Traditional Chinese theater or xiqu (music-theater) was the mass media of China prior to the introduction of modern electronic media and remained important enough in the 20th century to be used as the main medium in political campaigns. Originally looked down upon, unsanctioned, and considered trivial, examples of Chinese dramatic writing have now been canonized and taken their place among the most honored works of Chinese literature. In this course, we will pay attention not only to how these plays work on the page and how they were read, but also to how they were staged (and in many cases, continue to be staged). We will also investigate the fate of this traditional art form in contemporary China, as well as attempts to fuse it and other dramatic traditions.

Course Requirements:

Short, pre-class assignments, one subjective paper, two short research papers, a presentation, class participation

Intended Audience:

Undergraduates interested in China, dramatic literature, or theater

Class Format:

Two 90-minute meetings weekly, emphasis on class discussion