reading1: Ariane Meouchkine: the Orient and the feminine

Thanks to Jeanne, who recommends me to make research on a french theatre director Ariane Mnouchkine and her company.

According to my research towards the Western perspective of Eastern traditional drama, I pay my attention the chapter " the Orient and the feminine". During the reading , I make some analysis:

1 The Asian continent, or what the West has chosen to call " the Orient", has always been a theatrical location in Europe, part of the raw material for a metaphor, which has ofter been used as a means of the reassurance.

2 A further feather of largely male practice is that the " otherness" of the Orient is emphasized

by its frequent association with the female.

3 Another feature which contributed to the creation of an atmosphere of Asia was the duration of the performances, which provides time to grow the familiarized to unfamiliar world.

4 By making absence of sexuality, or at least of sexual desire, it remains representation of Asia, and a Western representation at that, and it has many female characteristics.

5 Instead of having a drama with a central character, it will have 20,30,40 characters who are equal. However, problem may occur that any drama depends upon the interplay of negative and positive forces, and there is always the possibility that new stereotypes will be constructed, or even the old ones salvaged, out of interplay.

and after reading, I have questions as below:

1 How often does metaphor occur in Ariane Meouchkine's drama?

2 How does female related to the Oriental drama in the contemporary theatre?

Maybe these questions are keys to my research later. let's see.