Friday, April 15, 2005

another me

I'm reading this pretty cool article about cross-dressing and androgyny in Japanese theater, specifically in the context of this particular very popular theater troupe of all women who perform as both sexes. A little bit like the opposite of kabuki, kind of, although there are also important differences. It's really interesting that, although the womens' performances reinforce stereotypes in their portrayals of men, they have also frequently used their performance or their subsequent actions as a subversion of dominant ideas. Anyway, this little poem is by one of the women who was a very popular male performer.

Today is my farewell party.
To love?
N-O.
Inside am I a man? A woman?
I strike a pose as one
and the other one grows bored.
Well,
when the next page is turned
another me.

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