The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama: abridged edition (Weatherhead Books on Asia) - Hardcover

Chen, Xiaomei

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0231165021 ISBN 13: 9780231165020

Publisher: Columbia University Press, 2014

Synopsis

This condensed anthology reproduces close to a dozen plays from Xiaomei Chen's well-received original collection, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama, along with her critical introduction to the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of twentieth-century Chinese spoken drama. Comprising representative works from the Republican era to postsocialist China, the book 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 national and gender identities during a period of tremendous social, cultural, and political change in China and the genesis of contemporary attitudes toward the West. PRC theater tracks the rise of communism, juxtaposing ideals of Chinese socialism against the sacrifices made for a new society. Post-Mao drama addresses the nation's 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 abridgment provides a concise yet well-rounded survey of China's theatricality and representation of political life. The original work not only established a canon of modern Chinese drama in the West but also made it available for the first time in English in a single volume.

About this title

Book Description:

Praise for The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama

"The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama's excellent selection, colloquial and stage-friendly translations, and illuminating introduction undoubtedly make the volume the authoritative choice in teaching and reading modern Chinese drama for the foreseeable future."―PRI's The World

"It brings any Western readers closer to the fascinating and rich world of modern Chinese theatre."―China Quarterly

"A rich, insightful, and thought-provoking perspective."―The Drama Review

"Chen's volume contributes significantly to the available huaju texts in English, and will meet needs in multiple disciplines."―Journal of Asian Studies

About the Author:

Xiaomei Chen is professor of Chinese literature at the University of California at Davis. She is the author of Occidentalism: A Theory of Counter-Discourse in Post-Mao China and Acting the Right Part: Political Theater and Popular Culture in Contemporary China; editor of Reading the Right Text: An Anthology of Contemporary Chinese Drama; and coeditor of East of West: Cross-cultural Performance and the Staging of Difference. Her book Staging Chinese Revolution: Founding Fathers, Red Classics, and Revisionist Histories of Twentieth-Century China is forthcoming from Columbia University Press.

About this edition

• Publisher: Columbia University Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0231165021
• ISBN 13: 9780231165020
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 656