Use Opera Building The Bridge Of Cross-cultural Communication

How to make the Chinese culture an integrate part of the world culture whilepresenting its unique beauty? It is an important and tough task. So far what we haveexported are mostly traditional arts quite distanced from the present day life. Outdeficit is huge in cultural exchanges with the rest of the world. How can we give theworld more art works with universal themes yet also with Chinese characteristics?Chinese opera is the treasure of our culture, yet it is like antiques exhibited in themuseum. To present common human nature and modern spirit, does it mean we haveto give up Chinese characteristics? In fact Chinese opera presented in ancientcostumes and performative convention can also present modern spirit, as in Chineseadaptations of western classics and in new operas in ancient costumes. In seeing theirfamiliar stories, western thertregoers will focus more on the unique, extraordinarilyexpressive Chinese rendition with type characters’ conventionalized theatricalpatterns, which will attract more foreigners to learn about Chinese culture.There are three levels in Chinese opera acting. Before becoming a character, anactor has to go through the medium of “type,” while spending long time training inpre-expressive patterns attached to his type. Then he enters the expressive stage ofrehearsal when he gradually become the character in the given circumstances, andeventually he will be super-expressive during performance. Chinese opera has a richsystem of pre-expressive techniques, and can adjust them to express heightenedemotions of various kinds of characters. Therefore it is not too hard to apply them onwestern stories and new stories reflecting modern spirit, even by westerners who areinterested to learn. Chinese opera can in fact bridge the gap between the seeminglyopposite systems of Stanislavsky and Brecht. Its conventional types can be employedto render the Brechtian Azdak and the like, as well as relatively realistic and highlyemotional characters such as Hedda and Julie. In Stanislavsikian terms, Chinese operacharacters are full of logic and feelings, which will touch their spectators immensely.In Brechtian terms, Chinese opera actors start with emotionally distancedpre-expressive drillings to enhance their expressive power, which is revealed on stagewhile they communicate with the audience directly across the “Fourth Wall.”Per-expressive, stylized conventions of type roles are the basis of Chinese operafor intercultural exchanges, while the universal human basis of Chinese opera forintercultural exchanges is the division and expansion of type roles, which suggestspecific instead of abstract human natures through the lens of division andpresentation of various social role types. Although the type system is notencompassing enough as a reflection of all the classes of the society, this approach is viable because Chinese opera used to be the most popular mass media in ancient times.We must not dismiss it just because it is not in line with the criteria of modernwestern theatre. Instead we should expand its reservoir according to today’s societyand related thoughts, to make it more inclusive.Once we find ways of combining traditional aesthetics and modern spirit,Chinese opera can become a short cut path to present Chinese culture to the rest of theworld, including Chinese opera versions of western classics and new opera withmodern spirit but ancient costumes. There are two criteria: The contents should benew, including western classics and new operas with universal and modern appeals.The forms should keep the traditional, including conventions of types and periodcostumes.