Resisting Spirits: Drama Reform & Cultural Transformation in the People’s Republic of China

IN THIS TALK, Greene will discuss her recent monograph, a study of the role of traditional culture and cultural reform in Maoist China. Combining archival documents with a variety of rare manuscript materials, Resisting Spirits explores the debates over the role of traditional Chinese theatre (xiqu), particularly the celebrated genre of ghost opera. Challenging perceptions of what cultural production in the high socialist period looked like, Resisting Spirits shows the lengths to which artists and writers went in trying to reform beloved popular culture for new political contexts, as well as the political ramifications of artistic experimentation and debate. Greene also shows how integral the debate over ghosts was to shifting political tides, particularly the lead-up to the Cultural Revolution. Greene will also discuss the relevance of Mao-era cultural regulation and reform to the contemporary PRC.