About the Book
This volume focuses on the theatre history of Asian countries and discusses the specific context of theatre modernization in Asia. While Asian theatre is one of the primary interests within theatre scholarship in the world today, knowledge of Asian theatre history is very limited and often surprisingly incorrect. Therefore, this volume addresses a major gap in contemporary theatre studies.
The volume discusses the conflict between tradition and modernity in theatre, suggesting that the problems of modernity are closely related to the idea of tradition. Although Asian countries preserved the traditional form and values of their respective theatres, they also had to confront the newly introduced values or mechanisms of European modernity. Several papers in this volume, therefore provide critical surveys of the history of theatre modernization in Asian countries or regions – Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, India, Malaysia and Singapore. Other papers focus on specific case studies of the history of modernization, discussing contemporary Taiwanese performances, translations of modern French comedy into Chinese, the modernization of Chinese Xiqu, modern Okinawan plays, Malaysian traditional performances, Korean national theatre, and Japanese plays during World War II.
Renowned academics and theatre critics have contributed to this volume, making it a valuable resource for researchers and students of theatre studies, literature, and cultural studies.
Contents
1 Introduction: Modernization of Asian Theatres / Yasushi NAGATA and Ravi CHATURVEDI
Part I Process of Asian Theatre Modernization
2 Relevant Figures at the Early Stage of the Modernization of Japanese Theatre / Mitsuya MORI
3 The Modernization of Korean Theatre Through the Reception of Western Realism / Meewon LEE
4 Movement of the Western Modern Drama in Taiwan and Its Modernity / Kun-Liang CHIU
5 Staging Reality: Premodern Drama in China at the Turn of the Twentieth Century / Gilbert FONG and Shelby K. Y. CHAN
6 The Modernization of Malay Theatre: From the Makeshift Stages of the Bangsal to the Proscenium Stage / Solehah ISHAK
7 Metamorphosis: “Modernity” on Stage – The Formation of the Chinese Spoken Drama in Singapore (1913–1937) / YU Weijie
8 Modernization Re(ad)dressed in Indian Theatre / Ravi CHATURVEDI
Part II Problematics of Asian Theatre Tradition
9 Representation of Chinese and Western Classics: 108 Heroes and Measure for Measure in Taiwan / Iris Hsin-chun TUAN
10 The Translation and Reception of Eugene Labiche’s Plays in Modern China / LO Shih-Lung
11 The Modernization of Chinese Xiqu with a Case Study of Major Kunqu Productions in Mainland China, 2001–2013 / YANG Ming
12 On the Modernity of Chinese Drama Through the Perspective of Perception from Gao Xingjian’s Dramas / Yingying XIAO
13 From Traditional to Contemporary: Genealogy of Kumiodori in Modern Okinawan Theatre Called “Okinawa shibai” / Shoko YONAHA
14 Bangsawan (1870–1940): An Analysis of Modern Performance Elements and Its Role as Transitional Link Between Traditional Malay Theatre and Modern Malaysian Drama / Zainal Abd LATIFF and Gan Eng CHENG
15 Assimilation of Asia: On Okawa’s Revenge and Nayotake / Yasushi NAGATA
About the Author / Editor
Yasushi Nagata is professor of Theatre Studies, Graduate School of Letters, Osaka University. He served as the president of Japanese Society for Theatre Research. He specialized Russian Avant-Garde theatre and finished doctoral course in Theatre Studies of Meiji University in 1988. He was Executive Committee member of IFTR from 2004 to 2012, organizer of IFTR annual conference in Osaka 2011, and a convener of Asian Theatre Working Group. He published many articles on theatre historiography, intercultural theatre, acting methods and production analysis on modern and contemporary Russian and Japanese theatres in many anthologies such as Adapting Chekhov, The Local Meets the Global, Theatre and Democracy in English, and also The Age of Avant-Garde, The Theory of Japanese Arts, Performance in Post-modern Culture in Japanese. He is also director of the Museum of Osaka University and Executive Producer of International Arts Festival and its Cultural Program Series since 2013.
Ravi Chaturvedi is professor and former director of the School of Media and Communication at Manipal University, Jaipur and founder head of the Department of Culture and Media Studies, Central University of Rajasthan, Department of Theatre and Film Studies, Mahatma Gandhi International Hindi University, and Department of Dramatics in the University of Rajasthan. He is the founder president of Indian Society for Theatre Research (2004–2015). He was Executive Committee Member of IFTR (1999–2009). His publications include World Encyclopedia of Contemporary Theatre, Ethnicity and Identity: Global Performance, Theatre and Democracy, Dramatic Elements and Modern Art and Contemporary Indian Theatre. He has authored six full length plays. He was contributory editor of Theatre Research International and South African Theatre Journal. He organized first ever conference of International Federation for Theatre Research in Asia in 2003 at Jaipur. He is also a professional theatre director and actor.
