Meng Jinghui has been the most important experimental theatre director in the People's Republic of China for the past two decades, with an increasingly global presence. The success and popularity of his productions challenge conventional notions of the avantgarde and persistent dichotomies of official vs. unofficial networks and discourses. His cool “badass” persona and aesthetic have become recognizable trademarks of his work, which includes adaptations of Western classics, collaborations with Chinese playwrights, and collective creations.

This new feature of TDR presents reports on various performances and artists. In this issue we offer an account of the 2002 Chinese theatre season, a performance rumination on the atomic bomb and 9/11, the experience of groupies at a parodic “cock-rock” concert, and a selection of performative haikus composed by a San Francisco performance artist.