Chinese Traditional Theatre and Male Dan: Social Power, Cultural Change and Gender Relations

This book examines male dan, a male actor who performs female roles in Chinese theatre.

Through the rise, fall and tenuous survival of male dan in Chinese history, Guo Chao reflects the transformations in the social zeitgeist in China, especially the politics of gender and sexuality. The breadth of this study reflects a diversified set of sources, ranging from classical to contemporary texts (texts of jingju plays, memoirs, collections of notation books) and other commentaries and critical e...