A womanless wedding is a traditional community "ritual of inversion" performance, popular in the United States in the early 20th century.[1][2] In this comic ritual, the all male cast would act out all roles of a traditional wedding party – including those of bridesmaids, flower girls, and the mother of the bride – while dressed in gowns and dresses.[3] The event often raised money for charities, civic organizations, and churches.[1]
The performances were so popular that scripts were developed around the idea, and the do-it-yourself theatrical productions were passed along from city to city.[1] Some of the stagings included impersonations of notable people, such as Henry Ford and Charlie Chaplin.[1] The performances were often performed by known groups, such as the Civilian Conservation Corps.[4]
npr-20150616
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: others (link)