INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copysubmitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adverselyaffect reproduction. In the unlikely. event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand corner and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6" x 9" black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. V·M·I University Microfilms International A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor. M148106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Order Number 9429648 Theatre performance during the Ming dynasty Shen, Guangren Grant, Ph.D. University of Hawaii, 1994 Copyright @1994 by Shen, Guangren Grant. All rights reserved. V-M-I 300 N. Zceb Rd. Ann Arbor, MI 48106 THEATRE PERFORMANCE DURING THE MING DYNASTY A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN DRAMA AND THEATRE MAY 1994 By Guangren Shen Dissertation Committee: Elizabeth Wichmann, Chairperson James Brandon Juli Burk Daniel Kwok Lo Chin-t'ang David McCraw iii c Copyright 1994 by Guangren Shen iv ABSTRACT This is the first systematic introduction of theatre performance during the filing era (1368-1644), when theatre flourished throughout the whole of Chinese society. People in all levels of life, from emperors, literati, and officials to peasants, eunuchs, and courtesans, participated in theatrical presentations. In circumstances like religious ceremonies, court rituals, social gatherings, and dinner parties, plays were routinely staged. Theatrical activities also provided aesthetical, psychological, sensual, or spiritual satisfaction to many spectators. The Ming dramaturgy was greatly improved through the collective efforts of many professionals and enthusiasts. All three theatre worlds during the Ming dynasty­ court theatre, private theatre, and public theatre, each generally separated one from the other-are covered in this dissertation. Some aspects, such as troupe organization, actor background, actor training, performance circumstance, and acting, are described for each of the three theatre milieus. Other aspects, such as singing, dancing, directing, costuming, lighting, music, props, v scenery, and theatre buildings, are discussed only where sufficient data have been collected. As a result of eight years of effort, this study presents much original material heretofore unavailable to modern scholars. Some of these discoveries reveal information collected from nearly 1,700 volumes of ancient books; records found in hand-written play scripts; and data obtained during recent field research in China. In the dissertation, academic conclusions are based on historical records rather on scholarly reports. Those records which constitute primary sources are commentaries by play-goers, articles by critics at the performances, accounts by contemporary literati and troupe-owners, information drawn from ancient paintings, and data collected from extant Ming theatre buildings. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract••••••••••••• cQ •••• e •••••••••••••••• & ••••••••••••• iv List of Photos ••• o~ •••••• o ••••••••••••• o •• o ••••••••••••••vii List of Diagrams •••.•.••••••••..••.•••••.••.••••.•.••.•••. ix List of Reproduction of Figures ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••x Preface.~ •••••• G •••••••••••••••••••••••• G ••••••• o ••••• •••• xi PART ONE COURT THEATRE PERFORMANCE 1 Chapter 1 Laws and Policies.•.••••••• e ••••• e.o ••••••••• 5 Chapter 2 Monarchic Support .••.•••••••••••.•.••••••.•• 14 Chapter 3 Royal Participation••••••••••••••••••••••••• 24 Chapter 4 Troupe Organization••••••••••••••••••••••••• 33 Chapter 5 Actor Background•••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 45 Chapter 6 Performance Circumstance••••••••••••••••••••57 Chapter 7 Zaju Productions •..•....•••••....•...•..•••. 68 Chapter 8 Variety of Productions •••••••••••••••••••••• 81 Chapter 9 Costume ••••••••• 5.;.; •••••••••• w ••••• c;. ••••• e D 91 Chapter 10 Props •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 106 Chapter 11 Animal Display••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••• • 11 6 PART TVlO PRIVATE THEATRE PERFORMANCE ••••••••••••••••••••126 Chapter 12 Literati Owners •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 130 Chapter 13 Owner-Performer Relation••••••••••••••••••• 139 Chapter 14 Actor Background••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 148 Chapter 15 Actor Training •••• c •••••••••••••••••••••••• 158 Chapter 16 Performance Space•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 168 Chapter 17 Directing and Staging•••••••••••• ~ ••••••••• 181 Chapter 18 Singing and Dancing•••••••••••••••••••••••• 192 Chapter 19 Acting •••••••••••••••••••••••••• o ••••••• o •• 201 Chapter 20 Communication•.