Download or read book Mainstream Culture Refocused written by Xueping Zhong and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2019-01-31 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Serialized television drama (dianshiju), perhaps the most popular and influential cultural form in China over the past three decades, offers a wide and penetrating look at the tensions and contradictions of the post-revolutionary and pro-market period. Zhong Xueping’s timely new work draws attention to the multiple cultural and historical legacies that coexist and challenge each other within this dominant form of story telling. Although scholars tend to focus their attention on elite cultural trends and avant garde movements in literature and film, Zhong argues for recognizing the complexity of dianshiju’s melodramatic mode and its various subgenres, in effect "refocusing" mainstream Chinese culture. Mainstream Culture Refocused opens with an examination of television as a narrative motif in three contemporary Chinese art-house films. Zhong then turns her attention to dianshiju’s most important subgenres. "Emperor dramas" highlight the link between popular culture’s obsession with emperors and modern Chinese intellectuals’ preoccupation with issues of history and tradition and how they relate to modernity. In her exploration of the "anti-corruption" subgenre, Zhong considers three representative dramas, exploring their diverse plots and emphases. "Youth dramas’" rich array of representations reveal the numerous social, economic, cultural, and ideological issues surrounding the notion of youth and its changing meanings. The chapter on the "family-marriage" subgenre analyzes the ways in which women’s emotions are represented in relation to their desire for "happiness." Song lyrics from music composed for television dramas are considered as "popular poetics." Their sentiments range between nostalgia and uncertainty, mirroring the social contradictions of the reform era. The Epilogue returns to the relationship between intellectuals and the production of mainstream cultural meaning in the context of China’s post-revolutionary social, economic, and cultural transformation. Provocative and insightful, Mainstream Culture Refocused will appeal to scholars and students in studies of modern China generally and of contemporary Chinese media and popular culture specifically.
Download or read book Contemporary Irish Drama Cultural Identity written by Margaret Llewellyn-Jones and published by Intellect Books. This book was released on 2002 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring the works of Brian Friel, Frank McGuinness, Tom Murphy, and Thomas Kilroy, the author presents an introduction on the historical context of Irish culture, with particular attention being paid to the works performed in the 1990s.
Download or read book Creole Drama written by Juliane Braun and published by . This book was released on 2019-04-05 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The stages of antebellum New Orleans did more than entertain. In the city's early years, French-speaking residents used the theatre to assert their political, economic, and cultural sovereignty in the face of growing Anglo-American dominance. Beyond local stages, the francophone struggle for cultural survival connected people and places in the early United States, across the American hemisphere, and in the Atlantic world. Moving from France to the Caribbean to the American continent, Creole Drama follows the people that created and sustained French theatre culture in New Orleans from its inception in 1792 until the beginning of the Civil War. Juliane Braun draws on the neglected archive of francophone drama native to Louisiana, as well as a range of documents from both sides of the Atlantic, to explore the ways in which theatre and drama shaped debates about ethnic identity and transnational belonging in the city. Francophone identity united citizens of different social and racial backgrounds, and debates about political representation, slavery, and territorial expansion often played out on stage. Recognizing theatres as sites of cultural exchange that could cross oceans and borders, Creole Drama offers not only a detailed history of francophone theatre in New Orleans but also an account of the surprising ways in which multilingualism and early transnational networks helped create the American nation.
Download or read book The Cultural Net written by Joachim Küpper and published by Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG. This book was released on 2018-04-09 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume offers a new theoretical approach to cultural production inspired by the metaphor of culture as a virtual network. Following a thorough outline of this approach, the theoretical framework is elucidated in a second part through examples drawn from early modern European drama. A third and final part then presents a critical discussion of the concept of "national" culture and literature, from its first formulation by Johann Gottfried Herder to its current developments, including postcolonial studies.
Download or read book Living the Drama written by David J. Harding and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2010-04-15 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the middle class and the affluent, local ties seem to matter less and less these days, but in the inner city, your life can be irrevocably shaped by what block you live on. Living the Drama takes a close look at three neighborhoods in Boston to analyze the many complex ways that the context of community shapes the daily lives and long-term prospects of inner-city boys. David J. Harding studied sixty adolescent boys growing up in two very poor areas and one working-class area. In the first two, violence and neighborhood identification are inextricably linked as rivalries divide the city into spaces safe, neutral, or dangerous. Consequently, Harding discovers, social relationships are determined by residential space. Older boys who can navigate the dangers of the streets serve as role models, and friendships between peers grow out of mutual protection. The impact of community goes beyond the realm of same-sex bonding, Harding reveals, affecting the boys’ experiences in school and with the opposite sex. A unique glimpse into the world of urban adolescent boys, Living the Drama paints a detailed, insightful portrait of life in the inner city.
