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Mulan is a well-known female image in Chinese literature. In the earliest written record, „The Mulan Ballad“ (around 386–535 AD), Mulan crossdresses as a male soldier as a stand-in for her old father to go to the battle.

At the beginning of 20th Century, some Chinese women were encouraged by Mulan’s story and engaged themselves in self-liberation. Through activism and revolution, those women re-wrote Mulan’s story : “Mulan” no longer fights for her father and country, but for women’s rights and equal social status. There is not only one legendary Mulan, but many Mulans.

On the other hand, the concept “Mulan Dilemma” describes the situation : Women have to disguise themselves as men to realize their value but are still judged by male-universal standards. Women are either not equal to men, or required to be the same as men.

The solo performance “Mulans” is based on the research of feminism history in China and the performer Yinfu Gao’s self-exploration of the body movements, which opens a dialog between herself and Mulans : How do I emancipate myself as a woman?

CONCEPT & DIRECTOR & PERFORMER: YINFU GAO高音符
DRAMATURGY: ANA CLARA MONTENEGRO, TANJA HÖHNE, JANNIS WULLE, YUNHUI YIN尹云辉
VISUAL DESIGN & PHOTOGRAPHY: TALISA FRENSCHKOWSKI
AUDIO DESIGN: JANNIS WULLE
LIGHT DESIGN: SIMON LENZEN
MUSIC: YINGHONG FU符映红
STAGE DESIGN: LAURA BERNHARDT
COSTUME DESIGN: JINJIN LI李金津