The first of its kind in English, this anthology translates twenty-two popular Chinese plays published between 1919 and 2000, accompanied by a critical introduction to the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of twentieth-century Chinese spoken drama. Primarily comprising works from the People's Republic of China, though including representative plays from Hong Kong and Taiwan, this collection not only showcases the revolutionary rethinking of Chinese theater and performance that began in the late Qing dynasty. It also highlights the formation of Chinese national and gender identities during a period of tremendous social and political change, along with the genesis of contemporary attitudes toward the West. Early twentieth-century Chinese drama embodies the uncertainty and anxiety brought on by modernism, socialism, political conflict, and war. After 1949, PRC theater painted a complex portrait of the rise of communism in China, with the ideals of Chinese socialism juxtaposed against the sacrifices made for a new society. The Cultural Revolution promoted a "model theater" cultivated from the achievements of earlier, leftist spoken drama, even though this theater arose from the destruction of old culture. Post-Mao drama addresses the socialist legacy and the attempts of a wounded nation to reexamine its cultural roots. Taiwan's spoken drama synthesizes regional and foreign traditions, and Hong Kong's spoken drama sparkles as a hybrid of Chinese and Western influences. Immensely valuable for cross-disciplinary, comparative, and performance study, this anthology provides essential perspective on China's theatricality and representation of political life.

The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama is a great piece of historical and analytical scholarship, evincing a breadth of history and depth of ideological critique hard to find in critics preoccupied with body and performance. The plays are not simply material for historical survey; their line-up forms an argument on China's pursuit of modernity, social justice, and equality. -- Ban Wang, Stanford University Xiaomei Chen's monumental anthology of modern Chinese drama admirably fulfills a major need in the field. These twenty-two plays, paired with a useful contextualizing introduction, allow English readers to access for the first time the full range of modern dramatic production in this major nation. Students, teachers, and innovative producers will find that this impressive collection expands their cultural horizons. -- Marvin Carlson, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

About the Author
Xiaomei Chen is professor of Chinese and comparative 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.

Reviews
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. -- Siyuan Liu World Books - PRI's The World it brings any Western readers closer to the fascinating and rich world of modern Chinese theatre. -- Mary Mazzilli China Quarterly a rich, insightful, and thought-provoking perspective -- Faye Chunfang Fei The Drama Review Chen's volume contributes significantly to the available huaju texts in English, and will meet needs in multiple disciplines. -- Kevin J. Wetmore, Jr. Journal of Asian Studies



Book Information
ISBN 9780231145701
Author Xiaomei Chen
Format Hardback
Page Count 1120
Imprint Columbia University Press
Publisher Columbia University Press