ChinaDaily[980308-8]

[Chinese News]

China Daily

98 / 03 / 08 /

***************************************************************************
1. Brits' bard finds fans in China
2. Exhibition on culture of Dongba
3. What's on (Page 6, Date: 03/07/98)
***************************************************************************

Brits' bard finds fans in China
THIS week has been a Shakespearian Bonanza for Chinese theatre
buffs and experts.
Sixty-one scholars and researchers, who have spent most of their
life studying Shakespeare in universities and research institutes
all over the country, gathered in Beijing.
They exchanged their long treasured enthusiasm for the bard with
visiting British thespians before Britain's Royal National Theatre
made its China debut performance of "Othello" in Beijing last
night.
"We think it has been a great chance to help Chinese people know
more about Shakespeare," said Sun Jianqiu, president of the
organizing committee, who is a professor at the School of
International Studies of the University of International Business
and Economics, the host university for Shakespeare Day.
The Shakespeare Day activity included academic conferences and
seminars by Chinese and British researchers, a picture exhibition
of scenes from Shakespeare's plays, a Shakespeare workshop with
actors from the Royal National Theatre of Britain and Chinese
college students and a retrospective of Shakespeare films.
Before Chinese writer Yan Fu (1854-1921) set forth some of the
basic facts about Shakespeare in a note to his translation of
Huxley's "Evolution and Ethics and Other Essays" in 1898, hardly
anyone in China had heard of Shakespeare.
Today, one hundred years later, Shakespeare is so well-known in
China that people call him "Sha Weng," which means "the venerable
old man Shakespeare."
Tian Han (1898-1968), a Chinese playwright, was the first person
to translate Shakes-peare's "Hamlet" into Chinese.
Thanks to Zhu Shenghao (1912-1944), a Chinese translator who died
of pleurisy and phthisis at the age of 32, most of Shakespeare's
works, 31 of his 37 plays, were published in Chinese, enabling
more Chinese to learn about the great British playwright.
Zhu Shenghao's nephew Zhu Da, now a professor at the Sichuan
Normal College, was two years old, when Zhu Shenghao died.
He has no clear memory of his uncle, he said at one seminar in
Beijing this week. But he became fond of Shakespeare when he read
his uncle's translations in high school.
However, it was during the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) when
he, like many other intellectuals, was sent to the countryside to
receive "re-education", that he had the time to really get into
the world of Shakespeare, he said.
Zhu Da's father Zhu Wenzhen, younger brother of Zhu Shenghao, also
translated some of Shakespeare's historical plays, but he never
got the chance to have them published.
Zhu Wenzhen also boldly attempted translating Shakes-peare's blank
verse into the poetic language of Chinese Zaju Drama of the Yuan
(1271-1368) and Ming (1368-1644) dynasties.
Zhu Da believed that the language of Zaju Drama appeals to the
Chinese people much in the way that Shakespeare's language appeals
to the English people.
Zhu Wenzhen died in 1993, before he could quite accomplish the
task, but Zhu Da said he would like to continue his father's work.
A highlight of Shakespeare Day was the Renaissance dinner
Wednesday evening.
The dining room was decorated with portraits of Shakespeare and
drama posters. In the candle light, the participants had their
supper while some Shakespeare fans recited the great writer's
lines and sonnets.
One of them was Zheng Tusheng, who recited a passage from
"Hamlet." "I read 'Hamlet' in high school," Zheng said. "I was
excited, though I couldn't tell why at that time."
More than 40 years have passed since his student days, and Zheng
is now a Shakespeare researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social
Sciences. He was one of the authors of the Shakespeare Dictionary
which was published in 1992.
"It was my contribution to Shakespearean studies, something which
I had dreamed of since my days in high school," said Zheng.
The picture exhibition showed stills from Chinese productions of
Shakespeare's plays, most of which were staged at the First
Chinese Shakespeare Drama Festival in 1986.
Drama posters of Shakespeare plays from before the founding of New
China were also on display. Those included the former National
Drama Institute Troupe's performances of "The Merchant of Venice"
in Nanjing in 1937, and "Hamlet" in Chongqing in 1942.
The latest Chinese production of a Shakespeare play was also
"Hamlet," staged by Lin Zhaohua's Drama Studio in 1996, with
Hamlet played by three different actors in different performances.
According to the Shakespeare Dictionary, before 1992, 65 troupes
staged 111 Chinese productions of Shakespeare plays.
The most interesting interpretations of Shakespeare are perhaps
the traditional Chinese opera versions.
From 1942's Shanghai Yueju Opera "Romeo and Juliet" to 1995's
Taipei Peking opera "Macbeth," 11 Shakespeare plays have been
adapted for different forms of traditional Chinese opera,
according to Cao Shujun, vice-editor of "China Shakespeare
Studies."
At the Shakespeare Workshop on Wednesday's "Shakespeare Day," Ma
Yong'an, an actor from the Peking Opera Theatre of Beijing,
performed his Peking Opera interpretation of Othello.
Ma used more gestures to express Othello's psychological changes
than is done in Western interpretations. He was dressed in Peking
Opera costume, but his eyes made one believe that he was indeed
the Moorish general, Othello.
When he used the solemn and tragic melody of Peking Opera to
declaim "My lofty aspirations become illusions and my beloved will
be sorrowful forever," the audience was emotionally overcome,
totally forgetting what a peculiar blending of forms they were
witnessing.
Warm applause broke in upon the lingering sound.
"I didn't understand the language, but I got the feeling, which is
very noble, very strong," said David Harewood, who plays Othello
in the Royal National Theatre of Britain performance.
"I think Shakespeare is as much Chinese as it is British,
celebrating a common humanity," said Declan Donnalland, director
of the Cheek By Jowl Theatre in Britain.
Before Ma's performance, Donnalland directed students from Qinghua
University and the University of International Business and
Economy in several scenes from "The Merchant of Venice," "Twelfth
Night," "Othello" and "Romeo and Juliet."
Harewood and Clair Skinner, the actress from the Royal National
Theatre who plays Desdemona, also performed a scene from "Romeo
and Juliet."
With the debut performance of "Othello" and its continuing shows
tonight and tomorrow, the Royal National Theatre will push the
week's Shakespeare festival to a climax, offering more inspiration
for their Chinese counterparts.
Their new production sets the story in a colonial outpost in the
1920s, which "makes the story of human passion more dramatic in a
smaller world," according to Skinner.
"It's a tragedy of human nature, a tragedy for not only Othello,
but also Iago and the other characters in the play," said
Harewood.
Meanwhile, Harewood will play the first black Othello in British
history to a larger audience at the China Children's Art Theatre
of Beijing.
The troupe had to add an extra Sunday afternoon performance for
people who could not get reservations.
The troupe will travel to Shanghai for three performances March 12
to 14.
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 03/07/98_
_Author: Mu Qian_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

