Abstract:

In the late Ming and early Qing dynasty, Mao Jin paid much attention to celebrated works, which was embodied in the selection and compilation of his Sixty Plays. It included the classic dramas of the Yuan dynasty such as Romance of the Western Chamber and Tale of the Pipa, which had been canonized since the late Ming dynasty. The book also included more contemporary works such as The Peony Pavilion, which became noted as they were circulated among greater audiences. The selection of “potentially” famous dramas such as Xilou Ji and Feiwan Ji was in line with Mao Jin’s consistent pursuit of rare and secret editions, and manifested his deep understanding of the internal characteristics and standards of celebrated dramas. Mao Jin’s attentiveness to celebrated dramas reflected his sentimentality as a literato as well as his conception of drama. His perception of lyricism and didacticism, textual reading and stage performance, as well as wencai (literary grace) and bense (true qualities) were important embodiment of shared understanding about drama after the controversy between Tang Xianzu and Shen Jing in the late Ming dynasty. Such predispositions were also collectively reflected in the dramatic production and fashion of performance during the late Ming dynasty.

Key words: Mao Jin, Sixty Plays; emphasis on celebrated dramas, the late Ming dynasty drama