A social psychological analysis of intercultural performance and identity negotiation in Secret Love of Peach Blossom Land

This study investigates the psychological mechanisms through which intercultural performance facilitates identity negotiation, using Stan Lai's Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land as a case study to examine cultural identity construction in Chinese diaspora contexts. A mixed-methods design combined textual analysis with empirical investigation of audience responses across three participant groups: Chinese diaspora community members (n=108), non-Chinese audience members (n=108), and theatre studies scholars (n=108). Participants completed pre- and post-viewing assessments measuring cultural identity, intercultural sensitivity, and performance engagement, with 3-month follow-up data collected to assess sustained effects. Results confirmed all six-research hypotheses. Chinese diaspora participants demonstrated significantly higher identity flexibility scores (M=4.67) compared to non-Chinese participants (M=3.45) and theatre scholars (M=4.23), F(2,321)=47.32, p<.001, η²=.23. Viewing the performance produced significant increases in identity integration across all groups, with largest gains among Chinese diaspora participants (d=0.83). Cultural background emerged as the strongest predictor of cultural memory mediation effects (β=.42, p<.001), explaining 34.7% of variance. Strong positive correlations were found between identity flexibility and performance engagement (r=.67, p<.001). Thematic analysis revealed four distinct authenticity negotiation strategies, with Chinese diaspora participants employing hybrid and performative approaches at significantly higher rates . The findings demonstrate that intercultural performance functions as an "identity technology," providing structured opportunities for cultural identity exploration and integration. Findings indicate that theatre experience causes durable changes in psychology, which, in turn, justifies using it in multicultural learning and in therapeutic practice. The study becomes instrumental in adding empirical support to performance studies theories, and it provides novel models of insight into the process of negotiating the identity of the diaspora.