With a history of over 600 years, the Kunqu Opera is one of the oldest forms of Chinese opera still performed today. It emerged during the Ming Dynasty (14th-17th centuries) in the city of Kunshan, situated in the region of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. With its roots in popular theatre, the repertory of songs evolved into a major theatrical form during the Qing Dynasty (17th-early 20th century). In 2001, the Kunqu Opera was proclaimed by UNESCO as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage. This honor has renewed popular interest in this traditional Chinese art, which was once threatened with extinction.
To mark the 20th anniversary of UNESCO’s proclamation, the Renwen Society presents a lecture by Ms. Wang Fang, a distinguished Kunqu opera actress and two-time recipient of the prestigious Plum Performance Award, the highest award for theatrical performing artists in China. Ms. Wang will share with the audience the history of Kunqu, features of the art and her experience performing various Kunqu operas.
Free, but advanced registration is requested.
昆曲源远流长，它起源于元朝末年的昆山地区，后发展成为全国性剧种。传入各地之后，便与各地的方言和民间音乐相结合，构成了丰富多彩的昆曲腔系，成为了具有全民族代表性的戏曲。从明嘉靖、隆庆年间，到清朝乾隆年前，昆曲雄霸剧坛，独领风骚。
在2001年联合国教科文组织宣布的首批“人类口头和非物质遗产代表作”名单中，昆曲位列榜首。为纪念这一重要的历史事件，华美人文学会特邀2020“中国非遗年度人物”、著名昆剧表演艺术家、国家级非物质文化遗产项目（昆剧）代表性传承人王芳女士于2021年4月24日晚8时至9时半做《昆曲艺术赏析》专题讲座。
在此次讲座里，王芳老师将由昆曲艺术的起源与沿革讲起，并详细讲解她如何灵活运用昆曲的“四功五法”，塑造《牡丹亭》中的杜丽娘、《长生殿》中的杨贵妃、《白兔记》中的李三娘三个角色，以小见大，由点及面，为大家带来昆曲艺术赏析。
主讲人王芳女士，国家一级演员，昆剧、苏剧表演艺术家。全国文化名家暨“四个一批”人才，国家级非物质文化遗产项目（昆曲）代表性传承人，享受国务院特殊津贴。曾获第十二届、二十二届中国戏剧梅花奖“二度梅”，第十二届“文华表演奖”、 第二十四届“上海白玉兰戏剧表演主角奖”、联合国教科文组织颁发的“促进昆曲艺术奖”等。代表作：昆剧《长生殿》《牡丹亭》《白兔记》《西施》《满床笏》《紫钗记》等，苏剧《五姑娘》《花魁记》《柳如是》《满庭芳》《国鼎魂》等。