Contemporary China - Yavanika

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Traditional theatre in the 20th century Beijing-stylc theatre colttinuccl to doninatc the traditional stagc thlough the first halfof the 20th centr-lry. It retained au unequallcd appeal on a national scale and had an enormous following among the ordinary public. This successful transition in an agc of cultural iconoclasm was possible because of a particularly talented body of actors. They bore the artistic integrity ofthc old theatr.ical tradition forward while adjusting to social change. A towering figure was Beijing-born Mlr L,wr,eivc. His artistry and bleadth of perception helped the old theatrc attain a new pinnacle of public csteenr. Not thc lcast of Mei's achieventents was his success in international cultural rclations resrilting frolr] his touls to Anterica and Russia in the 1930s. Hr. stirred Western thinking to new aesthetic insights on theatre. Bertolt Brecht and V. E. Meyer.hold were anong those who admired, and were dceply influenced by secing Mei's pelfbrmances. Two major rcfblms were accontplishcd in thc professional world of'Mei Lanfang ancl his peers during the 1920s and 30s. An impr-oved system of' training and education fbr theatrc appr.enticcs was introduced and actresses bcgaD to achieve professional cnancipation. A first attcnpt at inpr.ovcd training conditions was thc founding in 1903 of the Xiliancheng (later rcnauted the Fuliancheng) School in tseijing. Some'ofChina's greatest Btijing actors gracluated flom this instrtution. Boys only werc. acceptcd; admittcd at the age of seven they were taken on contract for a seven-ycar period. They lived in. and tuition, board and lodging werc free. In return, thc school dclnandcd conplcte profcssional control, including an obligation to perform in public to fill the school's coflers. It was a hard lifc demandinq neticr.rlous standards and intensive application but it represcnted a clear advance on older nethods when boys could be victimized by unscrupnlous individuals. A revolutionary stcp catne in 1930 whcn Li Yuying fbr-rnded a co-educational conservatory fbr drarnatic training in Beijing. l'he actor CHTiNG YlNqru was appointed principal. Cheng was highly regardecl both fol his stage talents and personal intesrity. In 1932 Cheng was sent to Europe for a year on behalf of thc school to study drama and opera. fhe first of its kind to adnit both sexes on an equal basis. the school providcd a gcneral education siruultaneously with professional training. An arnbitious syllabus was taught by special tutors. Profbssionals were in charge ofthcatrical training. Although only one class graduated, it set the pat teili that today's training metl]ods fbllow. In 1934 a School fbr lxperimcntal Drana was founded by Wang Bozheng at Jinan in Shandong. It ainied to devclop a new national theatre fomr based on traditional methods whilc dlawing scientifically on Westeln methods whcn requirecl. A fbur-year coLrrse was sct up wlth one ycar devotcd to empirical expcrimeDt. In 1937 all of these scl]ools were closed by the War ofResistancc against Japan. Thc. professional lisc of the actress in the 1920s and 30s ovcl'cane long{tanding pr.ejudices. Women were all but exclr-rded fiom the theatre both as performers and spectators during the 19th centr.rry. In the eally 1900s one or two all-wonren troupes were activc ir) Beijing and Shanghai. They perfblmed at privatc gatherings ancl were not allowed into thcatles. By 1920 women wcre per. folming at sevcral Beijing theatres but never alongside acto|s. Durir-rg thc 1920s Wang yaoqing (1881-1954), a teacher of Mci Lanfang, and Mei himself ignored old prejr.rdices and took female pttpiJs. a hilheflo rrnLlown l)lr( ricc. ln 1928 the actressL.s Xue Yanclin (190686) and Xrn Yanqiu (1911- ) appcarecl on the stagc of the Cleat Thc.atrc (Da Xiyuan) in Shanghai with male actors. Froln the age of e.ight Xue had studied womcn's roles, combat techniques and kunql in tseijing under Jin Gr.rorui and latcr Zhang Cailin. From 1930 thror.rgh a long acting career Xue appearcd regr.rlarly with mixed casts, doing