크로스 젠더 공연의 효과 -연극 <비평가>(2018)에 나타난 수행성을 중심으로-

Abstract

Since 2018, cross-gender performances became easier to find due to the growth of feminism in the society and the development of feminist perspectives in Korean theatres. Unlike the ones in the past, in the contemporary theatres, cross-gender performances in which female actors perform male roles that are not originated for female exhibit performativity. When there are cross-gender role changes in the performance, the body of the actor who became the one with the character written for an opposite gender is considered special; when this special body carries out the text, it stimulates audiences’ cognitive understanding. The degree of cognitive stimulation differs by each performance. In the 2018 play El Clítico, its cross-gender case reveals that as performativity is emphasized, it provides a new meaning to the piece. This work is unique not only because it requires female actors to perform male-centered text, but also by having female actors play the “female character” that the male characters describe in the text, does it intentionally stimulate audiences’ perception and allow different interpretation. This case indicates what must be considered between actors and texts when planning cross-gender performances. When such performances successfully stimulate audiences’ perspectives, it could be a way to provide different interpretation of the text continuously.