"Theatre of Rebellion conjures the world of professional theater in early twentieth-century Beijing with such verve that the reader enters and savors the demimonde of the stage and its compelling female stars. Despite attracting passionate supporters dedicated to their ?cult? who helped Xinju works gain a foothold in the Beijing scene, many of these performers were eclipsed in Beijing and on the national stage during the late 1910s. The vicissitudes of public taste and performance make Jiacheng Liu?s lively portrait and analysis all the more arresting and important."