rnuch to erhancc the theatrical prcstigr. of the actress. In 1960 she assume'd a tcaching posr with the Bcijing School of Drarlatic Alt. Xin Yanqiu studied with Mei Lanfang and Wang Yaoqing. When she began perfbnning with Cheng Yancliu, she took that famous actor's plof'cssional narne. Xue and Xin were thc vanguard of a galaxy of accomplished won-teu artists who rose to prominence in the prewaryears and brought new lustre to traditional tneatre. The rise of the modern theatre The 20th century bellan with a movenent to create a ncw theatrc inspired by Westent exaruple. The old thcatre bccame a target fbr change. The Western impact on 1gth-ceutury China rcsulted in many young intellectuals b study. Thousands went to Jap modernization had followed of 1868. Japan was geograp closer to China than the Wes dition with modernity they fi tural adjustment easier returned from Japan became the early development of mor In 1907 a Chinese group i Spring Wiliow Dramatic So Japanese actor Fujisawa fuaji school (see Japan. SHTNPA) th Camille (Chahua nri) by Alex February 1907. The play app because the heroine s plight of their own marital convt echoed their own social prote + A five-act adaptation of I lowed in June. Entitled The Blt (Heinu yutian lil) it was staged in Tokyo where shinpa, a Japanese genre, was featured expanded with extraneous Chinese tastes. A curtain an elry of effect. Harriet Beec well received for it offered a r for protest against racial which the Chinese too sufferr Both productions used tra who first put Shakespeare in performed by all-male casts theless offered a substitut declamation form and the genre, eventually to be n; drama. Shanghai became the ce ments in the new Western I Society under Wang Zhong had studied in Japan, staged Heaven in 1907. Lu Jingn returned fiom Japan, organ Association in 1912. In 1914 Willow Dramatic Society wh among other productions theatre. Stage expertise was and old theatre convention female impersonation. 'Ihe years 1915-19 mark€ Westerneducated generatio 50 #*'
ith professional training. s taught by special tutors. rge of theatrical training. graduated, it set the pat- I methods follow. ln 1934 rl Drama was founded by in Shandong. It ained to heatre form based on tradrawing scientifically on n required. A four-year re year devotcd to ernpiriall of these scltools were stance against Japan. rfthe actrcss in the 1920s rngstanding prejudices. :cluded from the theatre pectators during the 19th )0s one or two all-women :ijing and Shanghai. They ;atherings and were not y 1920 women wcre perg theatres br,lt never along- .e 1920s Wang Yaoqing of Mei Lanfang, and Mei judices and took female wn practlce. Xue Yanqin {1906-86) and reared on the stage of the n) in Shanghai with male f eight Xue had studied techniques and kunqr in ri and later Zhang Cailin. long acting career Xue mixed casts, doing much I prestige of the actress. In hing post',vith the Beijing Xin Yanqiu studied with Yaoqing. \Vhen she began g YanqiLr, she took that onal name. Xue and Xin a galaxy of acconplished se to prominence in the rt new lustre to traditional dern theatre with a novement to create by Western exanple. The target for change. 'lhe Lrentury China resulted in many young intellcctuals being seut abroad to study. Thousands went to Japan where progressive modernization had followed the Meiji Restoration 0f 1868. Japan was geographically and culturally closer to China than the West. lhe synthesis of tradition with n-rodcrnity they found tht'rc made cultural adjustment easier. lntellectuals who returned fron-r Japan bccane a major influence on the early development of nrodern Chinese theatre. ln 1907 a Chinese group rn Tokyo founded the Spring Willow Dramatic Society. Assisted by the Japanese actor Fujisawa Asajiro, who ran an acting school (see Japan, sHlNpA), they staged a version of' CamiIIe \Chahua nri) by Alexandre Dr-rnas Jils in February 1907. The play appealed to the Chinese because the heroine's plight rnirlored thc rigidify of their own narital conventions and suitably echoed their own social protest. * A five-act adaptation of Unclc