"Xiaomei Chen situates her study of huaju (modern Chinese drama) both in the context of Chinese literary and cultural history and of comparative drama and theater, cultural studies, and critical issues relevant to national theater worldwide. Chosen during the Cultural Revolution as the exclusive artistic vehicle to promote proletariat art, 'model theater' raises important questions about the complex relationships between women, memory, nation/state, revolution, and visual culture. Throughout this study, Chen argues that dramatic norms inform both theatrical performance and everyday political behavior in contemporary China."--Page 4 of cover.