264 Chinese Drama and Performing Arts Fall 2006

Semester Schedule

CP = course packet

Week 2
W 9/6 Introduction
Week 3
M 9/11 The Chinese Actor and Actor Training
Gai, Jiaotian. "How I first learned to act" (CP 24-30)
"The Character Types of the Chinese Drama" (CP 60)
Character Types in Peking Opera (CP 8) Video: Excerpts from "Farewell My Concubine"

W 9/13 The Chinese Stage
Mei Lanfang. "Hegemon King Says Farewell to His Queen." Please read Scenes 1 through 7 (CP 39-47)
"Types of Stages from the Yuan Through the Qing Dynasty" (CP 15-23)
Video: Excerpts from "Farewell My Concubine"

Week 4
M 9/18 The Female Impersonator
Zucker, A.E. "China's 'Leading Lady'" (CP 31-36)
Hu Shi, "Mei Lan-fang and the Chinese Drama" (CP 53)
"What the Chinese See in Mei Lan-fang" (CP 56-57)
"The Origin and Place of the Female Impersonator in the Chinese Drama" (CP 58-59)
Faye Chunfang Fei. Chinese Theories of Theater and Performance: "Li Liweng on Theater" (CP 37) "Pan Zhiheng on Acting" (CP 38); Ji Yun, "Actor and Character" (CP 38)
Mei Lanfang. "Hegemon King Says Farewell to His Queen." Please read Scenes 8 and 9 (CP 48-52)
Chi Ju-Shan. "A Brief Consideration of the Outstanding Peculiarities of the Old Chinese Drama" (CP 61-63) VCD: Excerpts from Mei Lanfang's performance of "Hegemon King Says Farewell to His Queen" (1957)

W 9/20 Local Opera Traditions in Rural Areas
Josephine Riley, et al. "North Sichuan's Tiyangxi: Exorcism Theatre by an Ancient Road" (CP 64-79)
"Chronological Chart of the Different Elements in Chinese Theatre" (CP 4)Video: Excerpts from a Nuo Ritual in Guizhou Province
Essay 1: the outstanding characteristics of the Chinese theater

Yuan Dynasty (1279-1324) Theatre

Week 5
M 9/25 Between Ritual and Theatre
Guan Hanqing, "Lord Guan Goes to the Feast." Please read Acts 1-3 (CP 86-96)
Three Kingdoms. A Historical Novel. Brief excerpts from various chapters (CP 100)
"Schools of Chinese Drama" (CP 5)
"The Poetic and Musical Structure of the Yuan Variety Play" (CP 80-85)

W 9/27 cont.
Guan Hanqing, "Lord Guan Goes to the Feast." Please read Act 4 (CP 96-99)
Four illustrations of scenes from "Lord Guan Goes to the Feast" (CP 101)
Video: Excerpts from a performance of Act 4 of "Lord Guan Goes to the Feast"

Week 6
M 10/2 Play, Jest and Theatre
Sima Qian, "The Biographies of Wits and Humorists (Excerpt)" (CP 133-134)
"Two Physicians Raise Cain" (CP 135-142)
Yuanben from "Meeting of Immortals" (CP 143-144)
K'ang Chin-chih, "Li K'uei Carries Thorns." Please read Acts 1 and 2 (CP 145-153)

W 10/4 cont.
K'ang Chin-chih, "Li K'uei Carries Thorns." Please read Acts 3 and 4 (CP 153-159)

Week 7
M 10/9 Storytelling and Theatre
"Top Graduate Zhang Xie." Please read Prologue (CP 160-162)
Master Tung's Western Chamber Romance. Please read first part of Chapter 1 (CP 163-173)
Essay 2: on ritual and theater, or play and theater

W 10/11 cont.
Story of the Western Wing. Please read Act 1 (CP 184-190)

Week 8
M 10/16 cont.
Master Tung's Western Chamber Romance. Please read second part of Chapter 1, beginning "As Chang talked with Fa-ts'ung. . .," (CP 173-180)
Story of the Western Wing. Please read Acts 2 and 3 (CP 191-205)

W 10/18 cont.
Master Tung's Western Chamber Romance. Please read last part of Chapter 1, beginning "Chang muttered to himself. . .," (CP 180-183)
Story of the Western Wing. Please read Act 4 (CP 205-208)
Week 9

M 10/23 Review for Mid-termW 10/25 Mid-term exam

Week 10
M 10/30 The Achievements of Yuan Dynasty Theatre
Review of Mid-termGuan Hanqing, "Snow in Midsummer." Please read Acts 1-2 (CP 102-108)

W 11/1 cont.
Guan Hanqing, "Snow in Midsummer." Please read Acts 3-4 (CP 108-115)

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) Theater

Week 11
M 11/6 Southern-style Drama (nanxi)
Gao Ming (1305-1368). The Lute. Please read the Prologue and Scenes 19, 20, and 24 (CP 116-122)

W 11/8 cont.
Gao Ming, The Lute. Please read Scene 28 (CP 122-125)
Video: Excerpts from a performance of Scene 28
Essay 3: on Guan Hanqing's "Snow in Midsummer"

Week 12
M 11/13 cont.
Gao Ming, The Lute. Please read Scenes 34 and 36 (CP 125-132)W 11/15 The Elite Drama (chuanqi)
Tang Xianzu (1550-1616). The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 1-4, and 7.

Week 13
M 11/20 cont.
Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 8-10.

W 11/22 No Class. Thanksgiving Recess.

Week 14
M 11/27 cont.
Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 11-12.
"Pursuing the Dream" (CP 189-194)
DVD: Excerpts from the New York production of The Peony PavilionVideo: Performance of "Pursuing the Dream"

W 11/29 cont.
Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 13-14, 16, 18, 20.
Essay 4: on the characteristics of the elite theater of the Ming

Week 15
M 12/4 cont.Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 23-26.

W 12/6 cont.
Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 27-28, 35-36.

Week 16
M 12/11 cont.Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 48-52.

W 12/13 Conclusion
Tang Xianzu. The Peony Pavilion. Please read Scenes 53-55.


Final Examination: Wednesday December 20, 12 noon - 3 pm in Scott Hall 101

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Last Updated: September 15, 2006