Peking Opera of ChinaA Report by Group I of 8 - Centrioles

China is known for their traditional theater art form, the Peking opera, or Beijing opera which combines music, vocal performance, pantomime, dance, and acrobatics.

It started in the late 18th century and became fully developed and recognized by the mid-19th century.

During the Qing Dynasty court, it became extremely popular and came to be regarded as one of the cultural treasures of China.

Pupils were often handpicked at a young age by a teacher and

trained for seven years on contract from the child’s parents.

Daytime was spent learning the skills of acting and combat and

senior students performed in outside theaters in the evening.

After 1911, training took place in more formally organized schools.

Students of these schools rose as early as five o’ clock

in the morning exercises.

Characters and Roles

ShengPeking Opera’s main role.

There are three kinds.

XiaoshengActors are often involved with beautiful women by virtue of the handsome and young image they project.

It is a martial character for roles involving combat. They are highly trained in acrobatics and have a natural voice when singing.

Wusheng

LaoshengA dignified older role. These characters have a gentle and cultivated disposition and wear sensible costumes.

DanIt refers to any female role in Peking Opera.

There are five kinds.

LaodanAn old woman.

WudanA martial woman.

DaomadanA young female warrior.

QingyiAn elite, virtuous woman.

HuadanAn unmarried, vivacious woman.

JingJing is a painted face male role who plays either primary or secondary roles.

This type of role entails a forceful character, which means that a Jing actor must have a strong voice and be able to exaggerate gestures.

The red color denotes loyalty and goodness, white denotes evil, and black denotes integrity.

ChouA male clown that usually plays secondary roles.Chou, meaning “ugly”, reflects the traditional belief that the clown’s ugliness and laughter could drive away evil spirits.

Visual Performance

ElementsPeking opera performers

utilize four main skills such as the following.

Song

Dance-Actingpure dance

Speech

Combat

pantomime

other types of dances

acrobatics

fighting with all manner of weaponry

A review on

Peking Opera’s Facial Makeup Colors and

Their Meanings

Black

fierceness........

........

roughness

Blue

loyalty

fierceness

sharpness

................

........

Green

impulsive

stubbornessviolence

........

........

........

Purplesophistication

cool-headedness

uprightness

...........

.....

........

Red

devotion

courage

bravery

loyalty uprightness........

........

........

........ ........

Reddish Purple (Magenta)

just................

nobility

White

craftiness

dangerousness

........

........

........

suspiciousness

Yellow

ambition

cool-headedness

fierceness

........

......

..

........

XiaohualianIt is a small patch of chalk on around the

nose.

Clowns of traditional drama who wears this special

makeup show any mean and secretive character.

Aesthetic Aims and Principal

MovementThe highest aim of performers in Peking opera

is to put beauty into every motion.

The art forms, gestures, settings, music, and character types are

determine by long help conventions.

Conventions of movement include the following.

Walking in a large circle always symbolizes

travelling a long distance.

A character straightening his or her costume and headdress symbolizes that an important

character is about to speak.

Pantomimic is the opening and closing of the doors

and mounting and descending of the stairs.

Staging and Costumes

StageThe stage are composed of square platforms, action on stage is usually visible from at least three sides; stages were built above the line of sight of the viewers, but some modern stages have been constructed with higher audience divided into two parts by an embroidered curtain called shoujiu.

CostumesXingtou, popularly known as Xifu, in Chinese origins of Peking opera. Costumes can be traced back to the mid-14th century. They enable the audience to distinguish a character’s sex and status at first glance – if noble or humble, civilian or military, officials or private citizens, give expressions to sharp distinctions between of good and evil or loyal and wicked characters.

CostumesOblong wings (Chizi) attached to a gauze hat indicate a loyal official. In contrast, a corrupt official is made to wear a gauze hat with rhomboidal wing.

The play utilizes very few props, will almost always have a table and at least one chair, which can be turned to convention into such diverse objects as a city wall, a mountain, or a bed. A whip is used to indicate a horse, and an oar symbolizes a boat.

Props

They are visible to the audience on the front part of the stage.

Musicians

They immediately move to the center north upon entering the stage. All characters enter from the east and exist from the west.

Performers

End of report.Thank you for listening!A Report by Group I of 8 - CentriolesB1 Agcamaran, Patrick JosephB2 Asence, Erick JustinB3 Batuhan, Mark AljoB4 Besmonte, John MichaelB5 Borabien, Miguel AngeloB6 Camasis, Karl EmmanuelG1 Alvarez, Ashley MaeG2 Atienza, Paulinne ViancaG3 Bumanglag, Julia ShaaneG4 Carpio, ComeiG5 Coronel, IrishG6 Deuda, Angela CamilleG7 Embile, Aleeyah JasmineG8 Evale, ExcellaG9 Gutierrez, Urielle Rosalynne