“play it in a mask”
Cultural Context
Act 1,
Scene 2
Lines 41-44
Flute
Quince
There were no female actors in the Elizabethan period, so young boys played the female roles. Quince is saying that Flute's playing a woman won't pose a problem even though he’s starting to grow a beard because his character will hold a dainty mask in front of her face, something upper class ladies did when out in public to protect their privacy.