The proposed paper focuses on art as a form of cultural expression and it presents data based on ethnographic information of famous Pakistani musical theatres in Lahore, Province of Punjab. Most description of the per...The proposed paper focuses on art as a form of cultural expression and it presents data based on ethnographic information of famous Pakistani musical theatres in Lahore, Province of Punjab. Most description of the performing arts is written by men with an exclusive male perspective. Little or no attempt has been made to explore women lives in performing theatre apart from their assigned role as physical crowd-pullers. This study presents how symbols are used to communicate, as each member of theatre community uses entire repertoire to convey messages, manual gesticulations, body gestures, facial expressions, dance patterns, a particular dress etc. at the cultural level. The central idea of this study is how artists use the body in performance to imagine and enact culture, values, humor, selfhood, and the complex relations among them. It discusses their real backstage life experiences and problems faced as well how and what type of contact they maintain with their audience and admirers. What are their moral values and what kind of social dilemmas they face, how the sexuality of theatre women is being controlled, their fears emotions, distress of theatre women etc. are the major research questions. In short, this anthropological inquiry takes into account all relevant social, cultural, political, economic, and religious dimensions of performing art.展开更多
文摘The proposed paper focuses on art as a form of cultural expression and it presents data based on ethnographic information of famous Pakistani musical theatres in Lahore, Province of Punjab. Most description of the performing arts is written by men with an exclusive male perspective. Little or no attempt has been made to explore women lives in performing theatre apart from their assigned role as physical crowd-pullers. This study presents how symbols are used to communicate, as each member of theatre community uses entire repertoire to convey messages, manual gesticulations, body gestures, facial expressions, dance patterns, a particular dress etc. at the cultural level. The central idea of this study is how artists use the body in performance to imagine and enact culture, values, humor, selfhood, and the complex relations among them. It discusses their real backstage life experiences and problems faced as well how and what type of contact they maintain with their audience and admirers. What are their moral values and what kind of social dilemmas they face, how the sexuality of theatre women is being controlled, their fears emotions, distress of theatre women etc. are the major research questions. In short, this anthropological inquiry takes into account all relevant social, cultural, political, economic, and religious dimensions of performing art.