Specialist in Cross-dressed Roles in Modern Japanese Theatre

ROZWALKA, Zuzana. Specialist in Cross-dressed Roles in Modern Japanese Theatre. In 9th Annual Conference on Cultural and Social Anthropology of East Asia 2015. 2015.

Basic information

• Original name: Specialist in Cross-dressed Roles in Modern Japanese Theatre
• Name in Czech: Specialisté na cross-genderové role v moderním japonském divadle
• Authors: ROZWALKA, Zuzana.
• Edition: 9th Annual Conference on Cultural and Social Anthropology of East Asia 2015, 2015.

Other information

• Original language: English
• Type of outcome: Conference abstract
• Field of Study: Art, architecture, cultural heritage
• Country of publisher: Czech Republic
• Confidentiality degree: is not subject to a state or trade secret
• WWW: Stránky konference
• Organization unit: Faculty of Arts
• Keywords (in Czech): japonské divadlo; onnagata; otokoyaku; cross-genderové role; Takarazuka
• Keywords in English: Japanese Theatre; onnagata; otokoyaku; cross-gender roles; Takarazuka
• Tags: International impact

Abstract

In most countries it has been a matter of course to see men on stage in female roles for a number of centuries. In Japan this practice has been preserved to this day, together with traditional noh and kabuki theatres. The emergence of the modern theatre however brought with it the need for actresses. Together with the appearance of these actresses on the Japanese stage there came a new phenomenon. The Takarazuka Revue was born, in which women appeared in male roles. These specialists in male roles are known as otokoyaku, and in Japan they enjoy the popularity of pop stars. At present it is also possible to encounter men who specialise in female roles beyond the framework of the traditional theatre. These specialists, known as gendai onnagata in Japanese, are individuals who perceived these roles as presenting a challenge to their acting abilities. My analysis focuses primarily on the manner of representing the opposite sex, and attempts to relate this both to the traditional theatre and to compare these representations between themselves.

Abstract (in Czech)

Ve většině zemí na světě se v určitém období historie na jevištích divadel objevili muži v ženských rolích. V Japonsku byla tato praxe zachována do současnosti spolu s tradičními divadly no a kabuki. Počátek moderního divadla si však postupně vyžádal angažmá hereček. Společně s prvními herečkami se objevil nový fenomén - ženy v mužských rolích. V divadle Takarazuka se specialistky na mužské role, tzv. otokoyaku, těší popularitě rovné popovým hvězdám. Zároveň je možné narazit na muže, kteří se specializují na ženské role mimo rámec tradičního divadla. Má analýza se primárně věnuje způsobu reprezentace opačného pohlaví/genderu a pokouší se srovnat jejich přístup s performancí v tradičním divadle a zároveň tyto fenomény porovnat mezi sebou.