A BBC interview with the quickest Masks Changing performer in China

I've talked before about Masks Changing in Chinese Opera in a post on my travel to Pingyao, Shanxi Province (1). Now I just want to share a nice BBC video about it but in Sichuan Opera: an interview and demonstration with today's quickest masks changing performer in China, He Hongqing.

Click in the link bellow.

BBC News - Chinese performer wows with speedy face mask changes

news.bbc.co.uk

(1) Pingyao Tea House Theatre Dec 23th, 2008

Pingyao Tea House Theater (3): Three scenes of Shanxi Opera

Following my series of "Pingyao Tea House Theater" (1), this last part presents three scenes performed during the same spectacle for tourists I have been talking in part 1: one acrobatic scene, one comic scene and one quick-changing masks scene.

Even the spectacle that night were not only of Shanxi Opera it was an unique opportunity to see a company specialized on it playing some characteristic scenes of that kind of Chinese theatre. Shanxi Opera performances are not as easy to find than Peking Opera performances; there are no much companies and their seasons are rare, usually they give some isolated performances in very special occasions.

Video 1: an acrobatic scene of Shanxi opera

Shanxi Opera: Acrobatic Scene at Pingyao Tea House Theatre from Gustavo Thomas on Vimeo.

The acrobatic scene did not show to me anything special, being very similar to other kind of Chinese operas I have seen before, I only corroborated my appreciation of those amazing actors-acrobats always working to perfection (even in spectacles like this).

Video 2: A comic scene of Shanxi opera


Shanxi Opera: Comic Scene at Pingyao Tea House Theatre from Gustavo Thomas on Vimeo.

The Comic scene was an interesting surprise; it was the first time I heard singing like that, not only comically but with a very special use of the rhythm. This Shanxi Opera song showed to me a very fresh way to sing in traditional Chinese theatre, codification was still there but the difference with Peking Opera (the opera I have seen the most) seemed huge.

Video 3: A quick-changing Mask scene of Shanxi opera.

Shanxi Opera Masks changes in Pingyao (2008) from Gustavo Thomas on Vimeo.
Shanxi Opera Masks changes in Pingyao (2008)

I couldn't miss a quick-changing Mask scene; people from all over the world come to the South of China to see these actors doing that amazing switch of masks. It was a pity they did not do that inside a real opera scene, instead of it they performed those changes like an act of Magic. Not bad but it seemed to me more Las Vegas-kind spectacle than a Shanxi Opera one.





(1) "Pingyao Tea House Theater (1): Shanxi Opera Scenes Murals.", and
"Pingyao Tea House Theater (2): Seeing today Chinese spectators as an anthropological experience?"

Texts, photographs and videos in this Blog are all author's property, except when marked. All rights reserved by Gustavo Thomas. If you have any interest in using any text, photograph or video from this Blog, for commercial use or not, please contact Gustavo Thomas at gustavothomastheatre@gmail.com.

Pingyao Tea House Theater (1) : Shanxi Opera Scenes Murals

Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Pingayo Tea House Theater is a recent rebuilt building, it was constructed during Ming Dinasty (around 1700 AD) at the best moment of Pingyao City. It is called Tea house because remains on it that special character of the "Chinese cabaret place", a theater where is possible to see in one evening, drama, opera, acrobatics, singing, magic and clowns while a dinner, and tea of course, is served.

Its stage hosts one company of Shanxi Opera, a regional style of Chinese Traditional Theater, offering scenes from this kind of Opera to hungry groups of Chinese turists. (It will be the subject of other posts)

There are, inside the Tea House Theater complex, and surrounded by traditional gardens, one long wall with clay made murals, in high reliefs o "altorelieve", showing scenes from Shanxi opera plays. Even the artistic work is not fantastic it is an interesting experience.

The amount of artistic depictions of theater artists and scenes of plays in China is comparable to the amount of religious images in temples or political scenes in palaces, that is something I have never seen in other part of the world. The social importance of theater before the Communist era was really remarcable, and these murals are a prove of it.

Video: Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater

Shanxi Opera Clay Murals at Pingyao Tea House Theatre from Gustavo Thomas on Vimeo.
http://gustavothomastheatre.blogspot.com/2008/11/pingyao-tea-house-theater-shanxi-opera.html

Pingyao Tea House Theatre is one of some well preserved (and rebuilt) theatres inside Pingyao Ancient City in Shanxi province. It has many clay murals depicting scenes from Shanxi Opera

Photographs: Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater

Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Gustavo Thomas: Murals of Pingyao Tea House Theater. (July 2008)

Texts, photographs and videos in this Blog are all author's property, except when marked. All rights reserved by Gustavo Thomas. If you have any interest in using any text, photograph or video from this Blog, for commercial use or not, please contact Gustavo Thomas at gustavothomastheatre@gmail.com.

Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre in Beijing, China.

Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre. Beijing, China. (July 2008)

In November 2007 the Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre (1) was opened to the public, just a few meters from the so called Financial Street, where Chinese richest financial institutions have their luxurious offices, surrounded by not less luxurious hotels and fantastic malls.

During the day the theatre building seems a simple steel structure with enormous windows, only differentiated from other buildings around by a very shiny wall painted in red with decorative motives in gold (probably only plastic), Chinese preferred colours. But the same theatre at night, with lights inside and outside the building, changes up to turning in a futuristic comic space shift-style building.

Welcome to the future: Mei Lanfang Gran Theatre. Beijing, China. (July 2008)

Its five storeys contain three cafeterias, two souvenirs shops, a bookshop and a luxurious boutique selling a very special collection of Peking Opera dolls and jewellery. On the fifht level there are a gallery showing around 30 traditional costumes of the main roles in Peking Opera.

The Theatre is not specialized in Peking Opera only, it hosts many kind of operas from all over China and also Western-style musicals. That evening I saw an opera called "Zouxikou" 走西口 from Shanxi province. Nothing special for me; kind of traditional masses performance played in the worst realistic style. I took some photographs that illustrate my lack of comment about it. (See the Spanish version of this Blog)

A bad photograph of the musicians. Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre. Beijing, China. (July 2008)

Scenes from "Zouxikou", a Shanxi Opera performance. Mei lanfang Grand theatre. (July 2008)

.

¡The masses! "Zouxikou". Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre. (Julio 2008)

Mei Lanfang statue at Mei Lanfang Grand Theatre's hall.(July 2008)

(1) A rare event, Chinese theatres usually have names coming from the area they are located or some nice sentences from litetature or poetry; a individual's name means that the man is very very important, as Mei Lanfang is.