Call for Papers:

Conventions and Subversions in Sino-Western Theatrical Settings

Edited by Kelly Kar Yue CHAN, Chi Sum Garfield LAU and Chi Chun CHAN
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We are soliciting chapter proposals for an edited volume that contains 8-10 chapters of research articles which represent the efforts from both members of the academia and practitioners of theatre to sustain the tradition of Sino-Western theatrics, while demonstrating the evolving aspects of contemporary performances under the inexorable trends of digitalization and globalization.

We welcome submissions that include, but are not limited to, the following topics to illustrate the recent integration and collaboration of theatrical settings:

1. Cross-Cultural Adaptations: Dissect how traditional Chinese theatre forms (like Peking opera) adapt Western theatrical conventions through exploring their narrative patterns, character development, and staging.

2. Theatrical Space and Musicality: Investigate the utilization of both physical and symbolic space in Sino-Western theatrical environments, and assess how musical composition and instrumental selection function as tools to articulate tensions and emotions in various theatrical productions.

3. The Power of Translation and Language: Analyze the impact of language and translation in mediating cultural meaning within theatrical performances, and explore the impact of language in conveying cultural nuances in performances and sub(sur)titles to address their influence on audience interpretation and intercultural reception.

4. Gender Identities in Performance: Critically explore the representation of gender identities in Sino-Western theatrical frameworks. Consider how performative strategies—including subversion, disguise, and role inversion—reflect gender norms within Chinese and Western cultural paradigms.

5. Performance Semiotics and Interpretation: Conduct a semiotic analysis of symbolic elements employed in Sino-Western theatrical productions, focusing on how they represent culture, and challenge or reinforce theatrical stereotypes.

6. Digitalized Performance and New Techniques: Assess the emergence of digital technologies in contemporary theatre that subverts traditional Eastern and Western performance aesthetics. These include innovations of multimedia integration and audience interactivity as transformative agents in theatrical practice.

The volume will be jointly edited by academics from Hong Kong Metropolitan University, namely Dr Kelly Kar Yue Chan, Dr Chi Sum Garfield Lau and Dr Chi Chun Chan. Some of the edited books of Dr Chan, Dr Lau and Dr Chan Chi Chun include Conjugal Relationships in Chinese Culture: Sino / Western Discourse and Aesthetics on Marriage (Springer, 2023), The Poetics of Grief and Melancholy in East-West Conflicts and Reconciliations (Springer, 2024), The Myriad Faces of Heroes and Heroines (Springer, 2025), Sonorous Send-offs: Funeral Music in Hong Kong (Hong Kong University Press, Forthcoming, 2026) and Guqin Tradition of the Literati and Tsar Teh-yun's Modern Legacy (The Chinese University of Hong Kong Press, Forthcoming, 2027).

Interested authors should send an abstract (no more than 250 words) and a short biography (no more than 150 words) to the editors (kkychan@hkmu.edu.hk and cslau@hkmu.edu.hk) by 1 December 2025. Authors will be notified of the decision made by the editorial team by 30 December 2025. Only papers that have not been submitted to any other publishers before will be considered for acceptance.

For details and enquiries, please write to kkychan@hkmu.edu.hk and cslau@hkmu.edu.hk.
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Full Paper Submission Guideline:

The submission should be between 6,000 and 10,000 words (excluding references) and it should follow the attached full paper style guide (https://www.hkmu.edu.hk/as/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/10/PaperStyleGuide_Eng.pdf).
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Submission Channels:

Contributors whose proposals have been accepted would be expected to send the full paper prepared in APA style to kkychan@hkmu.edu.hk and cslau@hkmu.edu.hk by 31 March 2026. All received abstracts and papers will go through the process of internal review and language editing before they are included in the proposal to potential publishers.
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Important Dates:

1 December 2025 Deadline of abstract submission

30 December 2025 Notification of acceptance

31 March 2026 Deadline of full paper submission