Chinese TheatreMany colorful theatrical activities can be found throughout China. The best known and most unique of these is perhaps traditional Chinese opera, which has a history of over 800 years. However, since the early twentieth century, following increased contact with the West, drama without music has also become popular in China. The development and prosperity of modern drama has created a new landscape for Chinese theater, which, as a whole, has become more diverse. In this illustrated introduction Fu Jin explores the origins and development of this distinctive branch of the Chinese arts. |
Contents
Foreword | 1 |
Southern Xiwen during the Song Dynasty | 16 |
The Prosperity of Yuan Zaju | 22 |
Guan Hanqings Remarkable Achievement | 34 |
Palace of Eternity and Peach Blossom Fan | 54 |
Common terms and phrases
actors audiences became Beijing Cai Bojie Canjun Opera Cantonese Opera Cao Cao characters Cheng China Chinese opera Chinese theatre chou chuanqi Clapper Opera Concubine cultural developed Dong Du Liniang Dynasties and Kunqu emerged emperor famous Flower-Drum Opera gong Guan high-pitched tunes Hou Fangyu Huangmei Opera Huizhou imperial examination Jiangsu jing Kunqu Opera Kunqu Troupe Kunshan Kunshan tune Liang Liniang Longji Mei Lanfang Ming and Qing Mo Huaigu Model Opera modern dramas musical No.1 Scholar Zhang official Opera artist Opera Troupe Palace of Eternity Peking Opera Peony Pavilion Pingju Opera Pipa playwrights popular Qian Qing Dynasty rhythms scene Scholar Zhang Xie scripts Shaanxi Shanghai Shaoxing Opera Sheng singing Song and Yuan songs and dances Southern Song Dynasty stage style Suzhou Tang Qin Tanhuang tea houses theatrical traditional Chinese opera traditional operas Wang Western whilst Yingying Yiyang tune Yuan Dynasty Yuan zaju Yuhuan Zhejiang zhu gongdiao