Tom'.s Cobin followed inJune. Entitled lhc Black Slave's CD, to Ileaven \Heinu yutian il) it was staged at the Hongo Theatre in Tokyo where shinpo, an carly westernized Japanese genle, was fcatured. The play's acttott was expanded with extraneous interludes to please Chinese tastes. A curtain and scenery added novelty of effect. Harrict Beecher Stowc's stoly was well received fbr it offer-ed a melodramatic vehicle for protest against racial discrinination from which the Chinese too suflered. Both plodnctions used translations by Lin Shu, who first put Shakespeare into Chinese, and were performed by all-male casts. Hybrids, they nevertheless offercd a substittttc Ibr the old songdeclamation forn and the begilning of a uew genre, eventually to be named aua1u, spokcn drama. Shanghai became the centre tbr early experi ments in the new Western folm. The Spring Sutt Society under Wang Zhongshcng (d. 1911), who had studied in Japan, staged the Black Slcve's Cry to Heaven rn 1907. Lu Jingruo (1885-1915), also returned from Japan, organized the New Drana fusociation in 1912. ln 1914 Lu revived the Spling Willow Dramatic Sociefy which produced Cunilie, among other productions, in a comtneLcial theatre. Stage expertise was slight in thesc years, and old theatrc conventious lenained, inclltding female impersonation. The years 1915-19 narked a tr.rrning point. A Westerneducated generation was agitating fbr cul' tural change. lD 1916 the Aurerican-educated scholar, Hu Shi 11891-1962), spearheadcd a rnovenlent to rcplace classical language understood only by an educated elite with a standardized vernacnlar intelligible to all. New joulnals stlpportlllg thc New Culturc Movenent prolifcrated. Dranta ignored by the old literati became recognized as a mouthpiece for social reform. Neu' Ytruth, a nlnonthly cdited by Chen Duxiu \1879-1.942), devoted an issue in 1918 to Henrik Ibsen whose workwas discussed as an examplc to fbllow. In May 1919 students protested in Beijing against the surrendel ofChinese sovereignty that was proposcd at the Palis Peace Conference, and whert the Treaty of Velsailles fbrmalized the proposals to China's detriment, national outrage fbrced the Chinese government to refisc' to sigll. The new intclligentsia closed ranks in affirming an era ofdcfinitive cultural change called the Mly 4th Movement. Succeeding events broltght new impetns to change in the theatrc. ln 1921 GuJiachen fbr-rndcd the Shanghai Dranatic Association which became a fbrceful sponsor of new dratna. Two of its otttstanding members werc Ouv,tNc Yuqr,lrl and Hong Shen (1892 1955), stage director-playwrightteacher-film director. The latter studied in America fiom 1916 to 1922 and arouscd controversy ou his t'cturn by lefilsing to cotlntenance rnen playing women's roles. Endorsed by consewative public opinion, this convention remained a barrier to developing a naturalistic actilig style. Hong Shen defied lolg-standing prejudice by lecruiting actresses fiom the mole open-ninded women of the universities and the Shanghai film world. In 1921 Ouyang and Hong joined fbrces with TIAN HAN to fbund the Creatiol Society itt Shanghai. The first issue of its journal Creotton Qudrlerlv in 1922, contained Tian Han's playA Nighr at a Coffcehouse liuJei dian zhi yiye) which became an inrnrediate theatrical cuuse cilibre. The Society touled productions throughout thc countty uDtil, in 1923, it was drssolved by government order. Although it was short-lived, the Socicty was inflltcntial in introdr.rcing broad audiences to modern theatre. In the 1930s, the Japanest' military threat conlpounded by the Nationalist Communist political feud overshadowed intellectual life. Pcople in literature and the arts lesponded to a new political k
Page 1: a THE CnMBRIDGE GUIDE TO il,;X h &,
Page 5 and 6: evoking human values and an Han, Ou
Page 7 and 8: EJU, song drama. Flexible rsical fo
Page 9 and 10: Ince reatre in China since 1949 are
Page 11 and 12: )pen space. Street theatre is lcial
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Contemporary China - Yavanika

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