Anti-drag and international culture (some shit-stirring)
So, I don't know *why* it took me this long to think about this but --
all those US states outlawing "drag" performances? I'm wondering what happens if someone starts organizing cultural tours from Japan - Nō theater, and kabuki both historically use men in women's roles.
In fact, some of those "onna-gata" (women performers) are celebrated precisely because they convey the femininity of the role so artfully.
Just thinking.
Anti-drag and international culture (some shit-stirring)
@OldBrushNewPaper a traditional Shakespeare production is an all male cast too so really theres just a whole variety shows worth of options there
Anti-drag and international culture (some shit-stirring)
@Satsuma Just so!!
Loving Spouse and I were just saying this to one another - because I giggled at how my original toot was up less than a minute before you'd liked it. So I'd read it to him and we just went further on that topic.
Anti-drag and international culture (some shit-stirring)
@Satsuma I don't know enough to say at all how we got from there to today - I know from my Japanese studies that those theater traditions started out having women on stage, but they were then forbidden by the gov't at the time due to "moral concerns".
There's a fair chunk of those activities today that hew to all-male troupes. Although there's been some really great mixed and all-women ones, as well.
Anti-drag and international culture (some shit-stirring)
@Satsuma I should mention, I have access to a Japanese tv subscription service, and one of the things we get to see is a *fabulous* arts program - extremely varied and because it's national in scope, it's effectively "cream of the crop". We've made some excellent finds, without having to be high-flying academics in this field.
Anti-drag and international culture (some shit-stirring)
@OldBrushNewPaper oooh nice! Japanese preforming arts is not a thing i have a ton of experience with but i really should check it out
@Satsuma If you were *in* Japan, I could mention the specific show is on Thursday evenings after the late news... *wan grin*
Which is Thursday in the mid-afternoon where we are. And *boy* was finding that program a bother! They'd had it forEVER on a different spot in the schedule, but when they changed it... argh!
There are some kind folks sharing specific eps online, too. Which is what I have running now.
@OldBrushNewPaper oooh nice yeah, i’m glad you’ve found some artists you like!
@Satsuma And also, from a personal point of view, I loved having looked up this particular artist, and then researching articles for him (in English, for my ease and Loving Spouse's access, as he has even less Japanese than I do), learning of his connection to a great master.
Web of life, hyperlocal nodes...
How about you - what's your "in" for travelling through a new culture?
@OldBrushNewPaper honestly mostly food? i cook a lot and i love trying things other people have cooked (whether professionally or otherwise)
frequently willing to order things purely because i don’t recognize them and found out by trying it (within the boundaries of common sense of course haha)
@Satsuma Got a favorite from recently?
@OldBrushNewPaper i was in London for a while in January so not too many surprises on most menus but i did get some fantastic crunchy black sesame & mung bean cookies from a boba store by pointing and going “how much?” I still don’t know what they were called 😆
@Satsuma Oooh, and a mystery, too!!
Yeah, food is a fun way in. And I hope you get a chance to learn what those lovely cookies were called!
@Satsuma Especially for specific artists - after "collecting" an ep we'd first seen on the channel about a shakuhachi player, Loving Spouse went on a tear, also buying music from that player's *teacher*, who is designated as a Living National Treasure.