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“As a Lioness Roars” 《獅吼記》 |
On “As a Lioness Roars” Written during the Ming dynasty, As a Lioness Roars shines as one of the most popular and enduring Kunqu comic plays. The title has become a familiar metaphor in Chinese culture that refers to a jealous and tempestuous woman and her henpecked husband. The play elaborates on the universal yet never before depicted subject of how possessive and jealous a wife can be at a time that is particularly confining and repressive to women, which is the Ming (1368-1644) society in China. As a Lioness Roars tells the story of how the young scholar Chen Jichang, despite his affection for Liu Shi, his extremely jealous wife, misbehaves as a married man weakened under the bad influence of his close friend, Su Dongpo, who, like a devil, tempts him with many romantic opportunities. Throughout the play, Liu Shi sees to it that Chen pays dearly for his bold escapades. In the end, however, jealousy and reproaches give way to harmony, trust and, above all, true love. As a Lioness Roars ends with our lioness domesticated into a sweet kitten, and she and her now-reformed man live happily and peacefully ever after. -- By Ben Wang About Mme. Yue Meiti: Mme. Yue is a distinguished countertenor who has attained the status of `national treasure’ in performing art in China. Blessed with a dazzling androgynous beauty, Mme. Yue’s young male scholars are as handsome as they are cultured and refined. Hers is a clear and sweet voice that is produced with virility and great lung power. Her young men’s movements are marked by grace and agility; their expressions and emotions intriguing and exquisite. Performing superbly in singing, dancing and acting, Mme. Yue has earned herself the fame of being the foremost performer of the young-man role in the classical Chinese theater. A graduate of the prestigious Shanghai Kunqu Academy, Mme. Yue studied with the legendary master of Kunqu and the founder of the Academy, Yu Zhenfei (1904-1995). Mme. Yue has been invited to perform Kunqu and lecture on the art of Kunqu in England, New York, Washington D.C., Hawaii, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Her extraordinary accomplishment in performing art makes her performance in New York City a particularly exciting event to all those interested in classical Chinese theater. (BW) |
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Lecturer: Ben Wang Artists: Yue Meiti, Zhang Jingxian, Wen Fulin, Wen Yuhang & Yang Ling |
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Sunday, January 13, 2008, 2 pm |
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Miller Theatre Columbia University 2960 Broadway, New York, NY 10027 |
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(#1 subway train to 116th Street, next to the entrance gate) |
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$30, $20, $15 (members, seniors & students $5 off) |
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Contact: (917) 767-5820, (646) 472-5305 www. kunqusociety.org |
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This program is made possible by funds from:
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National Endowment for the Arts NY State Council on the Arts NYC Department of Cultural Affairs |
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