So the basis of my stage play is: A woman is about to commit suicide, but Death talks her out of it, offering to switch places with her.

The problem? I'm not sure how to pull this off. So far I have it that the woman simply wears Death's black cloak and pale makeup, but I'm not sure how to portray Death in the woman's role, other than not wear pale makeup. He can't exactly dress in drag--as funny as that would be--and I still need some way of making it clear that each of them have switched bodies/roles.

Any suggestions, ideas, or opinions would be great! Thank you.

It's not an option just to have the actors switch roles?

-- Laura

Well, you could have Death not be costumed in a weird and creepy way, but rather in a similar way to the suicide, then when they switch, it is simply accepted that they switch. The audience is told (through dialogue) that the woman is now death, so she is. Then the female actor plays death and the male actor plays the suicide.

Alternately, it might be interesting for the actors for the one playing death to become the woman simply by adopting her mannerisms and reacting in the ways that she would, and vice-versa, without anything physical changing. Just be sure to make explicit what is happening, or the audience will be very confused.