Exhibition on culture of Dongba
A SERIES of exhibitions and lectures on the ancient Dongba culture
will commence next week in Beijing.
The Dongba culture is unique to the Naxi ethnic group living in
Lijiang Prefecture in Southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The Naxi religious leaders, known as "dongbas," still use some
1,300 hieroglyphics in their ceremonial scriptures.
These characters are considered older than the wedge-shaped
language of the Babylonians, the written characters of the Mayans
of Central America, and the inscriptions on bones and tortoise
shells of the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th centuries BC) in China.
With such a unique culture thriving in the 800-year-old town of
Dayan facing the breath-taking Yulong (Jade Dragon) Snow Mountains
in the distance, Lijiang was not surprisingly listed as a World
Cultural Heritage Site by Unesco early last December.
Thrilled by this news, the Lijiang students in Beijing Qinghua and
the Central Ethnic Groups universities in Beijing, Nankai
University in Tianjin Municipality, and Haihe University in
Jiangsu Province began to gather material for an exhibition to
celebrate and publicize their hometown.
The exhibition will run for a week in Qinghua University with
hundreds of pictures and ceremonial items. Then it will be moved
to Beijng University where experts will present three lectures on
Dongba painting, cremation, and general information about Dongba
culture.
A TV journalist, Zhang spent half a year in 1990 in Lijiang. "I
was fascinated by that remote place and plunged into the Dongba
culture," she said.
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 03/07/98_
_Author: Liu Jun_
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************

