A History of Chinese Shadow Theatre

A History of Chinese Shadow Theatre: Shadow puppetry is an ancient art of storytelling and entertainment for deities and human audiences. Professor Chen will talk about its history, the different genres of shadow theatre and her visits to rural villages in China where these puppets continue to be made and the shadow theatre is still performed. She will display some of her unique Chinese shadow puppet collection and hand copied play scripts.

Professor Chen’s research focuses on women warriors in Chinese history and fiction, the Chinese shadow theatre, and Chinese local religions.