Creating in Shifting Sands: Tanvir’s Agra Bazar and Wu’s Li’er Zaici

Abstract

Through a comparative study of Habib Tanvir's Agra Bazar and Wu Hsing-kuo's Li’er Zaici, this research project explores how both artists’ distinct cultural contexts shaped their theatrical creations amid rising nationalism. Three key questions inform the project: How did the multilingual structure in Tanvir’s play subvert South Asia’s embedded social stratification? How did Wu achieve his creative defiance of traditional Chinese jingju theatrical conventions in his adaptation of King Lear? What insights does a comparison of the two texts and of their creators’ strategies yield about intercultural adaptation and artistic resistance? Both artists worked in art forms steeped in artistic traditions shifting in prominence due to the political changes happening around them, both artists were adept in adapting western literary texts to local audiences, and both experienced degrees of artistic dismissal or professional headwinds from political shifts occurring around them. Applying theoretical frameworks of linguistic resistance, intercultural adaptation and cultural materialism, this research aims to understand the artists' subversive approaches in their response to social stratification and cultural practices in their respective regions. This project contributes to broader discussions of cultural adaptations and forms of artistic resistance, providing new insights into the ways these artists navigated and reshaped the cultural landscapes they engaged with.