What's on (Page 6, Date: 03/07/98)
CONCERTS
Chorale from USA -- The Northern Arizona University Chorale from
the US will perform in Beijing.
Founded in 1935, the chorale, under the direction of Dr Edith
Copley, is the premier large choral ensemble at Northern Arizona
University in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The 1997-98 University Chorale is composed of 63 undergraduate and
graduate students of various majors.
Their programme features some beautiful American songs, including
"Song of the Skyloom," "Porgy and Bess," and "Every Time I Feel
the Spirit" and a Chinese folk song "A Crescent Moon Rises," to be
sung in Chinese.
The University Chorale will move on to perform in Suzhou and
Shanghai after their Beijing tour.
Time and place: 7 pm, March 8 at Beijing Theatre; 7 pm, March 9,
at Beijing Polytechnic University
Tel: 6525-0339
Russia night -- The Symphony Orchestra and the Chorus of the
General Political Song and Dance Ensemble will present a grand
concert of songs from the former USSR, including "Red Plum Flowers
Bloom," "Volga Boatmen," "Small Path," "Night on the Outskirts of
Moscow," "A Toast" and "Song of the Communist League."
Liu Yunhou will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 7
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Piano and violin -- The Beijing Concert Hall will hold a concert
of world famous piano and violin works, including Henri
Wieniawski's works, Chopin's works and "Butterfly Lovers" (a
Chinese violin concerto).
Sheng Zhongguo will play the piano.
Seta Yuko will play the violin.
Time: 2:00 pm, March 7
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Italian songs -- The Opera Troupe of the Central Opera and Ballet
Theatre will hold a concert of classical Italian songs.
Time: 2:00 pm, March 8
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Men's chorus -- The Harmony Men's Chorus of the China Musicians'
Association will present a concert of world famous songs,
including "Manjianghong," "The Stream Flows," "Song of the
Guerrillas," "Song of Peace," "Song of the Yangtze River," "The
Happy Nadam Fair," "My Sun," "We Are Red Soldiers," "Night of the
Port," "The Sacred War," and others.
Xu Xiyi will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 8
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Women's Day concert -- The Tongxin Chorus and the International
Juvenile Chorus will hold a concert of Qu Xixian, Li Qun and Huang
Zhun's songs, including "Song of Modern China," "The Flying
Flowers," "An Unforgettable Song," "The Cuckoos Are Singing,"
"Flowers of Victory," "The Cradle," "Happy New Year," "Song of
Love," "Paradise for Birds" and others.
Wu Lingfen will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 9
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Jazz night -- The Military Band of the People's Liberation Army of
China will present a Jazz Night concert.
Yu Hai will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 12
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Art songs -- The Chorus of the China National Symphony Orchestra
will present a concert of Chinese and foreign art songs, including
"The Dusk," "Serenade," "Song of Love," "The Lime-Tree (Franz
Schubert)" and others.
Zuo Wenlong will conduct.
Time: 7:30 pm, March 13
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Chorus concert -- The Boys and Girls Chorus and the China National
Symphony Orchestra will present a choral concert of world famous
songs.
Yang Hongnian will conduct.
Time: 2:00 pm, March 14
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Voices of the Volga -- The Chorus of the China National Symphony
Orchestra will present a concert of famous songs from the former
USSR, including "Salute to Great Times," "Song of Harvest," "Song
of the Communist League," "Spring Tide," "Night of the Port" and
others.
Wu Lingfen will conduct.
Time: 2:00 pm, March 21
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Mozart's works -- The Beijing Chief Ensemble will hold a concert
of Mozart's works.
Time: 2:00 pm, March 28
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
Remembrance concert -- The Symphony Orchestra of the Opera Troupe
of the Central Opera and Ballet Theatre will present a concert,
entitled "Remembrance of Music."
Gao Weichun will conduct.
Time: 2:00 pm, March 29
Place: Beijing Concert Hall, 1 Beixinhuajie, Xicheng District
EXHIBITIONS
Austrian painter -- The works of Austrian painter Max Weiler (born
in 1910), who has been deeply influenced by the philosophy and
landscape painting of the Song Dynasty, can be seen in China for
the first time beginning March 10. The inauguration of the
exhibition will be held that day, and Weiler himself will be
present.
As early as 1930, when he was still studying in the Vienna Academy
of Fine Arts, Weiler studied the Chinese landscape painting of the
Song Dynasty (960-1279). He then fused the Song and Western
