DOCSLIB.ORG

Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Takarazuka: Sexual Politics and Popular Culture in Modern Japan Takarazuka: sexual politics and popular culture in modern Japan http://quod.lib.umich.edu.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/cgi/t/text/te... TAKARAZUKA: SEXUAL POLITICS AND POPULAR CULTURE IN MODERN JAPAN Jennifer Robertson, 2008, c1998. Contents Reviews Catalog Record Save citation « PREV NEXT » 4: Fan Pathology The cartoon: A young woman, a Takarazuka fan, lies in bed, crying. Her worried mother, wearing a kimono, stands next to her, and a mustached doctor looks on. A heart-shaped thought-bubble above the bed contains the image of an angelic musumeyaku on the silver bridge. The fan reaches out to touch her idol's shoe. Mother: Your fever is really high. Let the doctor examine you Daughter: No! I'm feverish because yesterday I touched the Waltz Princess! [1] "Takarazuka manga" 1935:59 The cartoon: A Takarazuka finale. A young couple is sitting in the audience; the woman is clapping wildly. Her boyfriend mutters: "There she goes again. I wish she were even half that excited with me." "Takarazuka manga" 1935:62 FANDOM [para. 297-299] 297 [Page 139] The discourse of fandom and its perceived pathology has a long history in Japan, and in this century it has emerged most notably in public debates about the relationship between sexuality and modernity. I shall trace the jagged contours of fandom in Japan since the 1910s, when the loanword "fan" (fuan) entered popular parlance. Others have written about Kabuki devotees in the Edo period (Matsudaira 1984; Raz 1983); but female fans in particular were a prominent site for and target of social criticism in the early twentieth century. 298 We have already seen how the return of females to the public stage prompted several contradictory but overlapping arguments about gender and sexuality whose core themes included the masculinizing influence of the all-female revue on Japanese girls and women, on the one hand, and the national vigor represented by the all-female revue on the other. We shall now consider the conditions and patterns of spectatorship that provoked such heated debate. When useful and rel [Page 140] evant, I shall draw connections between the Japanese and Euro- American analyses and theories of pathologies of fandom for the purposes of comparison—many Japanese writers themselves, past and present, have done the same. [2] 299 The operations of fandom have been described by John Fiske in terms of the semiotic productivity of fans, whereby new meanings, knowledges, texts, and identities are produced, accumulated, and circulated among fans as a form of popular cultural capital (see Fiske 1989, 1992). To paraphrase Henry Jenkins, revue fans are consumers who also produce, readers who also write, and spectators who also perform (Jenkins 1992a:2o8). I shall return to these observations in the next chapter, where I discuss fan letters and magazines, but the semiotic productivity of fandom is not limited to closed communities of fans. The history of the Takarazuka Revue has been marked by a constant struggle between competing parties of fans, Revue administrators, state ideologues, and social critics. Whereas the Revue has attempted to contain, neutralize, and incorporate the desires of fans, fans have attempted to release, recontextualize, and "excorporate" the Revue's many registers of symbolic and allegorical meaning (Fiske 1992:47). DISCIPLINING AUDIENCES [para. 300-302] 300 In 1916, two years after Takarazuka's inaugural stage show, an article was published in Fujin Zasshi (Women's Magazine) on theater etiquette for women. The author, Matsumoto Haruko, resurrects the theater as a legitimate social space for women but decries the rude behavior of female theatergoers, a theme echoed over the next several decades by social critics, some of whose commentaries we examined in the previous chapter. While lauding theater attendance as an efficacious way for Japanese women "to expand their interests, soften their emotions, and cultivate character," Matsumoto sharply criticizes these women for their "shameful manners": Today, the most obvious bad habit of female theatergoers is now often they leave their seats during a performance. To be sure, they may be leaving to take care of an urgent condition; nevertheless, they block everyone's view when they get up and walk brazenly across the stage. This is extremely rude both to the actors, who are deeply involved in the performance, and to the director.... When Westerners cross in front of someone they always excuse themselves...; [Page 141] Japanese women never utter a word of apology.... Just because someone has bought a ticket does not mean that she has a right to do whatever strikes her fancy. The theater is a society in its own right whose social order cannot be maintained unless members of the audience practice self-respect and show some concern for others. (Matsumoto H. 1916:131,133) 301 Like many of her contemporaries, Matsumoto regarded