women and only women will be allowed to perform women's roles on stage in the novelty of the matter, Ned who considers such a proclamation an attack on his livelihood. Ned may not be able to survive such a change in his inherent beliefs. It is also threatened when Maria, who is secretly in love with Ned, discovers that Ned has been having a clandestine relationship with George Villiers II, the Duke of Buckingham. The continuation of Ned and Maria's relationship as one of confidantes and Ned being able to emerge from the other side as an intact human being may only be possible if Maria does admit to herself one fundamental aspect of herself as an actress.
Alternative Plot: Humble Maria (Claire Danes), who outfits top London theater star Ned Kynaston (Billy Crudup), takes none of the credit for the male actor's success at playing women. And because this is the 17th century, Maria, like other females, is prohibited from pursuing her dream of acting. But when powerful people support her, King Charles II (Rupert Everett) lifts the ban on female stage performers. And just as Maria aided Ned, she needs his help to learn her new profession.
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