Drama, as an important form of artistic expression, carries human emotions and thoughts, spans the boundaries of time, space and culture, and becomes a bridge connecting different cultures. On March 27, World Theater Day, we might as well re-examine traditional Chinese drama and see how it exerts its unique charm on the world stage.
Opera, as an important part of traditional Chinese drama, is known as the world's three oldest drama cultures along with Greek tragicomedy and Indian Sanskrit drama. Under the influence of thousands of years of civilization, our profound Chinese aesthetics has been formed. The aroma of wine is not afraid of deep alleys. The first climax of Chinese opera was when Mr. Mei Lanfang conquered the American people with his great artistic charm and superb acting skills at the beginning of the last century. An American art critic at the time said: "East is East and West is West. These twins have never met, but now they meet."
▲Information map of the youth version of "The Peony Pavilion". China News Service
We are delighted to see that the stories after the "encounter" continue to burst out with new vitality. In recent years, Chinese dramas have frequently appeared on the international stage. Chinese theater performance groups have continuously participated in the Avignon Theater Festival in France, "Teahouse" has toured Europe, the youth version of "The Peony Pavilion" has sold out venues in the United States, and the Shanghai Peking Opera Theater has Chineseized Shakespeare's stories, all of which have aroused strong interest from foreign audiences. Why can traditional Chinese drama capture Western audiences? Can they understand these Chinese stories? The answer lies in the flood of positive reviews.
The charm of drama lies in the artistic expression of human emotions. Whether it's "Romeo and Juliet" or "The Peony Pavilion," they all touch the depths of human emotion. Even when the plot is bizarre, the passionate Du Liniang can resonate with Western audiences. The tragic hero image of "Farewell My Concubine" can be found in Western literary works. The life wisdom and emotional experience contained in the classic plays resonate emotionally with Western audiences, allowing them to deeply understand and appreciate the artistic charm of traditional Chinese dramas.
In addition, Chinese dramas are constantly innovating on the international stage, using modern technology to create more visually impactful stage effects, which has further attracted the attention of Western audiences. The play "Green Snake" uses modern technical means to create a stage atmosphere with Jiangnan style and charm. When the real-life garden opera "Peony Pavilion" was performed in the Chinese garden of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with the use of light and shadow technology, the charm of Chinese aesthetics was infinitely amplified.
With the rapid development of virtual reality (VR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the field of drama may also usher in new innovative applications. In the future, through immersive experiences and more realistic stage effects, Chinese dramas will bring richer aesthetic experiences to overseas audiences.
[The contents of this column are the author’s personal opinions and do not represent the position of this platform. 】
Author: Xiao Qin
