| Jingju Yangban Xi (Jingju Model Plays) were designated as models for literary and artistic creation by the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). Using the art form of Jingju, the model plays present revolutionary stories about Chinese proletarian workers, peasants, and soldiers set in the 1920s through 1960s. The creation, revision, and canonization of Jingju Yangban Xi occurred during the massive social, political, and ideological reconstruction that transpired in the People's Republic of China from the 1940s to the 1970s. These plays mark the developmental climax of the socialist national new theatre advocated by the Chinese Communist Party and the Chinese government.;As models for literary and artistic creation, Jingju Yangban Xi do not only best satisfy the prevalent ideology in content but also represent the highest possible artistry in form. Each major artistic component in Jingju Yangban Xi associates with traditional conventions, elements, and/or practices, and also involves epoch-making, original innovations. These primary artistic components include: playwriting, acting, music, directing, and design. With comprehensive innovation in every artistic aspect, Jingju Yangban Xi artistry evidences two essential aesthetic natures: one is what I call "the beauty of the sublime," which transcends daily reality and honors the individual's devotion to proletarian revolutionary ideals; the other is the beauty of masculinity, an aesthetic which highlights both the manliness of proletarian heroes and the masculine tendencies of proletarian heroines. The expression of beauty in Jingju Yangban Xi is also intricately related to the aesthetic principles in traditional Jingju, yet entails new dynamics in the fashion of expression and the application of aesthetic standards. |
