The Prison of Time and Place Meta-theatre, Subjectivity, and the Circulation of Signs in M. Butterfly

DOI: 10.5176/2251-3566_L318.317

Authors: Jinghui Wang

Abstract: This paper applies Baudrillard’s concept of seduction and Bataille’s theory of eroticism to analyze David Henry Hwang’s award-winning play M. Butterfly, with a focus on the use of meta-theatre. The paper discusses how the form and content of the play interact under the influences of national identity, geopolitics, gender and historical discourses, and examines how meta-theatre as a self-referential method engages with the site of knowledge-power on stage.

Keywords: M. Butterfly; Meta-theatre; Subjectivity; Sign