Minjian has become an important concept in recent scholarly research. It is widely used by scholars to indicate specific social and cultural spaces existing beyond the control of state power, therefore, minjian social...Minjian has become an important concept in recent scholarly research. It is widely used by scholars to indicate specific social and cultural spaces existing beyond the control of state power, therefore, minjian social-cultural spaces are more often than not marginal and peripheral. In the field of performing arts, minjian theatre refers to performances produced by private theatre companies as opposed to state-run groups. These private companies or grass-root groups, without the interference of the government, produce artistic expressions that reflect current social reality to a certain extent. For a long time, the study of minjian theatre has been framed as forms of resistance against the ideology propagated by state-run theatres. Based on this paradigm, this paper, through the case analysis of Shanghai minjian theatre companies, attempts to illuminate the production mechanism and developmental process of minjian theatres. In so dong, this paper will explore the aesthetic and social-political values of minjian theatres.展开更多
文摘Minjian has become an important concept in recent scholarly research. It is widely used by scholars to indicate specific social and cultural spaces existing beyond the control of state power, therefore, minjian social-cultural spaces are more often than not marginal and peripheral. In the field of performing arts, minjian theatre refers to performances produced by private theatre companies as opposed to state-run groups. These private companies or grass-root groups, without the interference of the government, produce artistic expressions that reflect current social reality to a certain extent. For a long time, the study of minjian theatre has been framed as forms of resistance against the ideology propagated by state-run theatres. Based on this paradigm, this paper, through the case analysis of Shanghai minjian theatre companies, attempts to illuminate the production mechanism and developmental process of minjian theatres. In so dong, this paper will explore the aesthetic and social-political values of minjian theatres.