Women as Men, Men as Women : Cross-dressing in Japanese Theatre

ROZWALKA, Zuzana. Women as Men, Men as Women : Cross-dressing in Japanese Theatre. Dálný východ. Olomouc: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2016, vol. 6, No 2, p. 13-28. ISSN 1805-1049.

Basic information

Original name

Women as Men, Men as Women : Cross-dressing in Japanese Theatre

Name in Czech

Ženy jako muži, muži jako ženy : crossgenderové herectví v japonském divadle

Authors

ROZWALKA, Zuzana (203 Czech Republic, guarantor, belonging to the institution)

Edition

Dálný východ, Olomouc, Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci, 2016, 1805-1049

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Other information

Language

English

Type of outcome

Článek v odborném periodiku

Field of Study

60403 Performing arts studies

Country of publisher

Czech Republic

Confidentiality degree

není předmětem státního či obchodního tajemství

References:

URL

RIV identification code

RIV/00216224:14210/16:00100446

Organization unit

Faculty of Arts

Keywords (in Czech)

crossgenderové role; onnagata; otokoyaku; japonské divadlo; kabuki; Takarazuka; herečky

Keywords in English

cross-dressing; onnagata; otokoyaku; Japanese Theatre; kabuki; Takarazuka; actresses

Tags

rivok

Tags

International impact

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Abstract

V originále

Cross-dressing in Japanese theatre is usually associated with the traditional kabuki theatre and its impersonators of female roles, the onnagata or oyama. At some historical period, women were played by men in many western countries. However, in Japan, women were introduced (or reintroduced) to the stage at the turn of the 20th century and the onnagata tradition was firmly rooted to the extent that there was a wide debate about the legitimacy of actresses. However, actresses gradually replaced female impersonators and the tradition became perceived as an element of “traditional theatre”. This still being a new phenomenon, Takarazuka revue was founded and new cross-dressing tradition was born. In this paper, I would like to explore the development of cross-dressing on stage and representation of the opposite or different gender in modern Japanese theatre. I shall describe the development during the Meiji era and then present modern examples of cross-gender actors. In this paper, I shall examine male impersonators of Takarazuka revue and their construction of male gender and subsequently introduce individuals performing as the onnagata in the framework of the modern and contemporary theatre.