Return of the Soul: Inheritance and Innovation in the Process of Artistic Creation in Major Kunqu Productions in the People’s Republic of China, 2001-2015
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2019
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Abstract
As a significant form of Xiqu (Chinese indigenous theatre), Kunqu (昆曲, lit. ―Kun song‖) dominated Chinese stages nationwide for nearly two hundred years, remains a national theatre form, and is a representative art form of China‘s Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH), as designated by UNESCO in 2001. In this dissertation, I examine ten major Kunqu productions staged in mainland China between 2001 and 2015, as case studies of contemporary Kunqu development. Compared to Kunqu plays created prior to the 21st century, these ten productions display both similarities and differences. The similarities evidence the literary and performance traditions of Kunqu that have been preserved through inheritance and transmission, whereas the differences exemplify innovations in the literary, performance, and design aspects, including scenic and costume design. At the same time, similarities and differences also exist among those productions. The differences are primarily the result of distinctive choices made by the artists involved, as well as specific conditions for artistic creation. The commonalities consist of shared departures from tradition in literary, performance, and design aspects, innovations that may eventually transform into elements of the Kunqu tradition, and be inherited and transmitted in the future.
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Theater, Performing arts, Art criticism, inheritance, innovation, Kunqu, literature, performance, production
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315 pages
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