Xiqu

Su Opera Yue Lei Looking for a Wife from The Story of Yue Fei

In this excerpt from The Story of Yue Fei by Yao Maoliang, speech is employed to show the characterization with a distinct comedic effect.

It tells of the story of Yue Fei’s son Yue Lei. While fleeing from the treacherous officials’ persecution and pursuit to kill, Yue Lei seeks refuge in the house of a civilian girl Yu Lian who in desperation, comes up with a brilliant idea and hides Yue Lei in the closet. She thus saves his life but at the same time arouses the misunderstanding of her mother and elder brother. After explaining the background to dissolve the misunderstanding, Yue Lei and Yu Lian finally get married.

Kunqu Opera Beating the Son from The Story of Li Wa

In this excerpt from The Story of Li Wa written in Ming Dynasty, there is an in-depth and touching portrayal of the father and son relationship. The complex psychology of the father Zheng Dan is presented through the actor’s refined body movements, expression and voice.

Zheng Yuanhe goes to the capital to sit for the imperial examination but falls for the courtesan Li Yaxian instead and ends up penniless and miserable. His father Zheng Dan goes to the capital to attend court and learns from the old servant that Yuanhe has degraded to become a songster. Dan brings him home and out of fury and humiliation, beats him up heavily. Thinking Yuanhe has died from the beating, Dan asks the servant to dump his body in the deserted wild while feeling utterly devastated at heart.

Su Opera Reunion with the Mother from Jade Dragonfly

Reunion with Mother is one of the important excerpts from Jade Dragonfly. The intriguing and layered vocal style used in it reflects the emotional upheaval of the mother and son meticulously.

Nun Zhizhen and scholar Shen Guisheng fall in love and get married but Guisheng dies from illness leaving Zhizhen with a son. Finding it hard to raise a baby in the temple, Zhizhen abandons her son by the road. Someone saves the boy and names him Yuan Zai. Sixteen years later, Yuan Zai learns from a blood poem that his birth mother is a nun called Zhizhen and goes to the temple to find her. Confined by the temple rules, Zhizhen dares not reunite with him at first but after sincere pleading from Yuan Zai, the mother and son finally reunite.

Kunqu Opera Requesting Tea from The Water Margin

An excerpt from The Water Margin written by Xu Zichang, the speech and body movement design are compact and exquisite.

Zhang Wenyuan works in the same magistracy as Song Kong. Having nothing to do in the magistracy one day, Zhang takes a stroll in the street. When passing by Song Kong’s concubine Yan Poxi’s house, he sees her leaning against the door. Charmed and mesmerized by Yan’s beauty, Zhang tries to seduce her on the pretext of requesting tea to quench his thirst.