With A Focus On Performance:the Study Of Xuwei’s Drama Theory

Xu Wei（1521－1593）, was a theorist and dramatist of outstanding achievementover Southern Drama (a kind of local classical opera in South China) in Ming Dynasty,whose theory monograph on Southern Drama, description for Southern Drama, is thefirst monograph of Southern Drama in Chinese history. Xu Wei’s theory on drama wasscattered in punctuates and annotates as well as prefaces and postscripts, furthermore,he even participated in person in the creation of Chinese traditional operas, havingcoalesced the good qualities of Southern and Northern Dramas of China to producethe operetta Four Poetic Dramas (Yuyang Chapters, Mulan Join the Army for Father,The Female Magistrate, Dream in Cui Township). Xu Wei’s theory and practice inSouthern Drama not only had profound influence on Drama Circle from late MingDynasty to Qing Dynasty, but also has played an important role in Chinese TraditionalOpera History, and still holds guiding significance which cannot be neglected for theresuscitation of Southern Drama nowadays.This essay is a systematic study based on Xu Wei’s theory, criticism and workson Southern Drama, including the researches of Xu Wei’s lifetime, thought, theorymonograph, criticism and Four Poetic Dramas, as well as the influence resulted fromXu Wei’s travel around.Chapter One discusses the core content of Xu Wei’s theory on Southern Drama.This chapter, beginning with the awareness of thing-in-itself on Southern Drama,gradually analysis the true connotations in Xu Wei’s “theory of decency”,“theory ofdistinctive character” and “theory of true emotion” and their’s application in hiscriticism and creative work.Chapter Two discusses Xuwei’s theory about Southern Drama on performance.This chapter, based on the analyses of his stage-orientation theory according with itsoriginal scenes revivification, reveals that Xu Wei’s theory on Southern Drama has apeculiarity of centering on performability. Chapter Three observes influence and contemporary enlightenment of Xu Wei’sthought over Southern Drama. Xu Wei’s theories of “distinctive character” and “trueemotion” as well as the performance consciousness combined by these theories had afar-reaching influence on Drama World. And his performance consciousnessconforming to the original scenes revivification will hold a guiding significance forthe resuscitation of Southern Drama nowadays.This essay, through the analyses of the concrete content in Xu Wei’s SouthernDrama Theory, extracts and purifies the performance consciousness embodied in histheory, criticism and practice, discusses the application of “theory of distinctivecharacter” and “theory of true emotion” under the observation of his performanceconsciousness as well as the correspondence between the awareness and originalscenes revivification, to reveal Xu Wei’s precise positioning on Southern Drama anddeep thinking over Southern Drama’s survival and development.