1. Everything you need to know about Chinese Drama & Peking Opera
A History Of
Chinese
Theater
Everything you need to know about Chinese Drama & Peking Opera
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2. Chinese Drama
Chinese drama has traditionally been linked to the government and the countries political situation. Translated Western dramas of the early 20th Century were brought to China from Europe and the USA. (Ex. Uncle Tom's Cabin) When the Japanese invaded China in 1937, playwrights wrote new plays which included more patriotism.
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3. Chinese Drama
Drama in China dates to AD 200, beginning with rituals that combined song, dance, gestures, and
costumes. When
theatre captured the
interest of the ruling
dynasties, drama
based on traditional
Chinese myths and
legends became an
important art form.
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4. Chinese Drama
With the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949 came more government involvement in the arts (censoring started to occur). At the end of the cultural revolution in 1972, the regulation of theatre ended with a strong dramatic tradition emerging
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5. Peking Opera
This developed early in the 19th Century. It incorporates aspects of historical drama, spoken drama, song drama, dance drama, and ballet - the 5 main types of drama in China today.
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6. Peking Opera
Despite the history of governmental regulations, many traditional aspects have remained intact in Chinese Drama. The stage
settings are scarce and
symbolic; for example, a
desk might symbolize an
alter if an actor kneels.
Costumes are often stylized,
representing traditional
characters and social classes
in Chinese history. Symbolic
colors and designs that
represent different human
qualities are used in make up.
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7. Peking Opera
The main color used in a facial makeup symbolizes the disposition of the character.
Yellow signifies fierceness, ambition and cool-headedness.
Red indicates devotion, courage bravery, uprightness and loyalty.
A green face tells the audience that the character is impulsive, violent, and stubborn. He also shows total lack of self-restraint.
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8. Blue represents staunchness, fierceness and astuteness.
Black symbolizes roughness and fierceness. It indicates a rough and bold character or an impartial and selfless personality.
Blue represents staunchness, fierceness and astuteness.
Purple stands for uprightness, sophistication and cool-headedness). The reddish purple face likewise shows a just and noble character
White suggests something sinister, treacherous, suspicious and crafty.
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9. There are 4 Roles in Peking Opera:
Sheng - the main male role in the production. There are numerous subtypes (ex. wusheng - a martial character)
Dan - Any female role in the production. There are 5 subtypes in this group
Jing - A painted face male role. They are a forceful character (so they must have a strong voice and a lot of exaggerated facial expressions)
Chou - A male clown role. They usually play a minor role. They wear special face paint that is different than the Jing characters
There are 4 Roles in Peking Opera:
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