the theater as both a microcosm of 1 of 16 16-03-03 6:41 PM Takarazuka: sexual politics and popular culture in modern Japan http://quod.lib.umich.edu.ezp-prod1.hul.harvard.edu/cgi/t/text/te... society and an arena for representing the "civilizing process" and propagating social norms, concepts that were further developed thirty years later by proponents of the Citizens' Theater Movement. She nonetheless complains that theater's normalizing potential is lost on Japanese women, who have no peers in rudeness and inconsiderate behavior. As soon as the curtain closes, several hundred women dash into the hall and head for the bathroom; the sight of women fighting to get in line is a far from pretty scene. Western women never use toilets outside their homes, and, if necessary, will refrain from urinating for half and even an entire day. But Japanese women are overly attached to the bathroom; some rush just to wash their hands and dab on perfume.... Most women leave the theater before the performance is over even if there is no reason to hurry— they save five or ten minutes at most. This is thoughtless behavior. In rushing out, they often leave behind their personal belongings or injure themselves.... Some women go to the theater just to show off to others; they are the types who grow restless during the performance and spend their time gawking at other women's kimonos. (132) 302 Matsumoto contrasts Japanese women unfavorably to their Western counterparts with regard to theater protocol and bathroom practices. Of course, the "Western women" invoked do not really exist but rather constitute a fictitious foil— a local invention— against which Japanese women's poor spectatorship is measured and criticized. [3] "The West" in general appears again and again in Japanese theater criticism of the early twentieth century, invoking not particular countries and cultural areas but rather a metaphor for both desirable and undesirable social precedents and cultural transformations in Japan (cf. Takaoka N. 1943). Unlike Matsumoto, other social critics reacted negatively to what they interpreted as the "masculinizing" effect of Western institutions on Japanese women (e.g. Tachibana 189o). And [Page 142] as we read in chapter 2, one sexologist claimed in a newspaper interview that Japanese women's recent interest in assuming a masculine guise was fostered and reinforced by the revue theater and foreign films (Hori Kentarō, quoted in "Dansō hi ari" 1935). Whereas Matsumoto perceived Japanese women to be unfeminine theater spectators compared to those in the West, some of her contemporaries believed that the Western-style theater compromised the traditional femininity of Japanese women. These diametrically opposed opinions characterized the dynamics of the larger debate in which they were cast: namely, the controversy about gendered social spaces that accompanied the formal return of females to the public stage. Although Matsumoto did not single out a particular type of theater, her critique of female spectatorship was echoed in the rash of satirical reporting a few years later on zealous fans of the all-female revues. FANNING DESIRE [para. 303-306] 303 The cross-dressed Takarasiennes clinched the popular appeal of the avant-garde Revue among a very broad, multigenerational, mixed-sex audience in the first half of this century. Since the 1950s and especially today, in large part due to competing forms of mass entertainment, the Takarazuka Revue has attracted a much more specialized audience— the majority now are adult women, married and in their thirties or older. But even in the 1930s not a few revue reporters observed that "the majority of Revue fans range in age from forty to fifty years of age, and include widows and affluent married women" (Haruno 1936:242). This information about the Revue's audience calls into question the prevailing but unsubstantiated notion that the allfemale revue from the start has appealed exclusively to young, unmarried women, and especially to teenage girls. 304 Social critics regarded young women and teenage girls as the most visible and problematic of theater audiences. They were categorized under the rubric shojo, which, as discussed in chapter 2, was the term for girls and women between puberty and marriage. In my view, the novel spectacle of the players of men's roles and not actual fan practices has shaped the popular (and mistaken) perception that the allfemale revue is attractive to shojo exclusively. The benign rationale for this "fact" was that the all-female revue theater provided a safe outlet [Page 143] for the budding passions of teenage girls and young women until they were older and their sexual desires had matured and shifted "naturally" to anatomically correct men. This rationale has persisted into the postwar period among writers sympathetic to the Revue. Obviously, it was and remains more difficult for critics who take for granted both heterosexuality and the "natural" alignment of sex, gender, and sexuality to even conceive that, much less explain why, adult— and especially married— females should be attracted to the otokoyaku.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Tezuka Dossier.Indd
