• Politics and Theatre in the PRC: Fifty Years of Teahouse on the Chinese Stage

    Author(s):
    Shiao-ling S. Yu (see profile)
    Date:
    2013
    Group(s):
    CLCS 20th- and 21st-Century, East Asian Languages and Literatures after 1900, GS Drama and Performance
    Subject(s):
    Chinese literature, Drama
    Item Type:
    Article
    Permanent URL:
    http://dx.doi.org/10.17613/M6SW20
    Abstract:
    Ever since its introduction to China in the early twentieth century, spoken drama (huaju) has been at the forefront of social and political changes. Its realistic portrayal of life and use of spoken dialogue made it an ideal vehicle to promote social reforms and to serve politics. This study investigates the relationship between politics and theater in the People’s Republic of China by focusing on a masterpiece of modern Chinese drama: Lao She’s play Chaguan (Teahouse, 1957), which chronicles fifty years of modern Chinese history from the demise of the Qing dynasty to the eve of the Communist victory. This essay examines how historical events are portrayed, how history served as a commentary on political conditions of the 1950s, and how changing political climates have affected the productions and reception of this play. It asks whether the new critical opinions of the past few years that question the earlier politically correct interpretation might invite new ways to stage the script.
    Metadata:
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    Published as:
    Journal article     Show details
    Pub. DOI:
    1984
    Publisher:
    University of Hawaii Press
    Pub. Date:
    2013
    Journal:
    Asian Theatre Journal
    Volume:
    30
    Issue:
    1
    Page Range:
    90 - 121
    ISSN:
    0742-5457
    Status:
    Published
    License:
    All Rights Reserved
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