Jiangsu arts group announces week of performances

On March 20, the Jiangsu Performing Arts Group announced the lineup of its theater festival week in Beijing, with four stage productions coming to the capital from March 21 to 30.

Kunqu, one of China's oldest forms of opera, originated in Jiangsu province and is known for its elegant singing, poetic lyrics, and delicate performances. The first show will be Poetry Feast: The Story of Tang Talent, which features well-known verses and anecdotes from Tang Dynasty (618-907) poets such as Bai Juyi, Du Fu, and Li Bai. The production uses the medium as a means to resurrect the poets, and blends their fierce sense of self, rebellious spirit, and free-spirited personalities into the performance. It also highlights the purity and delicacy of classic Kunqu Opera.

Xiju, a type of opera that originated in the rural folk songs of Wuxi and Changzhou in southern Jiangsu, is famous for its soft Wu dialect. It is also a prominent cultural symbol of the region. The performance will be of revolutionary classic Heroic Sons and Daughters, which breaks the traditional Xiju focus on folk life and love stories.

The Peach Blossom Fan, an adaptation of one of the most famous plays by Feng Menglong, a well-known Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) writer, will also be staged. Through its blend of Kunqu Opera, pingtan (a form of storytelling), symphonic elements, stage design and costumes, the performance combines aesthetic traditions with modern sensibilities.

A Peking Opera production of The Old Man and His Dream will close the week. It is based on the historical and literary figure of Feng Menglong, and focuses on his time as the magistrate of Shouning, Fujian province. His rule was known for its justice and integrity, which aligned with his literary themes of morality, justice, and social responsibility. Feng's time of serving in Fujian as a government official also gave him the opportunity to observe the lives of ordinary people, which in turn informed his writing. His exposure to everyday struggles, local culture, and political issues deeply influenced the social and moral themes present in his writing.