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Thursday, October 10, 2024

4:00 PM - 6:00 PM

William Andrews Clark Memorial Library

2520 Cimarron St, Los Angeles, CA 90018

Kunqu Opera, with a history spanning over 600 years, stands alongside Greek and Sanskrit drama as one of the world’s three most ancient theatrical traditions.

In Kunqu, there is no sound that is not song, and no movement that is not dance. By synchronizing the essence of music, dance, poetry, painting, and acting into a comprehensive performing art form, Kunqu Opera encapsulates the highest attainment of Chinese artistic excellence.

It comes as no surprise that it has profoundly influenced Chinese literature, drama, music, and dance, earning the prestigious title of “ancestor to all operas.” On May 18, 2001, UNESCO made its first proclamation of 19 of the world’s most remarkable examples of oral and intangible heritage, with Kunqu Opera ranking at the top of the list.

Within Kunqu Opera, each role type has its own highly developed set of systematic movements and stylized techniques. These codified actions are crucial in portraying the disposition of characters, conveying their psychological states, enhancing dramatic effects, and amplifying the overall theatrical impact, thus forming a cohesive and unique performative system.

This lecture features Mr. Qian Zhenrong 錢振榮, a renowned performer in the Xiaosheng role（young male lead）from the Jiangsu Provincial Kunju Institute 江蘇省崑劇院, and Liu Hsi-Jung 劉稀榮, an associate professor in the Department of Chinese Drama at Chinese Culture University中國文化大學 in Taiwan, and an inheritor of the Chou （clown face）role type in Taiwan Kunju Institute.

They will analyze Kunqu Opera’s modular performance structure（“不到園林怎知春色如許 ”崑曲表演程式賞析）and the unique characteristics of the Kun-Chou role（崑丑的表演特色）through lecture and demonstration. Performers from the Kunqu Opera Society USA（美西崑曲研習社）will also present essential excerpts from the repertoire, offering the audience a chance to experience the elegance and sophistication of Kunqu Opera’s artistic style.

Arts on the Grounds creates intersections of literature and the performing arts. Events have included modern interpretations of classical theater and site-specific productions designed for the Clark grounds. The program engages a broad new range of audiences and brings the Library’s rich collections to life through performance.

The program is free to attend with advance registration, and will be held in-person at the Clark Memorial Library.

Registration closed on Monday, October 7 at 5:00 p.m. Seating is limited at the Clark Library; waitlist and walk-in attendees are welcome as space permits.

Organized by Prof. Yinghui Wu（University of California, Los Angeles）and Kunqu Opera Society USA.

Kunqu Opera Performance:

The Jade Hairpin

RSVP here

Saturday, October 12, 2024

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Schoenberg Concert Hall

445 Charles E Young Dr E, Los Angeles, CA 90095

Join us on October 12 for a performance of Kunqu opera The Jade Hairpin at UCLA. Delight in the refined movements, stunning costumes, and mesmerizing melodies of this performing art deeply rooted in Chinese tradition. The performance will feature Qian Zhenrong 錢振榮, a renowned performer in the Xiaosheng role（young male lead）from the Jiangsu Provincial Kunju Institute 江蘇省崑劇院, and Liu Hsi-Jung 劉稀榮, an associate professor in the Department of Chinese Drama at Chinese Culture University中國文化大學 in Taiwan, and an inheritor of the Chou （clown face）role type in Taiwan Kunju Institute. This event is made possible by the strong support of Kunqu Opera Society USA 美西崑曲研習社. Actors from Kunqu Opera Society will collaborate with our guest actors by performing the dan （female lead）and other supporting roles.

The Opera: Kunqu opera is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera. It originated in the Kunshan-Taicang area of Suzhou and boasts a history of about 600 years. It was a dominant force in Chinese theater from the 16th to the 18th centuries, captivating audiences with its refined performances and elegant musical style. Synthetizing music, dance, poetry, and acting into a comprehensive performing art form, Kunqu opera encapsulates the highest attainment of Chinese artistic excellence. In 2001, UNESCO proclaimed Kunqu as a "Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.” Read more about the history and artistic features of Kunqu opera here.

The Story: The Jade Hairpin ⽟簪記

This performance is a stage adaptation of The Jade Hairpin, a play written by the Ming dynasty literatus Gao Lian（fl. 16th century）. It tells of the romance between a scholar Pan Bizheng and an involuntary nun Chen Miaochang. During the war between the Southern Song Dynasty（1127-1279）and the Jin dynasty（1125-1234）, Chen Jiaolian was separated from her mother while fleeing from the troops. She found refuge at Jinling Nüzhen Temple. To survive she had no choice but to become a nun and adopted the religious name Miaochang. Bizheng, scion of an elite family, fails in the civil service examination and, too ashamed to return home, he stays with his aunt, head of the Nüzhen Temple. The two young adults meet in the temple by chance, and through a series of exchanges involving tea, music, a sick visit, and poetry, they fall in love and consummate their union in private. However, their secret union is discovered, and Bizheng is forced to leave the temple to retake the examination. On the day of Bizheng’s departure, Miaochang pursues him to the river to have him confirm his love and fidelity. They exchange a jade hairpin and a fan pendant as tokens of their love, parting in tears. The play ends with a grand reunion of Bizheng, Miaochang, and their families.

The Jade Hairpin has been one of the most renowned plays in the late Ming and in the contemporary era. Despite being in the convention of scholar-beauty romance, it is a play that provides rich room for new interpretation and performance innovation. The subtle dynamics between the female and male genders, the integration of religious and musical elements, and the climactic scene “Autumn River” that evokes an emotionally intense scene in a waterscape collectively contribute to the enduring appeal of this play.