    Dossier de premsa Organitza Col·labora Del 31 d’octubre del 2019 al 6 de gener del 2020 Organitza i produeix: FICOMIC amb la col·laboració del Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya Comissari: Stéphane Beaujean Sala d’exposicions temporals 2 Astro Boy © Tezuka productions • El mangaka Osamu Tezuka, també conegut com a Déu del Manga per la seva immensa aportació a la vinyeta japonesa, és el protagonista d’una exposició que es podrà veure durant gairebé un parell de mesos al Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, i que està integrada per gairebé 200 originals d’aquest autor. • L’exposició ha estat produïda per FICOMIC gràcies a l’estreta col·laboració amb el Mu- seu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Tezuka Productions i el Festival de la Bande Desinneè d’Angulema. Osamu Tezuka, el Déu del Manga és una mostra sense precedents al nos- tre país, que vol donar a conèixer de més a prop l’obra d’un creador vital per entendre l’evolució del manga després de la Segona Guerra Mundial, i també a un dels autors de manga més prestigiosos i prolífi cs a nivell mundial. • Osamu Tezuka, el Déu del Manga es podrà visitar a partir del 31 d’octubre d’aquest any, coincidint amb l’inici de la 25a edició del Manga Barcelona, fi ns al 6 de gener de 2020. 3 Fénix © Tezuka productions Oda a Kirihito © Tezuka productions El còmic al Museu Nacional Aquest projecte forma part de l’acord de col·laboració entre FICOMIC i el Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya gràcies al qual també es va produir l’exposició Corto Maltés, de Juan Díaz Canales i Rubén Pellejero, o la més recent El Víbora.
    [Show full text]
  • The Aesthetics of Takarazuka: a Case Study on Erizabēto – Ai to Shi No Rondo
    The aesthetics of Takarazuka: a case study on Erizabēto – ai to shi no rondo A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in Japanese Department of Japanese University of Canterbury By Daniela Florentina Mageanu 2015 1 Contents Acknowledgements .......................................................................................................... 4 Abstract ............................................................................................................................. 5 Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 1 ............................................................................................................................ 1.1 Takarazuka brief background .................................................................................. 8 1.2 Elisabeth – an introduction ..................................................................................... 9 1.3 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Literature review ................................................................................................... 14 Chapter 2 ............................................................................................................................ 2.1 Early beginnings of the Takarazuka Revue ........................................................... 29 2.2 Takarazuka – war
    [Show full text]
  • Transcending Genders in the Takarazuka Theatre and Japanese Popular Culture
    4 Female Masculinity and Fantasy Spaces: Transcending Genders in the Takarazuka Theatre and Japanese Popular Culture Karen Nakamura and Hisako Matsuo A young man stands in front of the ocean dreaming of the adventures he will have. A young woman in a café opens the lid of the feminine waste receptacle and sees the end of her life. (Sh_jo Kamen [The Young Girl’s Mask]; Kara 1970) INTRODUCTION In a volume that concerns itself primarily with alternative images of male masculinity in Japan, this chapter looks at female masculinity as found in the Takarazuka Theatre and related genres of popular culture featuring heroines and heroes who transcend gender categories. We argue that the particular forms of female masculinity found in the contemporary Takarazuka Theatre, sh_jo (young girl) culture, manga (comic books) and anime (animation) create a space where both female and male fans, regardless of their sexual orientations, can temporarily transcend their everyday gender expectations and roles. These, and Takarazuka in particular, are in essence a special type of asexual, agendered space created through the actor--fan relationship. In order to understand how this happens, we need to analyze the nature of this relationship on the stage as well as the particular details of the performance of female masculinity in the creation of these fantasy spaces. Karen Nakamura and Hisako Matsuo 129 In this chapter, we first discuss how female masculinity has been theorized in the West by feminist scholars. Differentiating ourselves from those studies by our interest in non-lesbian female masculinity, we introduce the Takarazuka Theatre and its highly organized fan clubs.
