From Language to Identity: Cultural Expression in Chinese Multidialectal Theatre: A Study of The Drama The Village

Yuxin Zhu

doi:10.58445/rars.2051

##article.authors##

Yuxin Zhu Shanghai Pinghe School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58445/rars.2051

Keywords:

Theatre, Multidialectal theatre, Stan Lai, The Village, Hetereoglossia

Abstract

This paper proposes the concept of “multidialectal theatre” as a distinct branch of heteroglossic theatre and an evolution of dialect theatre. I identify this type of theatre as unique as it emphasizes the intention of using multiple dialects in a single play to explore cultural and identity-related themes. The paper differentiates between multilingual theatre, multicultural theatre, dialect theatre, and multidialectal theatre, addressing gaps in existing dialectal theatre studies. I analyze Stan Lai's Chinese Drama The Village as a case study to demonstrate the potential of dialects in theatrical contexts. I highlight the diverse functions of dialect usage beyond the current mainstream applications in theatre and aim to offer a new perspective for scholars and artists considering this trend in contemporary theatre.

References

Bakhtin, M. The Dialogic Imagination: Four Essays. Austin: University of Texas Press, 1981.

Blunt, Jerry. Stage Dialects. Woodstock, Ill.: Dramatic Pub. Co, 1996.

Boskin, Joseph, and Joseph Dorinson. “Ethnic Humor: Subversion and Survival.” American Quarterly 37, no. 1 (1985): 81–97. https://doi.org/10.2307/2712764.

Captitles. “Cross-Cultural Dramaturgy: Multicultural Theatre.” www.captitles.com, n.d. https://www.captitles.com/library/cross-cultural-dramaturgy-guide-to-multicultural-theatrical-practices.

Carlson, Marvin. Speaking in Tongues. University of Michigan Press, 2010.

Crystal, David. A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. 6th ed. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 2008.

Fishman, Joshua. "Ethnicity as Being, Doing, and Knowing." In Ethnicity. Edited by John Hutchinson and Anthony D. Smith. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Garles, Diana. “Multilingual Theatre: Community Value and Future Education Multilingual Theatre: Community Value and Future Education Necessity Necessity,” 2011.

Hall, Kira, and Chad Nilep. "Code-Switching, Identity, and Globalization" in the Handbook of Discourse Analysis. Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2015.

Laera, Margherita. “Performing Multilingualism for Monolingual Audiences | Creative Multilingualism.” Creative Multilingualism, February 10, 2020. https://www.creativeml.ox.ac.uk/blog/exploring-multilingualism/performing-multilingualism-monolingual-audiences/index.html.

赖声川. 宝岛一村(The Village). 中信出版集团股份有限公司, 2019.

李廣均. “臺灣「眷村」的歷史形成與社會差異：列管眷村與自力眷村的比較(the Historical Formation and Social Differences of Chuan-Tsuan in Taiwan: A Comparison of Registered and Self-Supported Military Com- Munes).” 臺灣社會學刊 2015, no. 57 (September 2015): 129–72. https://doi.org/10.6786/tjs.201509_(57).0004.

李沛亮. “从眷村探寻台湾特殊群体的历史.” Historical Monthly 2012, no. 7 (2013).

Pao, Angelo Chia-yi. “False Accents: Embodied Dialects and the Characterization of Ethnicity and Nationality.” Theatre Topics 14, no. 1 (2004): 353–72. https://doi.org/10.1353/tt.2004.0008.

苏伟贞. 台湾眷村小说选. 台北二⻥文化出版社, 2004.

Weinstein, John B. “Multilingual Theatre in Contemporary Taiwan.” Asian Theatre Journal 17, no. 2 (2000): 269–70. https://doi.org/10.1353/atj.2000.0026.

张错. ““凡人的异类离散的尽头——台湾“眷村文学”两代人的叙述.” Comparative Literature in China 2006, no. 4 (2006): 49–62.

张云鹏. “浅析台湾眷村语言,” 当代教育实践与教学研究 16, no. 12 (December 2016). https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.2095-6711.2016.12.484.

朱安如，和廖俊逞. “台湾眷村的光阴故事——访话剧《宝岛一村》编剧王伟忠和导演赖声川,” n.d. Accessed October 11, 2024.

From Language to Identity: Cultural Expression in Chinese Multidialectal Theatre

A Study of The Drama The Village

##article.authors##

DOI:

Keywords:

Abstract

References

Additional Files

Posted

Categories

License

You are free to:

Under the following terms: