Journal article
Brecht and Mei Lanfang: facts, fictions, and the Verfremdungseffekt
Theatre research international, Vol.51(1), pp.150-163
01/02/2026
DOI: 10.1080/03078833.2026.2632484
Abstract
Bertolt Brecht's experience of Mei Lanfang's performances in Russia has been considered one of the historic moments in the twentieth-century intercultural theatre on the international stage. However, I have found, and have continued to find, historical facts intermingled with fictions in many studies, even in some of the most standard and authoritative works on Brecht. As I believe that historical facts remain foundational to our studies and understandings of the creation of histories, theories, and praxis in theatre, particularly, the constitution of the twentieth-century intercultural theatre, in this article, I will further investigate and underscore, on the basis of my previous studies and with the evidentiary support of more contemporary sources and archival documents, those historical facts related to Brecht's encounter with Mei Lanfang's art and to distinguish them from narratives, assumptions, and assertions that are not true to the facts.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Brecht and Mei Lanfang: facts, fictions, and the Verfremdungseffekt
- Creators
- Min Tian - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Theatre research international, Vol.51(1), pp.150-163
- DOI
- 10.1080/03078833.2026.2632484
- ISSN
- 0307-8833
- eISSN
- 1474-0672
- Publisher
- Routledge
- Number of pages
- 14
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 01/02/2026
- Academic Unit
- Humanities and Social Sciences/Scholarly Impact
- Record Identifier
- 9985164732702771
Metrics
2 Record Views