Onstage: Kunqu Dramatizations of Chinese Beauties, Clowns, Heroes, and Villains

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Professional performers from the most prestigious Kunqu opera theater company in China will star in a multi-part showcase of the history, richness, and wonders of this dynamic traditional theater. Featuring guest artists from Kun Opera Theatre of the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.

2:00-2:45 pre-show lecture
2:45-3:00 greetings
3:00-5:00 performance
5:00-5:30 post-performance Q&A

At the center of this event will be the performance of five short plays:

“The Drunken Runner (‘Zuizao’)” from Story of the Velvet Pear Flower (Hongli ji)
“A Self-pitying Concubine Writes a Lament (‘Tiqu’)” from A Cure of the Jealous (Liaodu geng)
“Flee by Night (‘Yeben’)” from Story of the Precious Sword (Baojian ji)
“Homeward Gaze (‘Wangxiang’)” from Shepherd’s Story (Muyang ji)
“New Year’s Eve (‘Chuxi’)” from Stories about Talented Tang Dynasty Men (Shi yan: Tang caizi chuan)

Kunqu is a UNESCO-recognized Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Mankind.

Presented by U-M Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies with support from U-M Arts Initiative; School of Music, Theatre & Dance; and Center for World Performance Studies.

Learn more:

University of Michigan to Host Chinese Kunqu Opera Performance