The Peking Opera is a traditional Chinese theater performance that is associated with a lot of music, bright costumes, expressive make-up and moving action. On the contrary, when people are speaking about Shakespeare’s drama, it is more related to deep and passionate word game and sophisticated dresses. These two theaters seem to be very different, but they are common as well. Moreover, under circumstances of the digital age, they both were forced to change and develop in order not to lose their spectators. As time was passing, different details were changing and developing: starting from how actors are acting on the stage until how they are dressed and how is the stage set. In this work, we will analyze these changes from the perspectives of the past and present times in both theaters and will try to understand whereas they are really so different or not.
The way the actors perform, read or sing their lines in both theaters is quite different. Primary this is happening because two theaters using different methods to express themselves. In Peking opera, the main accent is made on how the actor is moving or dancing on the stage. Their performances are even including the elements of the acrobatic, which is complicated, and require certain skills. Another visual effect that helps the spectator to understand the play is actor’s mask. It is usually drawn on their faces and symbolizes different emotions. On the contrary, the actors of Shakespeare’s plays are more static. Their moves are the same as in a real life and are implementing less symbolism. The main symbol for them, however, is the word itself.
What is more, when Peking opera is playing, all actors are obliged to respect the rules of their culture while they are speaking or singing. For example, it is inappropriate to show their teeth while singing , which is a big challenge for the actor. It is also interesting to watch their performance considering the complications with their dresses, which will be explained further. All in all, it can be seen that actors of Peking opera are more concerned about the visual perception of the spectator. Not much has changed in their performances throughout the time. Of course, now different techniques of subtitling are used to facilitate the perception for the foreign audience, however, the way actors are communicating on the scene and with the spectator is the same.
When Shakespeare’s drama or another drama of western world is performed, people used to hear different monologues and dialogs filled with expression and deep meaning. Here one of the main characteristics of an actor was his capacity to memorize the lines . On the other hand, abilities as sword fights, dancing and singing were also obligatory.
It is important to know that both theaters in the very beginning were opened only for male actors to perform . Both women and men roles were played by dressed men. In order to be able to be in a play, the actor must have been training for a long time. Peking opera and Shakespeare drama demand hardworking and talented actors who were practicing from early ages. This is why we can assume that it was positioned not as an easy job but as a real art, available not for everyone to perform. Nowadays, these theaters are opened for all sexes to participate and to watch the play. We all know that there are a lot of possibilities to play in amateur theaters; however, the standards of the big scene rest high.
The dressing tradition of Peking opera is that actors are wearing beautiful, rich and complicated costumes, which could weight a lot. They are brightly colored and respect the traditional way of dressing. This creates a certain vibe and sophisticated atmosphere and the whole costume becomes a part of the performance as well. Moreover, actors’ faces are usually under a thick layer of special symbolic make-up . All these elements impress the public however it is quite challenging for the actors because they are not able to move or even breathe freely. As we can see, Peking opera actors are somehow limited and need to find a harmony with these complicated looks for the stage. In my opinion, throughout these efforts, something new and powerful is added to actors’ performance.
In Shakespeare’s times, the actors during the play were wearing costumes that are close to everyday life and correspond to a certain social status. Sometimes, when there was a role of a person not from the high society, he even did not need a costume and was allowed to use his own clothes . I believe that it is an interesting practice, which shows a certain level of freedom in western drama because actors were not trapped inside their costumes and were able to perform more naturally. The actors of this theater were also wearing a make-up, but it was used more to express their age or gender. What is more, this make-up was transmitting the canons of the beauty of those times . Of course, their costumes of the époque were also bright and beautiful, but they were more realistic than those ones from Peking opera.
In modern times, both theaters are having costumes that are not used as an everyday outfit, so they need to be prepared in advance.
One of the important features of the Peking opera and Shakespeare’s drama is the theater as an actual building itself. In the essay of Shu-chu Wei there are two descriptions of both traditional theaters and in the end, they turn out to be very similar: open, with the particular construction of the scene and different sections for the visitors, considering their status in the society . If from the very beginning both theaters looked alike, nowadays they are sharing the same buildings. The traditional buildings are replaced with modern theaters where any type of a play can be performed. I regard it as an important change which influenced the connection between both theaters, their union in some way. All in all, they are following the same aim – to entertain a large and noisy crowd .
Shu-chu Wei describes the set of the stage for both theaters as open and with simple portable properties. This set allows the actors to recreate multiple scenes and environments on the same stage without changing of decorations. Moreover, in this case, they are involving the spectator’s imagination to fulfill the missing parts of the view. In my opinion, it creates an interesting challenge and helps to develop variability of symbolic meanings of different objects. For example, now, in our fast-moving world where different digital effects are able to create the whole effect of the presence, sometimes people need the opposite – a room for imagination. Of course, different effects of the light and sound are used but the return to minimalistic style is remarkable. However, both theaters are still using different techniques to interact with spectator’s imagination. The Peking Opera will try to explain the meaning with visual content as facial expressions and the whole body movements while in Shakespeare’s drama it would be done with the words.
In conclusion, the Peking opera and the Shakespeare’s drama are two theaters and this unites them. They have the same goals and functions but they are achieving and fulfilling them with different approaches. It is interesting to see their evaluation throughout the time and how in some points they were even interweaving, as nowadays people are creating different interpretations of classical plays and even Shakespeare’s plays are adapted to Chinese stage. On the opposite, some elements of Peking opera as the scenes of fights are borrowed for the future usage in Shakespeare’s drama .
On one hand, theaters have changed their techniques, the place of the action and are using modern equipment in their spectacles now. On the other hand, they stay original and are performing as they used to do it a long time ago. For example, Peking opera has outlived a hard period when it was banned and forbidden to perform. Some of the famous actors even were tortured for playing in this theater. Nowadays the government and Chinese society as well are willing to renovate the heritage of Peking opera and promote it not only inside the theatre but in different social institutions as schools, etc. In my opinion this stability is one of the key points which are still attracting people to go and watch the drama, because new technologies are changing almost every day but some things ought to stay the same.
Works cited
“Actors .” 2013. Shakespeare's Globe. 29-February 2016 <http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2014/01/actors.pdf>.
“Costumes and Cosmetics .” 2013. Shakespeare's Globe . 29-February 2016 <http://www.shakespearesglobe.com/uploads/files/2014/01/costumes_cosmetics.pdf>.
Dobson, M. “Shakespeare and Asia .” OUPblog. 29 -February 2016 <http://blog.oup.com/2016/02/shakespeare-asia-theatre-india-china-japan/>.
Wei, Shu-chu. “English Renaissance Acting: With Reference to Peking Opera.” Lu, Jun-t'ang. Studies in Chinese-Western Comparative Drama . Chinese University Press , 1990.
Winship, L. “The Return of China's finest: Peking opera comes to London for the first time in 10 years .” 27-October 2015. Evening Standart . 29-February 2016 <http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/the-return-of-china-s-finest-jingju-comes-to-london-a3099871.html>.
