Li Yu Opera Writer Research

Li Yu（1611—1680）, a renowned litterateur, traditional Chinese drama writer andtheorist in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty, not only synthesized diverseclassical Chinese dramatic theories, but also composed a great number of traditionalChinese dramas, which later became distinctive treasures and valuable culturalheriage among Chuanqi Plays of the Ming and Qing Dynasties.His dramatic theories, which are well organized and highly coherent, evolve into arather integrated system compared with other Chinese classical opera theories. Hisdramatic works are regarded by all as the artistic practices of his dramatic theories.Being independent and creative, his dramatic works are worth giving complete andrepeated studies, which should be focused on their popularized and lively singingwords and dialogues in play，dramatic plots, suitability for being put on the stage, aswell as their consciousness of artistic thinking in theatrical performance.This thesis, based on the noumenon of dramaturgy, aims to summarize the approachesto the composition, skills as well as the unique aesthetic view of traditional Chineseoperas which reflect in Li Yu’s dramatic works through an and research of the keycharacteristics of the art of writing from the point of scriptwriter.Being grounded upon comprehensive research methods of Chinese traditional culture,literature reviews and literary forms, this thesis aims at expanding the cognition andanalysis of Li Yu’s drama writing art from multi-angle view and multi-dimensionalthinking with using some skills and concepts like Close reading and Semiology forreference.Chapter One is a brief introduction and classification to his major works as well as thereasons for Li Yu’s choosing drama-writing as a career. First, this chapter begins withwhy he started drama-writing and how he managed to compose so many great workswhich involve rich experience in Drama Arts as well as leading and profound dramatheories from subjective and objective conditions. Also in this chapter, theclassification of The Ten Plays of Li Yu and other fifteen works just like adaptedscripts, examined and approved scripts, critical and judged scripts which includedthose created or altered by him.Chapter Two is mainly about the literature characteristics of Li Yu’s works, includingthe structure art of his works, the language art of his works and the fabrication art ofhis works. Also, in this chapter, the author talks about Li Yu’s persistence in theliterature quality of his dramatic works.Chapter Three mainly focuses on the performance characteristics of Li Yu’s works,including a semiological analysis to the character creation of his works, thedeformation of Kejie Art and the synthesization of various skills in his works. Chapter Four is mainly about the artistic characteristics of Li Yu’s works, includingthe Qi’moArt and the shaping of characters in his works.Chapter Five mainly talks about Li Yu’s breakthroughs in the form of classical dramas,including the research about the comments on “script, script, the root of the theatre”;Li Yu’s pursuit of “the root of the theatre”; the ingenious combination of dramaticworks and dramatic theories in his works. This chapter further explores Li Yu’scontributions to the classical dramatic forms, with the purpose of emphasizing thesignificance and status of his Chuanqi Plays in the development of Chinese classicaldramas.Chapter Six is mainly about the relationship between Li Yu’s script art and his dramatheory including systematical summary of the script theory such as the contribution of“Li liweng’s comments and criticism” and the relationship between Li Yu’s script andhis drama theory, etc.In the Epilogue, the author gives his opinions on Li Yu’s special significance in thedevelopment history of Chinese drama based on the topic which named “Why wemust commemorate and research Li Yu”.