Honors Thesis DONE! (卒論)

My senior honors thesis entitled: Why is Curly a Woman? Presentationality and American Nostalgia in the Takarazuka Revue 「どうしてカーリーは女か？宝塚歌劇におけるアメリカンノスタルジアのイメージ」is finally complete! After close to a year of hard work, the paper is printed and submitted to my department advisers.

Just for clarification, the paper was written entirely in English, though due to the subject matter, many Japanese vocabulary words, phrases, and concepts were utilized.

In a nutshell, my thesis looks at the Takarazuka adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic American musical Oklahoma!. More specifically, I examine how the all-female Japanese production simultaneously evokes nostalgia for images of American culture but also maintains a distinctly “presentational” (over-the-top) Japanese theatrical style.

If any readers are heading to Japan in the near future, do not miss the opportunity to see Takarazuka. I guarantee you will not be disappointed!

B.E.W.

P.S. - In recent news, my honors thesis has been nominated for university-wide awards. Maybe I'll take home academia's equivalent of the Oscar!