Download or read book The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama written by Xiaomei Chen and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-04-01 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This condensed anthology reproduces close to a dozen plays from Xiaomei ChenÕs well-received original collection, along with her critical introduction to the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of twentieth-century Chinese spoken drama. Comprising representative works from the PeopleÕs Republic of China, the collection encapsulates the revolutionary rethinking of Chinese theater and performance that began in the late Qing dynasty and vividly portrays the uncertainty and anxiety brought on by modernism, socialism, political conflict, and war. Chosen works from 1919 to 1990 also highlight the formation of Chinese national and gender identities during a period of tremendous social, cultural, and political change and the genesis of contemporary attitudes toward the West. PRC theater tracks the rise of communism in China, juxtaposing ideals of Chinese socialism against the sacrifices made for a new society. Post-Mao drama addresses the nationÕs socialist legacy, its attempt to reexamine its cultural roots, and postsocialist reflections on critical issues such as nation, class, gender, and collective memories. An essential, portable guide for easy reference and classroom use, this abridgement provides a concise yet well-rounded survey of China's theatricality and representation of political life. This work has not only established a canon of modern Chinese drama but also made it available for the first time in English in a single volume.
Download or read book The Cambridge Introduction to Performance Theory written by Simon Shepherd and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-15 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What does 'performance theory' really mean and why has it become so important across such a large number of disciplines, from art history to religious studies and architecture to geography? In this introduction Simon Shepherd explains the origins of performance theory, defines the terms and practices within the field and provides new insights into performance's wide range of definitions and uses. Offering an overview of the key figures, their theories and their impact, Shepherd provides a fresh approach to figures including Erving Goffman and Richard Schechner and ideas such as radical art practice, performance studies, radical scenarism and performativity. Essential reading for students, scholars and enthusiasts, this engaging account travels from universities into the streets and back again to examine performance in the context of political activists and teachers, countercultural experiments and feminist challenges, and ceremonies and demonstrations.
Download or read book The Cultural Geography of Early Modern Drama 1620 1650 written by Julie Sanders and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2014-11-06 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Literary geographies is an exciting new area of interdisciplinary research. Innovative and engaging, this book applies theories of landscape, space and place from the discipline of cultural geography within an early modern historical context. Different kinds of drama and performance are analyzed: from commercial drama by key playwrights to household masques and entertainment performed by families and in semi-official contexts. Sanders provides a fresh look at works from the careers of Ben Jonson, John Milton and Richard Brome, paying attention to geographical spaces and habitats like forests, coastlines and arctic landscapes of ice and snow, as well as the more familiar locales of early modern country estates and city streets and spaces. Overall, the book encourages readers to think about geography as kinetic, embodied and physical, not least in its literary configurations, presenting a key contribution to early modern scholarship.
Download or read book Critical Themes in Drama written by Kelly Freebody and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2021-03-25 with total page 243 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Critical Themes in Drama is concerned with the relationship between drama and the current socio-political context. It builds on and contributes to ongoing scholarly conversations regarding the use, benefit, challenges and opportunities for drama and theatre as a social, cultural, educational and political act. The intention of this book is to canvas current theory and practice in drama, to provide an extended examination of how drama as a pro-social practice intersects with socio-cultural institutions, to link critical discourse and examine ways drama may contribute to a broader social justice agenda. Authors draw on a variety of theoretical tools from the fields of sociology, anthropology and cultural studies. This combines with an exploration of work from drama practitioners across a variety of countries and practices to provide a map of how the field is shaped and how we might understand drama praxis as a social, cultural and political force for change. This book offers drama scholars, practitioners, researchers and teachers a critical exploration which is both hopeful and critical; acknowledging the complexities and potential pitfalls, while celebrating the opportunities for drama as a practice for social action and positive change.
Download or read book Drama for Development written by Andrew Skuse and published by Sage Publications Pvt. Limited. This book was released on 2020-11-18 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How do drama serials communicate development goals and achieve dramatic impact? What is involved in translating storylines, such as those from the BBC's longest running radio soap opera, The Archers, for diverse local cultural contexts? Can drama serials bring about positive social change? This book offers unprecedented insights into the production and consumption of a range of popular radio and television drama serials, broadcast in places as diverse as Afghanistan, Burma, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Nigeria and Rwanda. It brings into dialogue the perspectives of the creative teams who make 'dramas for development', the donors who pay for them, and the audiences who consume them. It also highlights the crucial role of audience research as a tool for making drama and as a resource for translating cultures.This book emerges from a unique research collaboration over a three year period between The Open University, the University of Adelaide, and the BBC World Service Trust. This path-breaking initiative opens windows on the intertwined worlds of media and development for academics and audiences alike.Cultural translation means different things for dramatists, development practitioners, donors, audiences, and scholars. Their interests may collude or collide. What accommodations and adjustments are entailed in transnational circuits of serial drama production? What imaginative investments are required on the part of dramatists unfamiliar with local cultures? What cultural assumptions need to be exploded to reach audiences? This book offers an innovative framework for analysing drama for development that will appeal to practitioners and academics alike.