••....•.• o •••••••••••••••••• 210 PART THREE PUBLIC THEATRE PERFORMANCE ••••••••••••••••••• 226 Chapter 21 Troupe Organization•••••••••••••••••••••••• 231 Chapter 22 Actor Background••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 240 Chapter 23 Actor Training••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 252 chapt.er 24 Temple Stages ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••266 Chapter 25 Development of Temple Stages ••••••••••••••• 301 Chapter 26 Temporary Stages ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 334 Chapter 27 Parade Performance••••••.••••••••••••••••••• 353 Chapter 28 Parade Contingents •••••••••••••••••••••••••366 Chapter 29 Courtesan Performance•••••••••••••••••••••• 376 Chapter 30 Acting ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••• 390 Conclusion••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 401 Works Cited •••.••.•.••••••••.•.•••••••••••••••••.•••••••• 41 7 vii LIST OF PHOTOS Photo 1 Determining the Date of an Ancient Theatre••••xxii Photo 2 A Qing stone Tablet in Jingxin Temple ••••••••••282 Photo 3 A Ming Stone Tablet in Jingxin Temple •••••••••• 283 Photo 4 Front View of Jingxin Temple ••••••••••••••• , ••• 284 Photo 5 Juanpen~ and Its Supporting Dougong System••••• 287 Photo 6 Angled Walls on Jingxin Temple Stage•••••••••••288 Photo 7 Inscription on a Beam Above Peijie Temple Stage•••••••••••••••••••••••••• 289 Photo 8 Dougong Above Peijie Temple Stage ••••••••••••••290 Photo 9 Facade or Peijie Temple Stage•••••••••••••••••• 291 Photo 10 Datai Temple Stage••••••••••••••••••• ~ •••••••••295 Photo 11 Dougong and Beams Above Datai Temple Stage••••• 296 Photo 12 Da Temple Stage .•••••.•••••••..•••••.•••.••. e ••298 Photo 13 A Ming stone Tablet Laid into Xiangdeng Stage•• 299 Photo 14 Xiangdeng Temple Stage•••••••••••••••••••••••••300 Photo 15 Front View of a Southern Qing Stage•••••••••••• 317 Photo 16 Back View of a Southern Qing Stage•••••••••••• 318 Photo 17 Guangsheng Temple Stage•••••••••••••••••• &~~ ••• 319 Photo 18 Wei Temple Stage •••••••.•..••..••••.•••...•.•.• 320 Photo 19 Stage-Left Stone Pillar on Wei Temple Stage•••• 321 Photo 20 Stage-Right Stone Pillar on Wei Temple Stage••• 322 Photo 21 Dongyang Temple Stage.•.•..••..••.•..• g •••••••• 323 viii Photo 22 Wubian Temple Stage •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 324 Photo 23 Hujia Temple Stage••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 326 Photo 24 A Side Wall on Hujia Temple Stage •••••••••••••• 328 Photo 25 Dougong System Above Wei Temple Stage•••••••••• 330 Photo 26 Jilongding••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 331 Photo 27 Dougong and Beams Above Qiangxia Temple Stage.c333 Photo 28 A Modern Temporary Stage•••••••••••••••••••••••349 Photo 29 Dressing Room on a Modern Temporary Stage•••••• 350 Photo 30 Orchestra on a Modern Te~porary Stage •••••••••• 351 Photo 31 Audience of a Modern Temporary Stage••••••• c ••• 352 ix LIST OF DIAGRl1..MS Diagram 1 Front Vie~r of Jingxin Temple Stage••••••••••• 285 Diagram 2 Ground Plan of Jingxin Temple Stage••••••••••286 Diagram 3 Facade of Peijie Temple Stage•••••••••••••••• 292 Diagram 4 Reconstruction of Peijie Temple Stage ••••••••293 Diagram 5 Ground Plan of Peijie Temple Stage••••••••••• 294 Diagram 6 A Set of Dougonq Above Datai Temple Stage ••••296 Diagram 7 Reconstruction of Datai Temple Stage••••••••• 297 Diagram 8 Ground Plan of Datai Temple Stage••••••••••••297 Diagram 9 Ground Plan of Da Temple Stage••••••••••••••• 298 Diagram 10 Ground Plan of the Front stage of Xiangdeng Temple Stage••••••••••• ~ ••••••••• 300 / Diagram 11 Ground Pian of Wei Temple Stage •••••••••••••• 315 Diagram 12 8round Pian of Dongyang Temple Stage••••••••• 316 Diagram 13 Front View and Ground Plan of Wubian Temple Stage•••••••••••••••••••••••• 325 Diagram 14 Front View and Ground Plan of Hujia Temple Stage••••••••••••••••••••••••• 327 Diagram 15 Three Models for Front Stages and . Audience Areas .•.•...•.••.•••••.•.• o ••••••• 329 Diagram 16 Reconst~uction and Ground Plan of Qiangxia Temple Stage•••••••••••••••••••••• 332 x LIST