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In her study of Chinese shadow theatre Fan Pen Li Chen documents and corrects misconceptions about this once-popular art form. Drawing on extensive research and fieldwork, she argues that these plays served a mainly religious function during the Qing dynasty and that the appeal of women warrior characters reflected the lower classes' high tolerance for the unorthodox and subversive.Chinese Shadow Theatre includes several rare transcriptions of oral performances, including a didactic play on the eighteen levels of Hell, and Investiture of the Gods, a sacred saga, and translations of three rare, hand-copied shadow plays featuring religious themes and women warrior characters.Chen examines the relationship between historical and fictional women warriors and those in military romances and shadow plays to demonstrate the significance of both printed works and oral transmission in the diffusion of popular culture. She also shows that traditional folk theatre is a subject for serious academic study by linking it to recent scholarship on drama, popular religion, and popular culture.

Puppet plays, Chinese --- Religion in literature. --- Shadow shows --- Women soldiers in literature. --- History and criticism. --- History. --- Religion dans la littérature --- Femmes militaires dans la littérature --- Théâtre d'ombres --- Théâtre de marionnettes chinois --- History --- History and criticism --- Histoire --- Histoire et critique --- Théâtre d'ombres --- Théâtre de marionnettes chinois --- Religion dans la littérature --- Femmes militaires dans la littérature --- Chinese drama --- Religion in literature --- Women in popular culture --- Popular culture --- Women --- Chinese shadows --- Gallanty-shows --- Shadow pantomimes and plays --- Shadow plays --- Shadow puppet plays --- Shadow puppetry --- Shadow theater --- Puppet theater --- Chinese puppet plays --- Chinese literature --- Religion in drama --- Religion in poetry --- Public opinion