China, Japan, Indonesia,

and Thailand Theater

Arts and Festival
PEKING OPERA
-China’s known traditional theater art
form, 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
-it became extremely popular and
came to be regarded as one of the
cultural treasures of China (Qing
Dynasty)
Peking Opera Training:
Pupils were often handpicked at a young age by
a teacher and trained for seven years on
contract from the child's parents. After 1911,
training took place in more formally organized
schools. Students at these schools rose as
early as five o'clock in the morning for
exercises. Daytime was spent learning the
skills of acting and combat, and senior
students performed in outside theaters in the
evening.
 Roles and Characters:

1. Sheng- is the main male role in Peking opera

a. Xiaosheng actors are often
involved with beautiful women by
virtue of the handsome and young
image they project.
B. WUSHENG - is a martial character for
roles involving combat. They are
highly trained in acrobatics, and have
a natural voice when singing.
c. LAOSHENG - is a dignified older role, these
characters have a gentle and cultivated
disposition, and wear sensible costumes.
2. Dan - refers to any female role in Peking
opera
a. LAODAN- old woman respectively
representing a middle-aged woman who
always acts as a Mrs.
b. WUDAN- martial woman
c. DAOMADAN - are young female
warriors
d. QINGYI - are virtuous and elite women
e. HUADAN - are vivacious and
unmarried women
• 3. JING -is a painted face
male role who plays either
primary or secondary roles,
entails a forceful character,
-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.
4. CHOU -is a male clown
role.
-usually plays secondary
roles whose name also
means "ugly”
-it reflects the traditional
belief that the clown's
combination of
ugliness and laughter
could drive away evil
spirits.
• Visual Performance Elements:
Peking-opera performers utilize
four main skills
1. Song
2. Speech
3. Dance-acting - This includes
pure dance, pantomime, and all
other types of dance.
4. Combat - includes both
acrobatics and fighting with all
manner of weaponry.
The meaning of colors
in Peking Opera
Masks/Make-ups
Red - devotion,
courage, bravery,
uprightness and
loyalty.
Black - roughness
and fierceness
Yellow - fierceness,
ambition and cool-
headedness
Purple - uprightness,
sophistication and
cool-headedness
Reddish purple - just
and noble character
Blue - loyalty,
fierceness and
sharpness
• White - dangerousness,
suspiciousness and
craftiness. Commonly seen
on the stage is the white
face for the powerful
villain
• Green - impulsive and
violent and stubbornness
Xiaohualian (the petty
painted face) is a small
patch of chalk on and
around the nose. Clowns
of traditional drama
who wears this special
make-up show a mean
and secretive character.
• Costume: Xingtou
- popularly known as Xifu in Chinese
- origins of Peking Opera costumes can be
traced back to the mid-14th century
-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
• Props:
• utilizes very few props
• will almost always have a table
and at least one chair, which can
be turned through convention
into such diverse objects as a city
wall, a mountain, or a bed
• Musicians:
- are visible to the
audience on the front
part of the stage
• Performers:
-immediately move to center
north upon entering the
stage. All characters enter
from the east and exit from
the west