Pop with Gods, Shakespeare, and AI

More about the book

This interdisciplinary book delves into the captivating realms of popular film, (musical) theatre, and TV drama through the lenses of Popular Culture, Visual Culture, Performance Studies, (Post)Feminism, and Film Studies. It examines both classical and contemporary literature from Eastern and Western traditions, showcasing adaptations and transformations into films, performances, TV dramas, musicals, and AI robot theatre/films. The author, Iris Tuan, presents a broad spectrum of works, analyzing well-known pieces like Shakespeare's *Romeo & Juliet* and Disney's *The Lion King*, alongside lesser-known works such as Taiwan's Hakka Theatre. Tuan employs various critical and theoretical perspectives, particularly from performance studies and popular culture, to provide context for her analyses. The book offers a fast-paced exploration of contemporary performance, spanning "high" art sources like Shakespeare and Hirata's robotic theatre experiments to "low" forms such as Taiwanese soap operas and Korean films. It highlights significant works and controversies, including issues like yellow face, filtered through a Taiwanese female perspective. The content is structured into parts focusing on literature, Asian American plays, and the intersection of TV drama with robot theatre and AI films, culminating in a thought-provoking conclusion.