    [Show full text]
  • Musumeyaku Revisited
    MUSUMEYAKU REVISITED Gendered Significance and Marketing of the Takarazuka Revue Program: Asian Studies, Leiden University Degree: Master 120 Thesis Supervisor: Dr. A. Ezawa Student: Siyu (Angela) Chen 1233696 Academic Year: 2016-2017 Word count: 14,032 1 INDEX 1. Introduction 3 2. The Appeal of Takarazuka 5 2.1 The Takarazuka Revue 2.2 The Otokoyaku – A Monopoly of Affection 2.3 The Musumeyaku – In the Shadow of the Spotlights 2.4 The Study of the Musumeyaku – The Musumeyaku-Ron 3. Research 21 3.1 Case Study - The Marketing of Musumeyaku in Theatre 3.2 Case Study - Purchasable Commodities 3.3 Case Study - The Portrayal of Musumeyaku in Printed Media 4. Discussion & Conclusion 44 5. Bibliography 46 2 1. INTRODUCTION Sugar, spice and everything nice – the Takarazuka Revue’s extravaganza and glittery dreams are well known within the theatre world. The Takarazuka Revue is a theatre group founded by Kobayashi Ichizou in 1914. Characteristic of the Takarazuka Revue is that all roles – women, men, children, etc. – are played by unmarried, female performers. Ever since Takarazuka’s popularity boom in the seventies, the Revue enjoys an ever-growing love of its vast fandom. Takarazuka’s great popularity is generally attributed to its male-role actresses; over the years they have allegedly come to almost monopolise the fans’ affection and are celebrated as inspirational beacons and an important source of empowerment. For many fans, it is no exaggeration to say that this theatre is their escape from patriarchal oppressions. Although Takarazuka is considered a source of female empowerment by its predominantly female fans, it is likewise arguable that the Revue’s traditions and organisation have been inherently patriarchal.
    [Show full text]
  • Cross-Gender Performance in Kabuki and Takarazuka a Master's Thesis
    Gender-Bending Roles in Japanese Theater: Cross-Gender Performance in Kabuki and Takarazuka A Master’s Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the School of Humanities for the Degree of Master’s in Music Studies (Arts and Culture) Department of Musicology by Jessie M. Bodell Amsterdam, The Netherlands June 2018 Supervisor: Barbara Titus Instead of saying that all gender is this or all gender is that, let's recognize that the word gender has scores of meaning built into it. It's an amalgamation of bodies, identities, and life experiences, subconscious urges, sensations, and behaviors, some of which develop organically, and others which are shaped by language and culture. Instead of saying that gender is any one single thing, let's start describing it as a holistic experience. ―S. Bear Bergman and Kate Bornstein, Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation i Contents Introduction....................................................................................................................................1 Chapter 1: Kabuki..........................................................................................................................8 Chapter 2: Takarazuka................................................................................................................18 Chapter 3: Kata............................................................................................................................30 The Voice.......................................................................................................................................36
    [Show full text]
  • Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies English Selection
    Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies English Selection 5 | 2016 New Perspectives on Japan’s Performing Arts Electronic version URL: https://journals.openedition.org/cjs/1164 DOI: 10.4000/cjs.1164 ISSN: 2268-1744 Publisher INALCO Electronic reference Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies, 5 | 2016, “New Perspectives on Japan’s Performing Arts” [Online], Online since 01 January 2016, connection on 08 July 2021. URL: https:// journals.openedition.org/cjs/1164; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/cjs.1164 This text was automatically generated on 8 July 2021. Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Editorial Note Dan Fujiwara Introduction Pascal Griolet Kabuki’s Early Ventures onto Western Stages (1900‑1930):Tsutsui Tokujirō in the footsteps of Kawakami and Hanako Jean‑Jacques Tschudin Gagaku, Music of the Empire:Tanabe Hisao and musical heritage as national identity Seiko Suzuki Questioning Women’s Prevalence in Takarazuka Theatre:The Interplay of Light and Shadow Claude Michel‑Lesne A history of Japanese striptease Éric Dumont and Vincent Manigot Cipango - French Journal of Japanese Studies, 5 | 2016 2 Editorial Note Dan Fujiwara 1 The current issue consists of four translated essays written all originally published in issues 20 and 21 of Cipango. Other essays not translated here are detailed in the “Introduction” by Pascal Griolet, who supervised and edited the two issues on Japanese performing arts. 2 One of the authors, Jean‑Jacques Tschudin, an eminent specialist of Japanese theatre and well‑known translator of Japanese literature, passed away in 2013.
