Chinese Drama And Society

This book traces the entrance of Western stage drama into China and the initial reception it received from Chinese intellectuals. Form the introduction of Western literature and dramatic concepts to China in the early twentieth century to the Chinese national theatre movement and renovation of Beijing opera, specific and social cultural conditions ushered the literature created in that environment. The central contention of this book is that the evolution of modern literary stage drama was an important aspect of the Chinese intellectual movement, transforming stage shows into messengers of social change. When two cultures collide, it can produce significant literary and cultural change. While there have been productive studies comparing the characteristics of Eastern and Western theatre, there has not yet been a study examining the social environments that brought these characteristics about.

Chinese spoken drama flourished in the 1980s when it generated a series of national controversies. In important respects, this was the golden age of drama in the People's Republic, as the stage became a most effective arena for exploring long suppressed cultural and political issues, constituting an indispensable dimension of the reform that has been altering the landscape of contemporary Chinese culture and society. The plays in this volume are among the most influential and controversial, having engendered intense cultural debate and political confrontations. They include the only complete English language translation of Bus Stop by Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian. The film script was chosen from among the most acclaimed contemporary Chinese films for its high significance in the history of Chinese film and its international influence in the cinematic world. For general readers with diverse cultural and artistic interests, this anthology introduces a new world of performing culture that enriches, delights, and challenges. For students and scholars of modern Chinese culture and society, it provides insights into China's profound social, political, and cultural transformation. For students and scholars in theatre and film studies who are increasingly interested in dramatic creations beyond the boundaries of the European tradition, it offers much needed materials for broadening cultural horizons. Yan Haiping, who holds advanced degrees in theater arts from Cornell University, was awarded the First Prize for Excellence in Drama 1980-81 by the Society of Chinese Dramatists and the Ministry of Culture of the PRC for her ten-act historical play Li Shimin, Prince of Qin. contents Plays: WM, by Wang Peigong, playscript revised for performance by Wang Gui, translated by Thomas Moran; Pan Jinlian:The History of a Fallen Woman, by Wei Minglun, translated by Dave Williams with Xiaoxia Williams; Shanshuping Chronicles, by Chen Zidu, Yang Jian, Zhu Xiaoping, translated by Rong Cai; The Bus Stop by Gao Xingjian, translated by Kimberly Besio. Film: ld Well, by Zheng Yi, directed by Wu Tianming, translated by Shiaoling Yu.

Serialized television drama (dianshiju), perhaps the most popular and influential cultural form in China over the past three decades, offers a wide and penetrating look at the tensions and contradictions of the post-revolutionary and pro-market period. Zhong Xueping’s timely new work draws attention to the multiple cultural and historical legacies that coexist and challenge each other within this dominant form of story telling. Although scholars tend to focus their attention on elite cultural trends and avant garde movements in literature and film, Zhong argues for recognizing the complexity of dianshiju’s melodramatic mode and its various subgenres, in effect "refocusing" mainstream Chinese culture. Mainstream Culture Refocused opens with an examination of television as a narrative motif in three contemporary Chinese art-house films. Zhong then turns her attention to dianshiju’s most important subgenres. "Emperor dramas" highlight the link between popular culture’s obsession with emperors and modern Chinese intellectuals’ preoccupation with issues of history and tradition and how they relate to modernity. In her exploration of the "anti-corruption" subgenre, Zhong considers three representative dramas, exploring their diverse plots and emphases. "Youth dramas’" rich array of representations reveal the numerous social, economic, cultural, and ideological issues surrounding the notion of youth and its changing meanings. The chapter on the "family-marriage" subgenre analyzes the ways in which women’s emotions are represented in relation to their desire for "happiness." Song lyrics from music composed for television dramas are considered as "popular poetics." Their sentiments range between nostalgia and uncertainty, mirroring the social contradictions of the reform era. The Epilogue returns to the relationship between intellectuals and the production of mainstream cultural meaning in the context of China’s post-revolutionary social, economic, and cultural transformation. Provocative and insightful, Mainstream Culture Refocused will appeal to scholars and students in studies of modern China generally and of contemporary Chinese media and popular culture specifically.

Exploring one of the most dynamic and contested regions of the world, this series includes works on political, economic, cultural, and social changes in modern and contemporary Asia and the Pacific.

This condensed anthology reproduces close to a dozen plays from Xiaomei ChenÕs well-received original collection, along with her critical introduction to the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of twentieth-century Chinese spoken drama. Comprising representative works from the PeopleÕs Republic of China, the collection encapsulates the revolutionary rethinking of Chinese theater and performance that began in the late Qing dynasty and vividly portrays the uncertainty and anxiety brought on by modernism, socialism, political conflict, and war. Chosen works from 1919 to 1990 also highlight the formation of Chinese national and gender identities during a period of tremendous social, cultural, and political change and the genesis of contemporary attitudes toward the West. PRC theater tracks the rise of communism in China, juxtaposing ideals of Chinese socialism against the sacrifices made for a new society. Post-Mao drama addresses the nationÕs socialist legacy, its attempt to reexamine its cultural roots, and postsocialist reflections on critical issues such as nation, class, gender, and collective memories. An essential, portable guide for easy reference and classroom use, this abridgement provides a concise yet well-rounded survey of China's theatricality and representation of political life. This work has not only established a canon of modern Chinese drama but also made it available for the first time in English in a single volume.

The “national drama” in China is a historical concept. Grown on longstanding Chinese culture and art, the traditional drama, mainly in the form of “opera”, has been integrated with “drama” of an international background. From the perspective of modern “drama and opera”, this book mainly studies the conditions and research of Chinese traditional drama in the 1920s and 1930s. Instead of analyzing from the viewpoint of literature appreciation or music theory, the author regards the drama as a comprehensive stage art. He attaches special importance to restoring historical scenes and therefore mainly introduces the drama journals and monographs published in that historical period, in order to help readers understand the original state of drama at that time through the records of the witnesses. In particular, this book delivers an insightful view about the evolution of the meaning of “national drama” and “drama”. The book will help scholars and readers understand the meaning and the whole story of the “national drama” concept, and will certainly facilitate the construction of the discipline of Drama and Opera.

Due to high audience numbers and the significant influence upon the opinions and values of viewers, the political leadership in China attributes great importance to the impact of television dramas. Many successful TV serials have served as useful conduits to disseminate official rhetoric and mainstream ideology, and they also offer a rich area of research by providing insight into the changing Chinese political, social and cultural context. This book examines a group of recently released TV drama serials in China which focus upon, and to various degrees represent, topical political, social and cultural phenomena. Some of the selected TV serials reflect the present ideological proclivities of the Chinese government, whilst others mirror social and cultural occurrences or provide coded and thought-provoking messages on China’s socio-economic and political reality. Through in-depth textual analysis of the plots, scenes and characters of these selected TV serials, the book provides timely interpretations of contemporary Chinese society, its political inclinations, social fashions and cultural tendencies. The book also demonstrates how popular media narratives of TV drama serials engage with sensitive civic issues and cultural phenomena of modern-day China, which in turn encourages a broader social imagination and potential for change. Advancing our understanding of contemporary China, this book will appeal to students and scholars of contemporary Chinese culture, society and politics, as well as those with research interests in television studies more generally.

This volume relates and analyzes the history of Chinese drama from its beginnings during the Song Dynasty until the end of 1988. There are two parts, one dealing with tradition and the old society down to 1949, the other with the New China. Among the world's civilizations China has one of the longest and finest traditions of drama. There is enormous variety in the many different styles of regional theater, and some of the minority nationalities have their own traditional forms as well. This is not only a fascinating topic but an important one for the arts of the world.