Economy of Identities in Traditional Chinese Theatre

<p>The book is intended to become a useful reference for theatre people who need ���China knowledge���. Its central questions are: how is traditional Chinese theatre (���Chinese opera��� i.e. <em>xiqu</em>) embedded in contemporary Chinese society? What identities are created through theatre? And most importantly: how are these identities related to one another to form a complex ���economy of identities���? An insight is offered into the traditional Chinese theatre system composed of over three hundred theatre types vying for recognition in a complex relational network. Understanding how this ���relationality��� works might also shed light on the functioning of other fields in the current socio-cultural complex of China. </p>