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The twentieth 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 hundred years.
This volume examines national policies developed for the culture industry and practice of Chinese theatre from 1949 to the period of "the Great Leap Forward". The author highlights the tension between the new nation's principle of "letting one hundred flowers bloom" and the theatrical industry as a tool for ideological propaganda. He argues that the transition from war-time conditions to the new social structure of peace time was far from thorough and stable.
Scholars and students in the history of the arts, especially the history of Chinese theatre, will find this book to be an essential guide.
List of contents
Part I "Letting One Hundred Flowers Blossom" and "Getting Rid of the Stale and Bringing Forth the Fresh"---Policies for Chinese Theatre in the New Era. 1. Liberation and "Theatrical Reform". 2. Rectification of Deviation and "May 5th Instruction". 3. National Joint Performance and Review of Spoken Drama. 4. Removing the Restrictive Rules Detrimental to Theatrical Development. A Brief Summary of Part I. Part II Eulogizing "the Great Leap Forward Movement" and Recalling Revolutionary History. 5. "The Great Leap Forward Movement". 6. Upholds of Three Theatrical Categories (New Historical Drama, Adapted Traditional Drama and Modern Drama). 7. A Review of The Theatrical Development from 1949 to 1962. A Brief Summary of Part II.
About the author
Fu Jin is Vice Chairman of the China Literature and Art Critics Association, Member of the Disciplinary Review Group of the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council (Drama and Film & Television); Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School Of Liberal Arts, Nanjing University; and Director of the Academic Committee of the National Academy of Chinese Theatrical Arts. He is mainly engaged in studies on Chinese drama.
Summary
This volume examines national policies developed for the culture industry and practice of Chinese theatre from 1949 to the period of the "Great Leap Forward". The author highlights the tension between the new nation’s principle of "letting one hundred flowers bloom" and the theatrical industry as a tool for ideological propaganda.
