Performing the Socialist State: Modern Chinese Theater and Film Culture

Performing the Socialist State offers an innovative account of the origins, evolution, and legacies of key trends in twentieth-century Chinese theater. Instead of seeing the Republican, high socialist, and postsocialist periods as radically distinct, it identifies key continuities in theatrical practices and shared aspirations for the social role and artistic achievements of performance across eras.

Xiaomei Chen focuses on the long and remarkable careers of three founders of modern Chinese t...