There is far more to Asian theater than epic traditions, colorful shapes, stylized motions, and theatrical deconstruction of ritual.... it both embraces and rejects traditional Asian theater forms.Beijing opera (jing ju), also known as qing xi ("capital drama"), is fascinating. Its history and existence is a fusion of ancient tradition, colorful make-up, embroidered fabrics, bold music, skilled performers, and intricate themes. Changes in Beijing opera over the past two thousand years have been established at an astonishingly slow pace, except when subjugated to Communism, under the direct of Communist Party leader Mao Zedong and his political comrade and wife Jiang Qing. Of all changes incorpor ated into jing ju over time, none were pushed with such zealousness and force, none were so sweeping and overwhelming, as those introduced during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Ironically, it is these changes that did not stand the test of t ime, and are today almost wholly forgotten. Today, Beijing opera productions are almost identical to those performed by troupes prior to the establishment of the People's Republic in 1949.
Why? The answer may be found in an examination of the political policies of the Chinese Communist Party during the Cultural Revolution, Mao Zedong's view of the role of art in a proletarian society, and Jiang Qing's development of Party policies aimed specifically at Beijing opera. What follows is an in-depth examination of the development of Beijing opera before and during the Cultural Revolution of mainland China.
ORIGINS OF BEIJING OPERA
Chinese drama has neither a definitely marked conception nor a conclusion for the early scribe to have noted, even in a country of remarkable literary antiquity and the habit of notation.Beijing opera is above all a performing art. As early as the first century, Chinese performances that embodied the telling of a story by acting were known as "Hundred Entertainments," or bai-xi. The name bai-xi suggests a form of entertainment combining many different aspects of performance: amusement, spirituality, feats of physical strength, dance, story telling, costume, and song. More than any other art form, it makes use of a variety of sign systems to communicate to its audience. Beijing opera utilizes gesture, musical, rhythmic, facial, acoustic, literary, and linguistic signs, interconnected into a united whole. It is this intricate union of purpose and skill that makes jing ju the exhilarating experience it is today. CONTINUE-->