Erika Fischer-Lichte’s oeuvre in China

Zhu Ning*

I am ZHU Ning from the China Section. I am honored to have the chance to express my congratulations and admiration to Prof. Fischer-Lichte.

As a renowned theatre scholar, Prof. Fischer-Lichte’s name is well-known among Chinese theatre scholars and students. Her remarkable work, The Transformative Power of Performance: A New Aesthetics, was translated into Chinese in 2012 and has inspired many, including myself. Around 2010, China began to recognize the significant discrepancy in theatre development between the Western world and us, not only in productions but also in theories and aesthetics. At that time, Prof. Fischer-Lichte’s book provided an inspiring and creative approach to understanding the significance of contemporary theatre.

Now, as a teacher at the China Central Academy of Drama, one of the most important theatre universities in China, I teach the history and theories of Western theatre. I have greatly benefited from your books. The Transformative Power of Performance: A New Aesthetic is one of the must-reads for sophomore students. When discussing Chinese stage productions of Western plays, I frequently use your concept of “interweaving performance.” For third-year undergraduates, they are required to read parts of The Semiotics of Theatre. Since it is in English and not easy to understand, they only read the introduction under my guidance. For my M.A. students in their first year, the English version of History of European Drama and Theatre is one of the books we discuss extensively. I am also interested in your later works, such as Dionysus Resurrected: Performances of Euripides and Religion and Society in the 21st Century. I hope to translate one or two of your books from English to Chinese one day. Learning German and then translating would be too time-consuming, and I can’t wait that long.

Although this is only the second time we have met, I feel as if I know you well, as we constantly read, discuss, and debate your work. Personally, I consider you my mentor. Your works inspire me by triggering a chain reaction in the search for theatre significance, and I strive to trigger a similar self-searching process in my students, helping them create their own significance in a world still full of pride and prejudice. 

*Zhu Ning teaches theatre theory and history in China Central Academy of Drama. She also served on the ExCom of the International Association of Theatre Critics.