Nandan in the Ming Dynasty

Abstract

Nan means male, and dan is the generic name of female roles in xiqu (traditional Chinese theatre). The term nandan refers to a male actor who performs female roles in xiqu. Nandan play an important role in xiqu. In the Ming Dynasty (AD 1368-1644), nandan began to flourish with the rise of kunqu (Kun opera). The flourishing of nandan was related to the policies, philosophical context, and the literati culture of the Ming Dynasty. On the kunqu stage, nandan successfully performed the inner spirits of the characters through internalizing their inner feelings and utilizing sharp acting skills with various performance conventions. Off the stage, the relationship between nandan and the literati was that of a master-servant. Nandan satisfied their masters' demands in terms of performance and homosexual relations if necessary. At the heart of nandan's performance both on and offstage was the idea of qing.