    [Show full text]
  • Shakespeare and Casting in Japan1
    Multicultural Shakespeare: Translation, Appropriation and Performance vol. 22 (37), 2020; https://doi.org/10.18778/2083-8530.22.06 Kitamura Sae How Should You Perform and Watch Othello and Hairspray in a Country Where You Could Never Hire Black Actors? Shakespeare and Casting in Japan1 Abstract: This paper discusses how Japanese theatres have handled race in a country where hiring black actors to perform Shakespeare’s plays is not an option. In English- speaking regions, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, it is common to hire a black actor for Othello’s title role. Blackface is increasingly unacceptable because it reminds viewers of derogatory stereotypes in minstrel shows, and it deprives black actors of employment opportunities. However, the situation is different in regions where viewers are unfamiliar with this Anglo-US trend. In Japan, a country regarded as so homogeneous that its census does not have any questions about ethnicity, it is almost impossible to hire a skilled black actor to play a title role in a Shakespearean play, and few theatre companies would consider such an idea. In this cultural context, there is an underlying question of how Japanese-speaking theatre should present plays dealing with racial or cultural differences. This paper seeks to understand the recent approaches that Japanese theatre has adopted to address race in Shakespearean plays by analysing several productions of Othello and comparing them with other major non-Shakespearean productions. Keywords: Japan, Blackface, Othello, Hairspray, Memphis, Ainu, Fandom, Social media. In English-speaking regions like North America and the British Isles, racially diverse casting has become increasingly prevalent.
    [Show full text]
  • Book 2 Names Omitted.Indd
    The 3rd EAJS Conference in Japan 第三回EAJS日本会議 BOOK OF ABstRacts The University of Tsukuba Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences 14 - 15 September 2019 Supported by the Japan Foundation Contents Section A - Anthropology & Sociology / Urban & Environmental Studies ........................................................3 Section B - Visual & Performing Arts, Film & Media Studies ................................................................................36 Section C - History ................................................................................65 Section D - Language, Linguistics, Translating & Teaching ......................................................................................100 Section E - Literature ...........................................................................131 Section F - Politics, International Relations & Economics ......................171 Section G - Religion & Philosophy .......................................................181 Section H - Other Disciplines / Interdisciplinary ....................................197 Anthropology & Sociology / Urban & Environmental Studies Section A - Anthropology & Sociology / Urban & Environmental Studies Section Convenors: Jun‘ichi Akashi (University of Tsukuba), Alyne Delany (Tohuku University) & Hidehiro Yamamoto (University of Tsukuba) A-1-1 Zuzanna Baraniak-Hirata (Ochanomizu University) CONSUMING THE “WORLD OF DREAMS”: NARRATIVES OF BELONGING IN TAKARAZUKA FAN CULTURE Recent fan culture studies have often focused on formation of fan communi-
    [Show full text]
  • Thrills and Excitement at the Takarazuka Revue
    Thrills and Excitement at the Takarazuka Revue Many a fan has been mesmerized by the world portrayed by the all-female casts. "Cool" otoko yaku roles played by women have garnered attention. One of the reasons why the Takarazuka Revue fascinates fans is the world portrayed by its all-female casts. The super-cool otoko yaku complement the prim and sweet musume yaku. The otoko yaku, with a presence that makes them seem "cooler" than real men, is unique to the Takarazuka Revue. Note the subtle details in their expressions, gestures and costumes. You will see the aesthetics of the otoko yaku and the meticulousness of the musume yaku. Cosmos troupe, "Outsiders in the Renaissance" - Star troupe, "Bouquet de TAKARAZUKA" (2017) Memories Painted by da Vinci - (2018) Secrets behind the brilliant stage dazzle the audience wherever their gaze may wander. The Takarazuka Revue's dedicated theaters--the Takarazuka Grand Theater and the Tokyo Takarazuka Theater--have all manner of contrivances to maximize each performance's impact. The Ginkyo, or "Silver Bridge," is an apron stage put to effective use during a Play. In a Show, meanwhile, the Ginkyo gives the audience an intimate connection with the stars on stage. An orchestra box is set up between the stage and the Ginkyo, where live music accompanies every production. In the stage there are 8 small and large trap doors called "seri," from which the performers rise up from below. The "bon" makes the center of the stage rotate like a merry-go-round. All these and more form the incredible setup of each theater.
