CHINESE PEKING

OPERA
Prepared by:
Ms. Hazelyn C. Carreon

CHINESE PEKING OPERA

China is known for their traditional theater art form,

the Peking Opera or Beijing Opera which combines

music, vocal performance, pantomime, dance, and
acrobatics.
It started in the late 18th century and became fully

developed and recognized by the mid-19th century.

During the Qing Dynasty court it became extremely

popular and came to be regarded as one of the

cultural treasures of China.

PEKING OPERA TRAINING

Pupils were often handpicked at a young age by a

teacher and trained for seven years on contract

from the child's parents.
After 1911, training took place in more formally

organized schools. Students at these schools rose

as early as five o'clock in the morning for exercises.
Daytime was spent learning the skills of acting and

combat, and senior students performed in outside

theaters in the evening.

ROLES AND
CHARACTERS

1. Sheng- is the main male role in Peking opera.

a. Xiaosheng

actors are often

involved with
beautiful women
by virtue of the
handsome and
young image
they project.

b. Wusheng is a

martial character for

roles involving
combat. They are
highly trained in
acrobatics, and have
a natural voice when
singing.

c. Laosheng is a

dignified older role,

these characters
have a gentle and
cultivated
disposition, and
wear sensible
costumes.

2. Dan - refers to any female role in Peking opera

a. Laodan
old woman
Laodan usually represents

aged women.
She sings in their natural

voices, in a style similar to

that of Laosheng but in
milder tones.

b. Wudan
refers to female characters

skilled in the martial arts

always wears short robes

and the role emphasizes

acrobatics.
plays gods and ghosts and

has excellent fighting skills.

b. Daomadan
Daomadan

is good at
using pikes and spears,
and at riding horses.

b. Qingyi
are virtuous and elite women
most important of all female roles in

Peking Opera performances.

Qingyi is the main woman roles in

traditional Chinese drama.

plays

dignified, serious, and decent

characters, which are mostly wives or
mothers.

The roles dress in yellow clothes and

feature a small range of motion, and

singing with a pure and high-pitched
quality.

b.

Huadan
Huadan is the vivacious and unmarried

woman role in Peking Opera.

Compared to a Qingyi, a Huadan is not

of such a high social class, and she will

take the attention of the audience with
her coy, coquettish, and quicker
movements.
Her costume is vivid in design and color,

consisting of a jacket and trousers, and

usually carrying a red handkerchief in
her hand.
The voice of Huadan has a gayer and

stronger quality.

3. Jing Jing (Painted

Face Male Role)
is a painted face male role who

plays either primary or secondary

roles.
This

type of role entails a

forceful character, which means
that a Jing actor must have a
strong voice and be able to
exaggerate gestures.

The red color denotes loyalty

and goodness, white denotes

evil,
and
black
denotes
integrity.

Three main types of Jing

1. Tongchui

good at
singing and usually a
loyal general.

2. Jiazi good at acting

with less emphasis on

singing.
3. Wujing a martial arts

and acrobatics role.

4. Chou (the comedy

Role)
is a male clown role.
The Chou usually plays

secondary roles whose

name also means "ugly".
It reflects the traditional

belief that the clown's

combination of ugliness
and laughter could drive
away evil spirits.

VISUAL PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS

Peking-opera performers utilize four main skills.
1. Song
2. Speech
3. Dance-acting - This includes pure dance,
pantomime, and all other types of dance.
4. Combat - includes both acrobatics and
fighting with all manner of weaponry.

a way of expressing information

or telling a story without words
by using body movements and
facial expressions

pantomime
a performance in which a story is
told without words by using body
movements and facial expressions

THE MEANING OF COLORS IN PEKING OPERA

MASKS/MAKE-UPS
Red - devotion, courage, bravery, uprightness and

loyalty.
Black - roughness and fierceness
Yellow - fierceness, ambition and cool-headedness
Purple

- uprightness,
headedness

sophistication

Reddish purple - just and noble character

Blue - loyalty, fierceness and sharpness

and

cool-

THE MEANING OF COLORS IN PEKING OPERA

MASKS/MAKE-UPS
White - dangerousness, suspiciousness and craftiness.

Commonly seen on the stage is the white face for the

powerful villain
Green - impulsive and violent and stubbornness
Xiaohualian (the petty painted face) is a small patch

of chalk on and around the nose. Clowns of traditional

drama who wears this special make-up show a mean
and secretive character.

AESTHETIC AIMS AND PRINCIPLES OF MOVEMENT

The highest aim of performers in Peking Opera is to put beauty
into every motion.
The art form, gestures, settings, music, and character types are
determined by long held conventions
Conventions of movement include the following:
1. Walking in a large circle always symbolizes traveling a long

distance
2.

Character straightening his or her costume and headdress

symbolizes that an important character is about to speak

3. Pantomimic opening and closing of doors and mounting and

descending of stairs

STAGING AND COSTUMES

STAGE

square platforms, the action on stage is

usually visible from at least three sides

stages were built above the line of sight

of the viewers, but some modern stages

have been constructed with higher
audience seating
divided into two parts by an embroidered

curtain called a shoujiu.

COSTUME: XINGTOU

popularly known as Xifu in Chinese

origins of Peking Opera costumes can be traced back to

the mid-14th century

enable the audience to distinguish a character's sex and

status at first glance if noble or humble, civilian or

military, officials or private citizens
give expression to sharp distinctions between good and

evil or loyal and wicked characters

oblong wings (chizi) attached to a gauze hat indicate a

loyal official.

Props:
utilizes very few props
will almost always have a table and at least

one chair, which can be turned through

convention into such diverse objects as a
city wall, a mountain, or a bed
a whip is used to indicate a horse and an

oar symbolizes a boat

Musicians: are visible to the audience on the
front part of the stage

Viewers: always seated south of the stage,

therefore, north is the most important
direction
Performers:
immediately move to

center north
upon entering the stage. All characters
enter

from the east and exit from the west

Understanding Check: Multiple Choice

Directions: Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write your
answers on a separate sheet of paper or in your notebook.
1. The Peking Opera costume is called___________.
a. Balinese costumes c. Saya and barong tagalog
b. Kimono and obi

d. Xingtou

2. The performance element that includes both acrobatics and

fighting with all manner of weaponry in Peking Opera is ______.
a. Combat

c. Speech

b. Dance-Acting

d. Song

3. ______ is the main male role in Peking opera.

a. Dan

c. Jing

b. Chou

d. Sheng

4. Red color on make-ups in Peking Opera

means__________.
a. suspicious and craftiness
b. roughness and fierceness
c. courage, bravery and uprightness
d. fierceness, ambition and cool headedness

5. There are always props of these on stage in

Peking Opera.
a. Bed and pillows
b. Chairs and tables
c. Drums and cymbals
d. Wood blocks and sticks