ABSTRACT
Bertolt Brecht’s theatrical techniques are commonly cited as a useful means for feminist revisions of theatrical realism. Two articles in particular, one historical, the other theoretical, have connected Brechtian techniques to the sources of feminist theatre, proposing an intersection between Brechtian theory and feminist theatre practice: “Brechtian Theory and the American Feminist Theatre,” by Karen Laughlin (1990) and “Brechtian Theory/Feminist Theory: Toward a Gestic Feminist Criticism,” by Elin Diamond (1988). Focusing on Brecht has been important for feminist theatre theory and practice, but it has also obscured the fact that the political complexities of traditional Chinese acting were already well articulated by the Chinese, especially Chinese women, long before Brecht’s famous article from the 1930s “Alienation Effects in Chinese Acting” (1964). Dissenting readings of traditional Chinese acting make the alliance of feminism and Brecht worth additional consideration.1
