Drama Kings: Players and Publics in the Re-creation of Peking Opera, 1870-1937In this colorful and detailed history, Joshua Goldstein describes the formation of the Peking opera in late Qing and its subsequent rise and re-creation as the epitome of the Chinese national culture in Republican era China. Providing a fascinating look into the lives of some of the opera’s key actors, he explores their methods for earning a living; their status in an ever-changing society; the methods by which theaters functioned; the nature and content of performances; audience make-up; and the larger relationship between Peking opera and Chinese nationalism. Propelled by a synergy of the commercial and the political patronage from the Qing court in Beijing to modern theaters in Shanghai and Tianjin, Peking opera rose to national prominence. The genre’s star actors, particularly male cross-dressing performers led by the exquisite Mei Lanfang and the "Four Great Female Impersonators" became media celebrities, models of modern fashion and world travel. Ironically, as it became increasingly entrenched in modern commercial networks, Peking opera was increasingly framed in post-May fourth discourses as profoundly traditional. Drama Kings demonstrates that the process of reforming and marketing Peking opera as a national genre was integrally involved with process of colonial modernity, shifting gender roles, the rise of capitalist visual culture, and new technologies of public discipline that became increasingly prevalent in urban China in the Republican era. |
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Contents
| 1 | |
ReFraming the Genre 18701919 | 15 |
Peking Opera to National Drama 19201937 | 173 |
Epilogue | 291 |
Notes | 297 |
Bibliography | 335 |
| 355 | |
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Common terms and phrases
actors actresses aesthetic audience Beijing Beijing’s Beiping BYHB character Cheng Yanqiu China Chinese drama commercial contemporary-costume costumes critics customers elite erhuang female Feng forms Four Famous Fourth intellectuals Fu Sinian gender genre guild Guoju Guowei haipai Hu Shi huadan huaju huashan hybrid Ibid imperial Jingju keban kunqu Lanfang and Xu laosheng late Qing literary LYGB male Mei Lanfang Mei’s Ming modern national drama ofthe onstage Ouyang Yuqian patrons Pear Garden Peking opera performance pihuang playhouse plays political popular Qi Rushan Qi’s qingyi realism reform representation Republican Republican era Republican-era roles seats Shang Shang Xiaoyun Shanghai singing social society space stage stars style table tenders Tan Xinpei Tan’s teahouse theater Tianjin tour urban Wang Wang Guowei Western women Wu Mei Wutai xiju chubanshe Xinpei xiyuan XJYK Xun Huisheng yuan Zhang Zhongguo xiqu Zhou
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Page 4 - facts" of this space did not exactly correspond to those of the invaders. Nevertheless, the British believed they could explore and conquer this space through translation: establishing correspondence could make the unknown and the strange knowable.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Drama Kings: Players and Publics in the Re-creation of Peking Opera, 1870-1937 |
| Author | Joshua Goldstein |
| Publisher | University of California Press, 2007 |
| ISBN | 052093279X, 9780520932791 |
| Length | 382 pages |
| Subjects | › › History / Asia / General Music / Genres & Styles / Opera |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |