Experimental feature: Order Acting the Right Part: Political Theater and Popular Drama in Contemporary China from the UK, Canada, Germany or France by clicking an appropriate flag below.

               

Some items available at Amazon.com are not available in all countries.

Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 895.125209
EAN: 9780824822873
ISBN: 0824822870
Label: University of Hawaii Press
Manufacturer: University of Hawaii Press
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 466
Publication Date: 2002-02
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
Studio: University of Hawaii Press

Acting the Right Part is a cultural history of huaju (modern Chinese drama) from 1966 to 1996. Xiaomei Chen situates her study both in the context of Chinese literary and cultural history and in the context of comparative drama and theater, cultural studies, and critical issues relevant to national theater worldwide. Following a discussion of the marginality of modern Chinese drama in relation to other genres, periods, and cultures, early chapters focus on the dynamic relationship between theater and revolution. Chosen during the Cultural Revolution as the exclusive artistic vehicle to promote proletariat art, "model theater" raises important questions about the complex relationships between women, memory, nation/state, revolution, and visual culture. Throughout this study, Chen argues that dramatic norms inform both theatrical performance and everyday political behavior in contemporary China.

"This is the first comprehensive English-language study of Chinese drama from the sixties to the early nineties. Chen Xiaomei has mapped out a complex of trajectories in which Chinese drama re-modernized itself during historical turmoils, political struggles, and intellectual debates. Her inquiry into issues ranging from gender representation to the 'theatrics' of politics is illuminating. Historically engaged and theoretically provocative, Chen's book will become a required reader for those interested in Chinese performing arts, cultural politics, and gender studies." --- David Der-wei Wang, Columbia University

"Chen Xiaomei brings a unique mixture of professional skills and personal history to this impressive new study. She is not just an important voice in Chinese cultural studies but someone who grew up surrounded by the leading lights of Beijing's theatrical community. The result is a remarkable book, which is both theoretically sophisticated and deeply felt." --- Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Indiana University