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Maoist Model Theatre : the Semiotics of Gender and Sexuality in the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) / by Rosemary A

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Maoist Model Theatre : the Semiotics of Gender and Sexuality in the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) / by Rosemary A Maoist Model Th eatre Women and Gender in China Studies Edited by Grace S. Fong, McGill University Editorial Board Louise Edwards Gail Hershatter Robin D.S. Yates Harriet T. Zurndorfer VOLUME 2 Maoist Model Th eatre Th e Semiotics of Gender and Sexuality in the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966–1976) By Rosemary A. Roberts LEIDEN • BOSTON 2010 Th is book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roberts, Rosemary A. Maoist model theatre : the semiotics of gender and sexuality in the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) / by Rosemary A. Roberts. p. cm. — (Women and gender in China studies, ISSN 1877-5772 ; v. 2) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and an index. ISBN 978-90-04-17744-4 (hardback : alk. paper) 1. Th eater—Political aspects—China—History—20th century. 2. Gender identity in the theater—China. 3. Sex in the theater—China. 4. Women in the theater— China. 5. Women and communism—China. 6. Communism and sex—China. I. Title. II. Series. PN2874.R63 2009 792.0951—dc22 2009029003 ISSN 1877-5772 ISBN 978 90 04 17744 4 Copyright 2010 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, Th e Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Hotei Publishing, IDC Publishers, Martinus Nijhoff Publishers and VSP. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to Th e Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. printed in the netherlands To Jon, Xiuxiu, Sarah, Laura, Amanda and JJ CONTENTS List of Tables ...................................................................................... xi List of Illustrations ............................................................................ xiii Acknowledgements ............................................................................ xxi List of Abbreviations ......................................................................... xxiii Chapter One Introduction: Gender and the Model Works .... 1 Th e Cultural Revolution and the Yangbanxi ............................ 1 Origins of the Yangbanxi ............................................................. 2 Ideological Foundations of the Yangbanxi ............................... 7 Chinese Language Scholarship on the Yangbanxi ................... 11 English Language Scholarship on the Yangbanxi .................... 13 Research on Gender in the Cultural Revolution ..................... 15 On the Masculinisation of Women and the Erasure of Femininity .................................................................................... 17 Semiotics of the Th eatre as a Tool for Gender Analysis of the Yangbanxi ............................................................................ 23 Story Synopses: Th e Red Lantern (Hong deng ji) ............................................. 31 Shajiabang .................................................................................. 34 Chapter Two Role Assignment and Gender: Resetting the Paradigms ....................................................................................... 39 Th e Role Distribution of the Central Heroic Characters ....... 40 Linguistic Systems ......................................................................... 46 Props ................................................................................................ 57 Kinesics: Facial Mime, Gesture, Movement ............................. 66 Music: Vocal Techniques ............................................................. 67 Makeup, Hairstyles and Costumes ............................................. 69 Subverting Tradition Th rough Radicalized Conservatism ..... 72 Concluding Remarks .................................................................... 74 Story Synopses: Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (Zhi qu weihu shan) ........................................................................................ 77 Raid on White Tiger Regiment (Qixi Baihutuan) ................ 81 viii contents Chapter Th ree Costume in the Yangbanxi: Gendering the Revolutionary Body ....................................................................... 85 Fashion Th eory and the Yangbanxi: Some Th eoretical Issues ........................................................................................... 85 Bodies and Faces ........................................................................... 87 Hair and Female Beauty ............................................................... 90 Costume .......................................................................................... 92 Costume Fabrics and Designs ..................................................... 102 Concluding Remarks .................................................................... 111 Story Synopses: On the Docks (Haigang) ........................................................... 113 Th e Red Detachment of Women (Hongse niangzi jun) ....... 116 Chapter Four Gender and the Kinesics of Yangbanxi Ballet ... 119 Th e Classical Ballet Tradition ..................................................... 120 Th e Yangbanxi Ballets .................................................................. 121 Gender in Dance Performance: a Methodology for Analysis ....................................................................................... 123 Yangbanxi Ballet Kinetic Analysis .............................................. 125 Roles and Individual Dance Movements .................................. 128 Interactive Dance Movement ...................................................... 131 On Bodies and Sensuality ............................................................ 134 Concluding Remarks .................................................................... 137 Story Synopses: Th e White-haired Girl (Baimao nü) ....................................... 141 Song of the Dragon River (Long jiang song) ......................... 144 Chapter Five Feminising Leadership in Song of the Dragon River .................................................................................. 149 Th e Creation of Song of the Dragon River ................................ 150 Major Characters and the Plot of Song of the Dragon River ............................................................................................ 151 Semiotic Systems and Codes for Analysis ................................ 152 Femininity, Masculinity and Leadership in Maoist Culture ........................................................................................ 153 Hairstyle and Costume ................................................................. 160 Verbal Linguistic Systems ............................................................ 162 Gender Diff erences in Relationship Management ................... 165 Non-Verbal Language Systems ................................................... 170 Props ................................................................................................ 173 contents ix Sexuality, Motherhood and Female Leadership in a Masculine Environment ........................................................... 175 Conclusions: Female Leadership and the Yangbanxi ............. 179 Story Synopses: Azalea Mountain (Dujuan shan) ............................................ 183 Fighting on the Plains (Pingyuan zuozhan) .......................... 187 Chapter Six Th e Yangbanxi Heroine and the Historical Tradition of the Chinese Woman Warrior .............................. 191 Th e Woman Warrior in Chinese Historical Records and Traditional Culture ................................................................... 192 Mulan as a Model for Women in the Twentieth Century ..... 196 Gender, Sexuality and the Woman Warrior ............................ 198 Women Warriors of the Yangbanxi ........................................ 199 Th e Cultural Model and Gendered Audience Response ........ 210 Story Synopses: Boulder Bay (Panshi wan) ....................................................... 215 Ode to Yimeng (Yimeng song)—ballet Red Cloud Ridge (Hong yungang) or Red Sister (Hong sao)—Beijing Opera .................................................. 219 Sons and Daughters of the Grasslands (Caoyuan er nü) .... 221 Chapter Seven Gendering the Counter-Revolution: Th e Feminisation of Villainy ....................................................... 223 Symbolic Gendering through Yin-Yang Symbolism ............... 225 Cultural Attitudes to Homosexuality in Chinese Culture ... 232 Negative Stereotypes of Homosexual Males in Th eatre and Film ........................................................................................... 233 Visual and Aural (Ef )feminisation of the Counter- Revolution .................................................................................. 234 Hair .................................................................................................. 237 Vocal Feminisation ....................................................................... 239 Costume .......................................................................................... 239 Kinesics and Proxemics ................................................................ 242 Th e Gendering of
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