تئاتر سایه چینی: تاریخ، دین مردمی و جنگجویان زن

In her study of Chinese shadow theatre Fan-Pen Li Chen documents and corrects misconceptions about this once-popular art form. She argues how a traditional folk theatre reflected and subverted Chinese popular culture. 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.

Chinese shadow theatre, a rare and ancient art form combining exquisite carvings with painting, music, singing, performance, and literature, owes its preservation to a non-elite, peripheral, and silent majority. In Chinese Shadow Theatre Fan Pen Li Chen documents and corrects misconceptions about this oncepopular 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.

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. By linking traditional folk theatre to recent scholarship on drama, popular religion, and popular culture she shows that is a subject for serious academic study.

Chinese shadow theatre, a rare and ancient art from combining exquisite carvings with painting, music, singing, performance, and literature, owes its preservation to a non-elite, peripheral, and silent majority. In 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. 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. By linking traditional folk theatre to recent scholarship on drama, popular religion, and popular culture she shows that is a subject for serious academic study Contents Dynasties Acknowledgments Illustrations PART ONE: THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF CHINESE SHADOW THEATRE 1 An Introduction to Shadow Theatre 2 History and Myths 3 The Role of Religion 4 Women Warriors in Shadow Plays PART TWO: THREE CHINESE SHADOW SCRIPTS “Three Opening Blessings” 三出頭 The Eighteen Levels of Hell 十八層地獄 The Yellow River Magic Formation .河陣 APPENDICES 1 Suzi 俗字: Non-Standard Orthography 2 Collections of Shadow Playscripts 3 Main Plays of the Various Chinese Shadow Traditions 4 Shadow Plays Featuring Women Warriors Notes Bibliography Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z