The Study Of Zhuangzi Opera

Zhuangzi operas, which elaborates the stories of Zhuangzhou in traditional Chinese immortal operas, included Yuan zaju and Ming zaju in genre. Emphasizing stage performance more than the text itself, there are very few document literature of Zhuangzi operas existing today, except the Yuan zaju "Rebecca of Old Zhuangzhou", the Ming zaju "Peripateticism" and the Ming legend "Rebecca". The classical Zhuangzi operas of song-jin-yuan periods were mostly of the immortal and Taoism themes. Showing up in a more secular way, protagonists in the Zhuangzi operas were very different from the unrestrained philosopher described in the classical poems and essays. Based on the bizarre fables from "Zhuangzi", the Zhuangzi operas elaborated the stories of Zhuangzhou fantastically. As belonging to the dramatic type, Zhuangzi operas often mixed up different allegory from the original work so the operas seemed very informative when on stage.As the temporal literature, Zhuangzi opera were continually put on the folk stage so they circulated and evolved in the life of citizens. Under the influence of the author’s juche idea and age surrounding, the theme, plot and figure of Zhuangzi operas had gradually changed. The playwright finally ceased preaching the Taoism doctrine but to express their own emotions. The opera itself also had a transformation from the underclass literature to the scholar-bureaucrat taste. The acting evolved from the pure role shaping to the multilevel personal character conflicts too.Moksha of Zhuangzhou was the main theme in most of the Zhuangzi operas which had unique value in the immortal dramas. The Zhuangzhou Moksha theme revealed the ’real magic’ of the real world and the unreal immortal world. It delineated Zhuangzhou’s yearn for the immortal life which set off the ritual collapse of the secular society by contrast and achieved the revelation aim of the playwrights. Sometimes the playwrights deliberately added some humorous details in the plots and let them ended up in happy reunion which put up a comedy aspect of Zhuangzi operas. Based on the dramatic reception of Zhuangzi, Zhuangzi operas were very different from the literati work about Zhuangzi. The operas shaped Zhuangzi as a more civilian figure so they easily found favor with the ordinary people. Above all. because of the other style of reception. Zhuangzi operas had possessed a very special meaning in the Zhuang-ology history.