Onnagata, Grotesque Beauty, and Aging: Reading Tennessee Williams's Kabuki-Inspired Plays.

This article analyzes Tennessee Williams's incorporation of kabuki, a traditional Japanese theatre form, into his plays following his 1959 visit to Japan and friendship with Japanese playwright Yukio Mishima. Focusing on *And Tell Sad Stories of the Deaths of Queens...* and the 1964 version of *The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore*, it explores how Williams adapted kabuki elements such as the onnagata tradition of male actors portraying female roles and kabuki's aesthetic of "grotesque beauty." Williams used these influences to address themes of transgender identity and to aestheticize aging, notably crafting *Milk Train* as a star vehicle for actress Tallulah Bankhead that celebrated her aging body through kabuki-inspired theatricality. The article situates Williams's work within intercultural theatre practices, characterizing his engagement with kabuki as a "fruitful misunderstanding" that fueled his artistic evolution despite limited fidelity to traditional kabuki forms.