Cross-Dressing and Gendered Voice Representation in Cantonese Opera

ABSTRACT The practice of “cross-dressing” is frequently seen in Cantonese operatic performances, whether in the physical attire worn by actors in on-stage shows or in the “virtual” disguises adopted in operatic song performances. Most instances of cross-dressing are cases of actresses disguising themselves to play male roles, owing to the innate constraints of male voices that make it difficult for most men to imitate female voices. Especially in pure singing scenarios, audiences frequently encounter female singers performing in a male voice, or actresses performing male gestures to act out the roles that they assume. The cross-dressing aspect of the role blurs the boundaries between the two genders. As cross-dressing performance has traditionally been a part of Chinese opera, it is worthwhile to analyze the gendered aspects of such cross-dressing practices by adopting a Western gender-studies perspective. In the case of the complicated physical and mental aspects of cross-dressing performance, accurately capturing a vocal representation of the opposite gender may involve displacement leading to a misapprehension of the performer‘s real-life gender. The combination and sublimation suggested by this `patchwork‘-style of role crossover is therefore worthy of in-depth discussion regarding the degree of gender-boundary confusion, flexibility and feasibility presented by these operatic performances