In recent years, media attention to drag performers has increased transforming the once-hidden leisure activity of gay men and lesbians into a publicly recognized phenomenon. Many of these representations of drag have fallen short in offering reflective illustrations of the connections among gender identity, performance, misogyny, patriarchy, and activism. In response, we find ourselves studying…
The enchantment of the figure of the “male dan” ― female impersonator ― remains a residual element in the cultural imagination of many contemporary Chinese societies. The various kinds of interpretive possibilities in the commanding tradition of cross-dressing Chinese opera have yet to be examined in-depth. In order to discuss “mistaken identity” and gender issues…
Some forty years have passed since the first openly gay character appeared on the Irish stage, sixteen years since homosexuality was decriminalised and two decades since theories of the queer have disrupted notions of normativity. But where has Irish theatre scholarship been hiding all this time? Finally we have an important collection of essays employing…
Inclusive Character Analysis foregrounds representations of race, gender, class, ability, and sexual orientation by blending script analysis with a variety of critical theories in order to create a more inclusive performance practice for the classroom and the stage. This book merges a traditional Stanislavski-based script analysis with multiple theoretical frameworks, such as gender theory, standpoint…
Despite extraordinary strides in queer religious activism in recent decades, religiously motivated anti-queer violence continues to be both prevalent and inadequately addressed. Forms of subtle and outright homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia are among the few remaining forms of societal discrimination that still have an air of acceptability. This discrimination appears to be further exacerbated both…
“Transitioning the Theatre Industry” examines the state of trans theatre in Canada. Vibrant creativity abounds in trans, transgender, transsexual, two spirit, and genderqueer communities. Trans artists, particularly those at the intersections of marginalized identities such as trans women of colour, have immense underused contributions to make to Canadian theatre. Yet there is a lack of…
Lots about the difference between Japanese Buddhist aristocratic culture and Shinto popular culture–with examples from films, plays, novels, prostitution–pegged, indeed chained, to the familiar idea that “hedonism is held in check by social taboos.” I.e., “what one sees on the screen, on stage and in comic-books is usually precisely the reverse of normal behavior.
The goal for Becoming Dragon was to develop a working, immersive Mixed Reality system by using a motion capture system and head mounted display to control a character in Second Life – a Massively Multiplayer Online 3D environment – in order to examine a number of questions regarding identity, gender and the transformative potential of…
The Singing Teacher’s Guide to Transgender Voices is the first comprehensive resource developed for training transgender and nonbinary singers. This text aids in the development of voice pedagogy tailored to the needs of transgender singers, informed by cultural competence, and bolstered by personal narratives of trans and nonbinary singing students. The singing life of a…
As we follow Achilles’ metamorphosis from wild boy to demure girl to lover to hero, Statius brilliantly illustrates a series of contrasting codes of behavior: male and female, epic and elegiac. This first full-length study of the poem addresses not only the narrative itself, but also sets the myth of Achilles on Scyros within a…