Study Of Fan Junhong

There were many outstanding dramatists during the prosperous history in Chinesecontemporary opera. Fan Junhong was one of them in the field of opera creation. He is famous forfinding new ways of changing the traditional opera. Before Fan was engaged in creating drama, hehad learned opera from Beijing Opera actors, such as Chen Xiuhua, Zhang Chunyan, Wang Xixiuas well as Shen Fugui, etc and had made up the organization to act Beijing Opera before thePeople’s Republic of China was founded. Fan didn’t stop until he had some problems in his voice.There is no doubt that this special experience is benefit for him to understand the art of opera.There are more than 30 works in his life, most of which are adapted by himself. Fan Junhongis a connoisseur of finding new ways. That does conform to the evaluation of academia to Mr.Chen Renjian and Fan Junhong. Objectively speaking, this way of making perfection still moreperfect is particularly important to the Chinese traditional opera. The tangle betweenmodernization and nationalization makes us realize clearly that we have lost too much tradition.Fan put all his heart into every masterpiece, which is full of a well-thought-out structure ofthought, pondered languages and his hard work. What he has written is not only the literature ofBeijing Opera, but also a complete play for the actors.At the same time, Fan Junhong is an excellent critic. Because he is familiar with the stage,Fan can make some correct comments when he meets some different kinds of problems in thedevelopment of opera, which is closely linked to his insistence on right views of opera, Besidesthese theoretical thinking, he sublimates his practice and writes many adaptation notes about manyof his own plays, using many various approaches to express his own creative experience andexpound all aspects of opera adaptation: structure, language, pattern, singing arrangement and plot. A lot of his creative theories not only follow Li Yu’s Dramatic Theory but also express moreoriginal views , which is in accord with the characteristics of drama of the times.Fan Junhong is also an educator. He often made lectures in China’s first Institution of higherdrama art school, Chinese Opera Research Institute ( the predecessor of the China Academy ofArt),Chinese Opera Institute and many classes for advanced studies in some provinces, especiallythe study groups in the fifties and sixties. At present, most of his students are nationwide operawriters. In the 1980’s, he had students everywhere, most of whom have become the backbone ofthe creative forces in the various operas. Sun Yuexia , the writer of Sichuan Opera, is the one. WuZunguang appraised Fan , saying that,“The plays he has written are structured, grace and full ofliterary talent. What’s more , his plays are of great ingenuity. This is mainly because his profoundknowledge in the drama. In recent years, he is always making lectures on the editing methods andediting techniques in many colleges, which leaves a very valuable asset for us and becomes a highlevel dramaturgy material.”As every knows, Fan Junhong is the excellent contemporary Chinese dramatist and theorist.