operas, chinese

Peony is the cloistered daughter of a wealthy family is betrothed to a suitor she has never met, these lyrics from The Peony Pavilion mirror her own longings. In the garden of the Chen Family Villa, a small theatrical troupe is performing scenes from this epic opera. Peony attends the production, watching from behind a screen, but catches sight of a handsome man and begins a journey of love and sorrow.

A thousand-year-old white snake travels from its sacred mountain to the human world, where it falls in love with a mortal. Presented in English and Spanish.

Presents in Chinese characters and English the story of a centuries-old white snake that takes the form of a woman and falls in love with a mortal; and includes vivid color illustrations and closing notes on the Chinese opera, the origins of the story, and elements of the story such as Broken Bridge and realgar wine.

An overview of Chinese theatre that offers an inside view into the experiences of Chinese performance actors and challenges western theatre artists who have used elements of Chinese theatre to enhance their own theatres.