Originality in Modern and Contemporary Chinese Drama Revisited: Spoken Drama vis a vis Chinese Opera

Abstract

Abstract: From a comparative perspective and using originality as the main criterion, this study examines dramatic literature in modern and contemporary China, including Chinese opera as well as spoken drama, especially taking seriously the former, often overlooked by modern literary scholars. The conclusion is that the achievements of Chinese opera are greater than those of spoken drama. And modern Chinese opera has unwittingly had a breakthrough in the area of modern verse drama where western dramatists have tried but largely failed in the last century or so. Some Chinese operas may likely become the most valuable world classics from Chinese theatre.

Key words: originality, dramatic literature, spoken drama, Chinese opera, "National Theatre Movement", modern verse drama

Sun Huizhu (William). Originality in Modern and Contemporary Chinese Drama Revisited: Spoken Drama vis a vis Chinese Opera[J]. Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art, 2017, 37(2): 6-18.

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(1)其中体量较大的包括荣广润主编的《上海五十年文学创作丛书》(巴金主编)之《话剧卷》(共768页,上海:上海文艺出版社,1999年);中国话剧研究会刘厚生、胡可、徐晓钟主编的《中国话剧百年剧作选》(共20卷,北京:中国对外翻译出版公司,2007年);杜长胜主编的《中国京剧昆曲剧目导读》(共2卷,北京:学苑出版社,2010年)及《中国地方戏曲剧目导读》(共2卷,北京:学苑出版社,2010年)。一个例外是吕效平主编的《二十一世纪中国文学大系(2001-2010)戏剧卷》(南京:南京师范大学出版社,2014年),收了7个话剧和3个戏曲剧本。
(2)当时的上海戏剧学院硕士研究生胡梦琪于2014年7月19日告诉我的,她藏有魏明伦的墨宝。
(3)最新的一个例外是当下美国最成功的嘻哈音乐剧《汉密尔顿》,取材于同名人物传记,2015年2月外百老汇首演,半年后转至百老汇,是美国十多年来最火爆的戏剧演出,已获得普列策奖、格莱美奖及12个托尼奖。

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