<P> When an eighteen - year Puritan prohibition of drama was lifted after the English Restoration of 1660, women began to appear on stage in England . Margaret Hughes is oft credited as the first professional actress on the English stage . This prohibition ended during the reign of Charles II in part because he enjoyed watching actresses on stage . The first occurrence of the term actress was in 1608 according to the OED and is ascribed to Middleton . In the 19th century many viewed women in acting negatively, as actresses were often courtesans and associated with promiscuity . Despite these prejudices, the 19th century also saw the first female acting "stars", most notably Sarah Bernhardt . </P> <P> In Japan, onnagata, men taking on female roles, were used in kabuki theatre when women were banned from performing on stage during the Edo period . This convention continues . By contrast, some forms of Chinese drama involve women playing all roles . </P> <P> In modern times, women occasionally played the roles of prepubescent boys . For example, the stage role of Peter Pan is traditionally played by a woman, as are most principal boys in British pantomime . Opera has several "breeches roles" traditionally sung by women, usually mezzo - sopranos . Examples are Hansel in Hänsel und Gretel, Cherubino in The Marriage of Figaro and Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier . </P> <P> Women playing male roles are uncommon in film, with notable exceptions . In 1982, Stina Ekblad played the mysterious Ismael Retzinsky in Fanny and Alexander, and Linda Hunt received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Billy Kwan in The Year of Living Dangerously . In 2007, Cate Blanchett was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Jude Quinn, a fictionalized representation of Bob Dylan in the 1960s, in I'm Not There . </P>

How many actors would appear on the greek stage