Download or read book English Drama written by Richard W. Bevis and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-06-06 with total page 374 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What were the causes of Restoration drama's licentiousness? How did the elegantly-turned comedy of Congreve become the pointed satire of Fielding? And how did Sheridan and Goldsmith reshape the materials they inherited? In the first account of the entire period for more than a decade, Richard Bevis argues that none of these questions can be answered without an understanding of Augustan and Georgian history. The years between 1660 and 1789 saw considerable political and social upheaval, which is reflected in the eclectic array of dramatic forms that is Georgian theatre's essential characteristic.
Download or read book Theatre Culture in America 1825 1860 written by Rosemarie K. Bank and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 1997-01-28 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A study of pre-Civil War American theatre.
Download or read book The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama written by Xiaomei Chen and published by Columbia University Press. This book was released on 2014-03-25 with total page 655 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This condensed anthology reproduces close to a dozen plays from Xiaomei Chen's well-received original collection, The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama, along with her critical introduction to the historical, cultural, and aesthetic evolution of twentieth-century Chinese spoken drama. Comprising representative works from the Republican era to postsocialist China, the book encapsulates the revolutionary rethinking of Chinese theater and performance that began in the late Qing dynasty and vividly portrays the uncertainty and anxiety brought on by modernism, socialism, political conflict, and war. Chosen works from 1919 to 1990 also highlight the formation of national and gender identities during a period of tremendous social, cultural, and political change in China and the genesis of contemporary attitudes toward the West. PRC theater tracks the rise of communism, juxtaposing ideals of Chinese socialism against the sacrifices made for a new society. Post-Mao drama addresses the nation's socialist legacy, its attempt to reexamine its cultural roots, and postsocialist reflections on critical issues such as nation, class, gender, and collective memories. An essential, portable guide for easy reference and classroom use, this abridgment provides a concise yet well-rounded survey of China's theatricality and representation of political life. The original work not only established a canon of modern Chinese drama in the West but also made it available for the first time in English in a single volume.
Download or read book TV Drama in China written by Ying Zhu and published by Hong Kong University Press. This book was released on 2008-10-01 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of essays brings together the first comprehensive study of TV drama in China. Examining in depth the production, distribution and consumption of TV drama, the international team of experts demonstrate why it remains the pre-eminent media form in China. The examples are diverse, highlighting the complexity of producing narrative content in a rapidly changing political and social environment. Genres examined include the revisionist Qing drama, historical and contemporary domestic dramas, anti-corruption dramas, "pink" dramas, Red Classics, stories from the Diaspora, and sit-coms. In addition to genres, the collection explores industry dynamics: how TV dramas are marketed and consumed on DVD, and China's aspirations to export its television drama rights. The book provides an international and cross-cultural perspective with chapters on Taiwanese TV drama in China, the impact of South Korean drama, and trans-border production between the Mainland and Hong Kong.
Download or read book Chinese Drama and Society written by Teresa Chi-Ching Sun and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-08-23 with total page 115 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book traces the entrance of Western stage drama into China and the initial reception it received from Chinese intellectuals. Form the introduction of Western literature and dramatic concepts to China in the early twentieth century to the Chinese national theatre movement and renovation of Beijing opera, specific and social cultural conditions ushered the literature created in that environment. The central contention of this book is that the evolution of modern literary stage drama was an important aspect of the Chinese intellectual movement, transforming stage shows into messengers of social change. When two cultures collide, it can produce significant literary and cultural change. While there have been productive studies comparing the characteristics of Eastern and Western theatre, there has not yet been a study examining the social environments that brought these characteristics about.
Download or read book Resisting Spirits written by Maggie Greene and published by China Understandings Today. This book was released on 2019-08-19 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Even amidst the Maoist era's politicized cultural production, culture workers continued to adapt traditional theatre to create bold new statements
Download or read book Establishment of Drama Orientation written by Zhang Yifan and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-09-30 with total page 321 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The “national drama” in China is a historical concept. Grown on longstanding Chinese culture and art, the traditional drama, mainly in the form of “opera”, has been integrated with “drama” of an international background. From the perspective of modern “drama and opera”, this book mainly studies the conditions and research of Chinese traditional drama in the 1920s and 1930s. Instead of analyzing from the viewpoint of literature appreciation or music theory, the author regards the drama as a comprehensive stage art. He attaches special importance to restoring historical scenes and therefore mainly introduces the drama journals and monographs published in that historical period, in order to help readers understand the original state of drama at that time through the records of the witnesses. In particular, this book delivers an insightful view about the evolution of the meaning of “national drama” and “drama”. The book will help scholars and readers understand the meaning and the whole story of the “national drama” concept, and will certainly facilitate the construction of the discipline of Drama and Opera.