styles. This comprehensive artistic style is particularly obvious
in his later works, which go beyond time and space. His creative
approach has been hailed by not only Austrian artists, but also by
their Western and Chinese counterparts.
The selection of 31 large paintings, which were produced from 1983
to 1991 and will be on display at the China National Art Museum,
marks the pinnacle of Weiler's painting career. The collection is
on loan from individuals and museums worldwide.
Time: 9 am-5 pm, March 10 to April 7
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6401-2252
Peasants' Art Show -- The Second China Peasant Paintings Show will
be held early next week. The 500 art works on display come from
all over the country, 80 per cent from the countryside. The show
will feature papercuts, prints, wood engraving, oils, Chinese
paintings and calligraphy -- all depicting peasant life in the
countryside.
Time: 9 am-5 pm, March 11-16
Place: China National Art Museum, 1 Wusi Dajie, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6401-2252
Women's art show -- Women artists and spectators alike have been
astutely observing the China National Art Museum's "Women of the
Century" show, which is being held in celebration of International
Women's Day. Nearly 100 women artists have contributed their
representative works, including ink paintings, oil paintings,
watercolours, prints and sculptures. The criteria for selected
work is not determined by the fame of each artist, but instead
focuses on whether the artist's work demonstrates "female
characteristics" and whether the artist offers a "womon's
perspective." It is these characteristics which separate women
artists of the 1990s from those of any other time in history.
Time: 9 am-5 pm, March 7-8
Place: 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6401-2252
STAGE
Complete beauty -- Tchaikovsky's romantic masterpiece "Sleeping
Beauty" will soon be staged by the Central Opera and Ballet
Theatre.
This is the theatre's first complete rendition of works by Marius
Petipa, the French choreographer of Tchaikovsky's piece. The
ballet drama made its debut last May.
The company invited Monica Parker, a choreographer with the Royal
Ballet from Covent Garden in London, to help polish the
full-length performance.
The company has selected principle performers from the company for
Sleeping Beauty, including international award-winning ballerinas
Feng Ying, Li Yan, Zhu Yan, Xu Gang and Tamila. These performers
have considerable experience in classical ballet and other stage
performance.
Time: 7:15 pm, March 7-8
Place: Poly Plaza International Theatre, 14 Dongzhimen Nandajie,
Dongcheng District
Tel: 6500-1188 ext 5127
New drama -- The Beijing People's Art Theatre will stage another
small theatre play, "Rain Over, Sky Clear."
Written and directed by Li Liuyi, "Rain Over, Sky Clear" is a real
"made in China" small theatre play.
The plot develops through the dialogue between a traditional
Chinese opera actor and a make-believe woman. The dialogue touches
on four people's readings of works by Marx, Nietzsche, Hegel and
newspapers.
All the characters in the play are looking for the honest side of
humanity through continuous self-denial.
The modern plot structure and use of montage technique means that
the audience should not approach the play with traditional
preconceptions. However, the director does not pursue obscurity,
but rather hopes to create a light atmosphere.
While the story is not realistic, the living conditions of modern
people reflected in the play are all too real.
Time: 7 pm, March 16 to 29
Place: Small Theatre of Beijing People's Art Theatre
Tel: 65250123
"The Thunderstorm" -- The Beijing People's Art Theatre will
perform Cao Yu's famous "The Thunderstorm" to mark the first
anniversary of the death of the master dramatist.
Sixty years after its publication in 1934, "Thunderstorm" is still
regarded as the most accomplished modern drama in China. The play
displays a newfound maturity in Chinese writing.
It has been performed numerous times by domestic theatrical
companies, translated into foreign languages and performed on
overseas stages.
The play takes place over a 24-hour-period and tells the story of
the corrupt wealthy family of a coal mine industrialist, Zhou
Puyuan.
Celebrated veteran artists Zhu Lin and Zheng Rong will return to
the stage, playing respectively the heroine and hero in the play
as they did in its 1954 production.
The cast includes such famous dramatists as Han Shanxu, Pu Cunxin
and Zhen Tianwei.
Time: 7 pm, March 16-21
Place: Capital Theatre, 22 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
Tel: 6512-1598, 6525-0996
_____________________________________________________________

_Date: 03/07/98_
_Author: _
_Copyright© by China Daily_

***************************************************************************