Chinese Theatre - Early Development
Court Banquet Entertainments
1000 BC to 200 AD
Performers included:
Jugglers
Acrobats
Dancers
Plate-spinners
Musicians
Han Dynasty
206 BC to 221 AD
Imperial Office of Music
Coordinated entertainments
Promoted music & dance
skits & entertainments at fairs, market, court
shadow puppets
Tang Dynasty
618 to 907 AD
Pear Garden School
trained performers
11,400 students
stressed popular & innovative forms
Canjun xi - comic skits
Puppet shows & Shadow puppet shows
Storytelling
Song Dynasty
All China - 960 to 1127
South China - until 1279
Responsible for
Rise of commerce
Development of merchant class
Growth of urban centers
Amusement centers
Goulan - theatres
Washe - tile booths - gambling - Mah Jongg
Zaju - “various plays”
dancing, acrobatics, playlet, comic skits, music
Nanxi - Southern style
12th C
Music - folksongs
Dramatic structure infl. by Sanskrit Theatre
7 role categories
Sheng
Dan
Mo & Wai
Tie
Jing & Chou
Yuan Zaju
Evolved from Song Zaju & Nanji forms
Included:
Plays, singing, dance, acrobatics, pantomime, music & farce
4 Role Categories:
Mo - male
Dan - female
Jing - villain
Chou - clown
Staging conventions:
partial makeup
painted backdrop/no furniture
hand props - weapons, fans, musical instruments
Chuanqi
Ming Dynasty 1368-1644
Suzhou dialect - softer sound
Very long - 50 acts
many plots & subplots
1st opera form - all characters sing
solos, duets, choruses
Popular Theater Movements: Ming & Qing Dynasties
Haiyan qiang
Yiyang qiang
Kunqu
Bangzi - Clapper Opera
Pihuang
