Male Dan: The Paradox of Sex, Acting, and Perception of Female Impersonation in Traditional Chinese Theatre

The art of male dan—specialists in female roles—is one of the most important issues in traditional Chinese theatre, especially in jingju (Beijing or Peking opera). In this article, Min Tian considers the problem from a combined gender-sociocultural-historical perspective. Tian traces the convention's historical development, examines its contemporary status, and deals with such issues as the dynamics of sex and the paradox of acting, which are central to the art of the male dan. Not only does he explore modern perceptions of the art of female impersonation with respect to the tradition of the male dan, but he also discusses similar traditions, most notably that of the classical Japanese theatre.