Neo-onnagata: professional cross-dressed actors and their roles on the contemporary Japanese stage

Neo-Onnagata: Professional Cross-dressed Actors and Their Roles on the Contemporary Japanese Stage explores the representation of male and female gender in the contemporary Japanese theatre. I particularly discuss a specialized subset of Japanese actor: the neo-onnagata, a contemporary theatre counterpart to Japan's highly stylized classical kabuki tradition of cross-dressed representation. This dissertation represents my attempt to provide these basic aims: to situate the contemporary Japanese cross-dresser in Japanese tradition, to show how cross-dressing acts as a sharp social commentary and mirror, and to introduce some little-represented cross-dressing actors of the contemporary Japanese stage to the academic community at large. In addition, I examine the conservative gender role system of Japan and demonstrate how the neo-onnagata challenge traditional performance and sex roles. Particularly, I seek to showcase neo-onnagata as expanding opportunities for male actors and as new gendered models for men.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Theatre and Performance Studies

Grantor

Theatre

Year dc:date.available

2002

Author dc:creator

• Armstrong IV, William Hamilton

• gender
• cross-dressed actors
• kabuki
• akihiro miwa
• onnagata
• black lizard
• neo-onnagata
• japanese theatre

Statement dc:rights

• unrestricted
• Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide.

Identifier

etd-0419102-085015
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/1446

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.lsu.edu:gradschool_dissertations-2445