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This handbook aims mainly at an analytical documentation of all the known textual remnants and the preserved artifacts of Arabic shadow theatre, a long-lived, and still living, tradition — from the earliest sightings in the tenth century to the turn of the twentieth century. The book consists of three main parts and a cluster of appendixes. Part One presents a history of Arab shadow theatre through a survey of medieval and premodern accounts and modern scholarship on the subject. Part Two takes stock of primary sources (manuscripts), published studies, and the current knowledge of various aspects of Arabic shadow theatre: language, style, terminology, and performance. Part Three offers an inventory of all known Arabic shadow plays. The documentation is based on manuscripts (largely unpublished), printed texts (scripts, excerpts), academic studies (in Arabic and Western languages), journalist reportage, and shadow play artifacts from collections worldwide.
Price: $151.00
Pages: 286
Publisher: Brill
Imprint: Brill
Publication Date:
06 August 2020
ISBN: 9789004436145
Format: Hardcover
"Li Guo's Arabic Shadow Theatre 1300-1900: A Handbook is a sweeping survey and interesting introduction to all things shadowy and theatrical. It is rare to say that an academic study is a joy to read, but this book certainly proved to be the case. […] it is well worth engaging with and will stimulate discussions about theatre and shadow theatre beyond the Arab world." Usman Butt, in Middle East Monitor (2020)
“No standard work on the subject has been produced until now […] Dozens of synopses of plots, together with some translations are especially valuable.” Caroline Stone, in AramcoWorld
“This handbook still has an inevitable focus on Ibn Dāniyāl and Egypt, but expands the boundaries of research in several directions, covering the role of German Orientalists and the rich tradition from the Levant. It admits that some areas still need investigation, especially considering the lack of material from Iraq, Morocco, and the period prior to the nineteenth century except for Egypt. Arabic shadow theatre is a kaleidoscope that can be used to look at cultural traditions and entertainment from an original angle.”
Cristina Dozio, Zeitschrift Orientalistische Literaturzeitung , 117.3 (2022).
“No standard work on the subject has been produced until now […] Dozens of synopses of plots, together with some translations are especially valuable.” Caroline Stone, in AramcoWorld
“This handbook still has an inevitable focus on Ibn Dāniyāl and Egypt, but expands the boundaries of research in several directions, covering the role of German Orientalists and the rich tradition from the Levant. It admits that some areas still need investigation, especially considering the lack of material from Iraq, Morocco, and the period prior to the nineteenth century except for Egypt. Arabic shadow theatre is a kaleidoscope that can be used to look at cultural traditions and entertainment from an original angle.”
Cristina Dozio, Zeitschrift Orientalistische Literaturzeitung , 117.3 (2022).
Li Guo, Ph.D. (1994), Yale University, is Professor of Arabic at the University of Notre Dame. His most recent book, The Performing Arts in Medieval Islam: Shadow play and popular poetry in Ibn Daniyal’s Mamluk Cairo (Brill, 2012) is the winner of the IIM Prize for Research in the category “New conceptual tools,” Institut International de la Marionnette, France, 2015.