Książka jest poświęcona różnorodnym formom teatru egzorcystycznego i szamańskich widowisk parateatralnych w Chinach, Tybecie, Mongolii, Korei i Japonii, stanowiących nadal żywą tradycję teatralną, a wywodzących się ze starożytnych obrzędów szamanów. Monografia jest rezultatem wielokrotnych kwerend w bibliotekach chińskich oraz badań terenowych prowadzonych na południu Chin przez autorkę.

This book is devoted to various forms of ritual theatre and exorcist paratheatrical performances in China, Tibet, Japan and Korea, which are still a living theatrical tradition and are derived from the ancient rituals of shamans, Daoists and Buddhists. Analysing client, the author focusses her attention on the character and structure of ensambies, kind of repertoire, manner of organisation of the ritual-theatrical space, division into categories of roles and use of masks, stage gestures and movements, props and costume, and also discusses the specificity of exorcist ceremonies and rites accompanying performances, explains the meaning of religious symbols. In this work the travel of themes, theatrical ideas and masks through the great area of the Far East is traced, and evidence is provided for the existence of common ritual-theatrical imagination at the basis of which is the religious syncretism.