The opera stage is a place of play and possibility, especially when it comes to the rules of gender. Women often portray men—or even depict men pretending to be women—delighting audiences with inversions and transformations that titillate, amuse, and often illuminate greater truths. DR. LAURENCE SENELICK, professor, actor, director, and author of the leading study of stage cross-dressing, delves into the rich tradition of gender-bending on the operatic stage, illustrated through musical examples performed by Boston Lyric Opera artists. With…