    [Show full text]
  • Tezuka Dossier.Indd
    Dosier de prensa Organiza Colabora Del 31 de octubre del 2019 al 6 de enero del 2020 Organiza y produce: FICOMIC con la colaboración del Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya Comisario: Stéphane Beaujean Sala de exposiciones temporales 2 Astro Boy © Tezuka productions • El mangaka Osamu Tezuka, también conocido como Dios del Manga por su inmensa aportación a la viñeta japonesa, es el protagonista de una exposición que se podrá ver durante casi un par de meses en el Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, y que está inte- grada por casi 200 originales de este autor. • La exposición ha sido producida por FICOMIC gracias a la estrecha colaboración con el Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya, Tezuka Productions y el Festival de la Bande Desin- neè de Angulema. Osamu Tezuka, el Dios del Manga es una muestra sin precedentes en nuestro país, que quiere dar a conocer más de cerca la obra de un creador vital para entender la evolución del manga después de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, y también uno de los autores de manga más prestigiosos y prolífi cos a nivel mundial. • Osamu Tezuka, el Dios del Manga se podrá visitar a partir del 31 de octubre de este año, coincidiendo con el inicio de la 25ª edición del Manga Barcelona hasta el 6 de enero de 2020. 3 Fénix © Tezuka productions Oda a Kirihito © Tezuka productions El cómic en el Museu Nacional Este proyecto forma parte del acuerdo de colaboración entre FICOMIC y el Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya gracias al cual también se produjo la exposición Corto Maltés, de Juan Díaz Canales y Rubén Pellejero, o la más reciente El Víbora.
    [Show full text]
  • FINDING the POWER of the EROTIC in JAPANESE YURI MANGA by Sarah Thea Arruda Wellington B.A., Portland State University, 2013
    FINDING THE POWER OF THE EROTIC IN JAPANESE YURI MANGA by Sarah Thea Arruda Wellington B.A., Portland State University, 2013 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in The Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (Asian Studies) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August 2015 © Sarah Thea Arruda Wellington, 2015 Abstract Yuri is the genre of Japanese manga and anime that focuses on romantic and sexual relationships between girls and women. Although what is perceived to be its counterpart, yaoi or BL, has received a great amount of scholarly attention in the past years, yuri, however, is still a nascent topic in academic discourse. Upon briefly delineating Japanese prewar girls’ culture and its influence on the romantic and erotic spaces found in female-authored manga made for a female audience, several female-authored narratives from the erotic yuri manga anthology Yuri hime wildrose are analyzed in regards to their depiction of relationship dynamics, the female body, and the space in which both are explored. These yuri narratives are considered in relation to Audre Lorde’s ideas of the erotic to show that despite their lack of explicit lesbian identity and social realism, they manage to carve out a positive erotic space that is ultimately empowering for female readers. ii Preface This thesis is original, unpublished, independent work by the author, Sarah Wellington. iii Table of Contents Abstract .........................................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Shakespeare and East Asia
    OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 8/12/2020, SPi Oxford Shakespeare Topics GENERAL EDITORS: PETER HOLLAND, AND STANLEY WELLS Shakespeare and East Asia ALEXA ALICE JOUBIN 1 OUP CORRECTED PROOF – FINAL, 8/12/2020, SPi Prologue The Cultural Meanings of Shakespeare and Asia Today Performance is a doubly acted affair that is shaped not only by the characters but also by the actors. Actors embody characters across history and culture. Adaptations, meanwhile, are strangers at home. They defamiliarize canonical works and everyday utterances while offering something recognizable through a new language and form. When Viola, disguised as page boy Cesario, and finding herself pursued by the lovelorn Olivia, declares that “I am the man . she were better love a dream” in Twelfth Night (2.2.25–26), she speaks with double irony as a doubly cross-dressed boy actor on the early modern English stage (such as Nathan Field, 1587–1619) and as an adult male actor (Johnny Flynn) in Mark Rylance’s all-male pro- duction at the Globe Theatre in London in 2012 (dir. Tim Carroll). In Yukio Ninagawa’s 2005 Kabuki Twelfth Night, Onoe Kikunosuke V brought a new perspective to the notion of gender fluidity when he played in rapid succession Viola, her twin brother Sebastian, and her alter ego Cesario. As an otokoyaku (actress specializing in male roles) in the all-female Takarazuka musical production (dir. Kimura Shinji, 1999) derived from shōjo (teen girl) mangas, Yamato Yuga’s Viola would embody enticing gender fluidity when speaking Japanese, a language that often elides the subject. Since the genre of Takarazuka is an all-female production, Viola’s Cesario would not be the only cross-dressing character.
    [Show full text]