Adapting Western Classics for the Chinese Stage presents a comprehensive study of transnational, transcultural, and translingual adaptations of Western classics from the turn of the twentieth century to present-day China in the age of globalization. Supported by a wide range of in-depth research, this book Examines the complex dynamics between texts, both dramatic and socio-historical; contexts, both domestic and international; and intertexts, Western classics and their Chinese reinterpretations in huaju and/or traditional Chinese xiqu; Contemplates Chinese adaptations of a range of Western dramatic works, including Greek, English, Russian, and French; Presents case studies of key Chinese adaptation endeavors, including the 1907 adaptation of Uncle Tom’s Cabin by the Spring Willow Society and the 1990 adaptation of Hamlet by Lin Zhaohua; Lays out a history of uneasy convergence of East and West, complicated by tensions between divergent sociopolitical forces and cultural proclivities. Drawing on disciplines and critical perspectives, including theatre and adaptation studies, comparative literature, translation studies, reception theory, post-colonialism, and intertextuality, this book is key reading for students and researchers in any of these fields.

Intercultural theater is a prominent phenomena of twentieth-century international theater. This books views intercultural theatre as a process of displacement and re-placement of various cultural and theatrical forces, a process which the author describes as 'the poetics of displacement'.

Distinguished scholars and artists consider the mingling of Eastern and Western cultures and traditions in theatre. The divergent cultures of East and West had been completely separated from one another for so long that their mutual discovery, beginning a little more than a hundred years ago, has had fascinating and invigorating results, especially in the drama. This volume gathers papers, discussion notes, and essays on three major topics: Kabuki and the West; Crosscurrents in the Drama: East and West; and Theatrical Influences between East and West: Enrichment through Borrowings, Appropriations, and Misinterpretations.

The value of the book is not limited to the scope of Shakespeare studies and comparative literature. With the combination of the literary criticism and sociological approach, it describes and investigates a variety of social and psychological phenomena in the process of cultural exchange between the West and the East. The book also provides a brief view of the social, political, and historical changes in modern China for Western readers.

The intricacies of Chinese classical theater receive expert analysis in this reliable and practical handbook. Beginning with an introduction to the history and development of the Peking Theater, the author surveys acting techniques, stage costume and symbolism, musical forms, and dramatic content. Enhanced with 25 drawings and 12 photos.

This interdisciplinary collection focuses on recent adaptations, both experimental and popular, that put hybridity, transtextuality, and transmediality at play. It reframes adaptation in terms of the transmedia concept of "world-building," which accurately captures the complexity and multidirectionality of contemporary scattered and ubiquitous practices of adaptation. The Editors argue that the process of moving stories or their elements across different media platforms and repurposing them for new uses results in the production of hybrid transtextualities. The book demonstrate how hybrid textualities augment narrative and literary forms as goals of their world-building, finding unexpected sites of cross-pollination, expansion, and appropriation in spoken-word and dance performance, (auto)biographical comics, advertising, Chinese Kun opera, and popular song lyrics. This yoking of hybridity and transmediality yields not only diversified and often commercialized aesthetic forms but also enables the emergence a unique cultural space in-between, a mezzaterra capable of addressing current political issues and mobilizing broader audiences

The 20th century was a dynamic period for the theatrical arts in China. Booming urban theatres, the interaction between commercial practice and theatre, dramas staged during the War of Resistance against Japan and a healthy dialogue between Western and Eastern theatres all contributed to the momentousness of this period. The four volumes of A History of Chinese Theatre in the 20th Century display the developmental trajectories of Chinese theatre over those 100 years. This volume deals with the development of Chinese theatre from 1949 to 2000, covering the fluctuations of 'drama reform', spectacles of the 'Cultural Revolution', and theatre in the immediate years before the opening up of the country. The author demonstrates how Chinese dramatic traditions endured and adapted in the face of modernity and how politics and art interacted. By combining academic rigour with a high degree of readability, this volume is both an essential guide for scholars and students in the history of the arts and general readers interested in Chinese theatre.

This is an open access book. The 4th International Conference on Language, Art and Cultural Exchange (ICLACE 2023) will be held on May 19–21, 2023 in Hangzhou, China. Culture includes language, which is a special cultural phenomenon. For culture, most scholars agree that it mainly includes two aspects: material culture and spiritual culture. Specific examples to show cultural phenomena will be of great benefit to our understanding. Some examples of material culture are listed here: Indian women wear saris, Japanese like to eat sashimi, and Chinese like to shake hands when meeting each other. These are various manifestations of material culture in different nations. Language is the mode of transmission of culture. Language is one of the most important ways of thinking and cultural exchange of human beings, which is actually the manifestation of the formation and transmission of culture. Because of thinking, human beings gradually create culture in the continuous social practice, and then spread their national culture to each other in the continuous language exchange. Since ancient times, art and culture have been going hand in hand and complementing each other. On the one hand, art is an important connotation and component of culture, and the progress of art is the driving force of cultural development. On the other hand, culture is the source and content of art, and the prosperity of culture is the key to improve the level of art. On the other hand, culture is the source and content of art, and the prosperity of culture is the key to improving the level of art. Therefore, whether it is culture or art, it is not only a symbol of an era, a representation of people’s life style, but also a guide to the direction of social development. The relationship between language, art and cultural communication is a hot topic for many scholars to study at present. Therefore, an academic conference is set up for authors to discuss related research issues and exchange new ideas, hoping that scholars can burst out more excellent and valuable ideas in this conference. ICLACE 2023 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of Literature, Art and Cultural Exchange research to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to provide a platform for scientists, scholars, and engineers from all over the world to present ongoing research activities, fostering the research and business relations and promoting scientific information interchange and cooperation between all the participants.

This book traces the transformation of traditional Chinese theatre’s (xiqu) aesthetics during its encounters with Western drama and theatrical forms in both mainland China and Taiwan since 1978. Through analyzing both the text and performances of eight adapted plays from William Shakespeare, Bertolt Brecht, and Samuel Beckett, this book elaborates on significant changes taking place in playwriting, acting, scenography, and stage-audience relations stemming from intercultural appropriation. As exemplified by each chapter, during the intercultural dialogue of Chinese and foreign elements there exists one-sided dominance by either culture, fusion, and hybridity, which corresponds to the various facets of China’s pursuit of modernity between its traditional and Western influences.