"An Interrupted Dream,"  a scene from "The Peony Pavilion"

         “An Interrupted Dream” is the sensual highlight scene from Tang Xianzu’s The Peony Pavilion,  a masterpiece Kunqu play in Chinese literature. Du Liniang is the daughter of Prefect of Nan’an in the Song dynasty. Her father’s social aspirations have delayed her betrothal. One spring morning, accompanied by her maid fragrance, Du takes a stroll in nearby garden, where she comes to marvel at the glorious, but transitory, beauty of the season.

          “An Interrupted dream” starts with Du returning to her quarters from her walk. She is tired and consumed by a pervasive wistfulness. She dozes off and dreams that a young man named Liu Mengmei approaches and makes love to her by a pavilion set among flowering peonies. Her dream is interrupted by her mother’s visit. The scene ends with Liniang slipping into a deeper melancholy after her mother leaves her.
 
 

Prepared by Ben Wang for the Kunqu Society