22nd Annual Student Research Conference
Butterflies and Lotus Blossoms: Gender and Stereotype on the Asian-American Stage
Arthur L. Virnig
Dr. Todd Coulter and Dr. Cole Woodcox, Faculty Mentors
Cio-Cio San, our Butterfly, waits languorous and lonely for her Pinkerton to return. She is never going to see him again, for she is no more than a waking dream. But dreams have to come from somewhere, and I think that our Butterfly has made part of her long journey from the theatrical world of China. She has come by a strange road, across the ocean and through the American west and the American mind. Indeed, she has become a very American thing: The All-Asian Woman. Using the work of Chinese and Chinese-American playwrights and scholars, I trace this journey through history to its logical(?) conclusion: the dreamer awakens and discovers the truth.
Keywords: Asian Theatre, American Theatre, Gender Roles, Cultural Stereotypes
Topic(s):Theatre
Asian-American Studies
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 43-2
Location: OP 2113
Time: 1:30