Overview
In her study of Chinese shadow theatre Fan Pen Li Chen documents and corrects misconceptions about this once-popular art form. Drawing on extensive research and fieldwork, she argues that these plays served a mainly religious function during the Qing dynasty and that the appeal of women warrior characters reflected the lower classes' high tolerance for the unorthodox and subversive. Chinese Shadow Theatre includes several rare transcriptions of oral performances, including a didactic play on the eighteen levels of Hell, and Investiture of the Gods, a sacred saga, and translations of three rare, hand-copied shadow plays featuring religious themes and women warrior characters. Chen examines the relationship between historical and fictional women warriors and those in military romances and shadow plays to demonstrate the significance of both printed works and oral transmission in the diffusion of popular culture. She also shows that traditional folk theatre is a subject for serious academic study by linking it to recent scholarship on drama, popular religion, and popular culture.
Full Product Details
Author: Fan Pen Li Chen
Publisher: McGill-Queen's University Press
Imprint: McGill-Queen's University Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.20cm
, Height: 2.60cm
, Length: 22.90cm
Weight: 0.624kg
ISBN: 9780773531970
ISBN 10: 0773531971
Pages: 368
Publication Date: 21 June 2007
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Out of stock
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Reviews
Most compelling is the discussion of gender, the rich images and motifs associated with female warriors, and the role of women in upholding or subverting the value system of their cultures. Amila Buturovic, York University, Ontario An important book for what it tells us about the history of society and the arts in China. The social themes are woven into the artistic and literary and Chen includes coverage of the other performing arts and an extensive history of the mask in China. Colin Mackerras, Griffith University Fan Pen Li Chen has assembled a mass of material on this fascinating, neglected topic. It is a terrific survey ... --Times Literary Supplement, Feb 08, 2008
Most compelling is the discussion of gender, the rich images and motifs associated with female warriors, and the role of women in upholding or subverting the value system of their cultures. Amila Buturovic, humanities, York University An important book for what it tells us about the history of society and the arts in China. The social themes are woven into the artistic and literary and Chen includes coverage of the other performing arts and an extensive history of the mask in China. Guiding us through a millennium of Chinese shadow theater history, with a particular focus on the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Chen harnesses her versatility and expertise in the fields of drama, history, popular culture, ethnography, and linguistics to pre
Author Information
Fan Pen Li Chen is associate professor in the Department of East Asian Studies, SUNY-Albany, and author of Marionette Plays from Northern China.
