Actors in the Making: Peking Opera

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Description: Film on the training undergone for Chinese Classical Theatre.
Duration: 26 mins 05 secs
Director: Chang Chao-ping and Chen Cheng-ti
Credits: Photographed by Chang Chao-ping. Music by Ho Fang. Narration by Shih Mei. Woro Colour.
Subjects: Actors, Dance, China, Performing arts, Music, Training, Opera, Drama, Students, Education and culture
Segment 1: Opening titles: children playing in school playground of the Chinese Grammar School, where students are training in performance arts. Children practice gymnastics, athletics, trapeze acts and dance. Some children come from a family lineage of performance artists. Others are talented graduates from primary school. Children rush into class. Children in singing and music lesson. Regular school lessons also take place. Schooling lasts eight years. Study includes literature. Opera classes are part of basic education. Students practice exercises and movement. Focus on teachers. Spear fighting class. Focus on facial expressions. Discussion of silk sleeves. Training in dance movements. Fifth year students practice acrobatics. Focus on the role of music in Peking opera.
Segment 2: A veteran actor from the Peking opera trains new performers in acting. Singing, acting, speaking and acrobatics are the four features of Peking Opera, singing being the most important. A singing lesson takes place every morning at sunrise. Motto of the Peking Opera: 'The lips must never be silent, the hands never be still.' An elderly teacher still trains daily and is seen teaching younger students. Famous artists are seen teaching students. Sixth year students seen in performance. A male actor undertakes training. Voice over celebrates the place of Peking Opera in China's cultural heritage and the conviction of the trainee actors. Actors in performance.
Segment 3: Seventh year students undertake rehearsal of play. Performance of the play. A celebrated actor teaches students how gestures of performance are taken from real life activities. Focus on make-up and costume of characters. Public performance by third and fifth year students featuring acrobatics and spear dancing. Voice-over calls for the future success of the performers and the Peking Opera.
Persistent URL: http://edina.ac.uk/purl/isan/0002-0000-0041-0000-0-0000-0000-0
Written and compiled by the British Universities Film & Video Council © BUFVC 2005
Subject classification by University of Edinburgh Library © 2006