SOAS Research Online

Abstract

The eighteenth century marks a significant transitional period in the development of classical Chinese theater. It witnessed the decline of the yabu or ‘elegant drama’ (referring to Kun-style theater) and the rise of the huabu or ‘miscellaneous drama’ (also known as luantan, “cacophonous strumming,” referring to all other styles of regional theater). It also signaled a shift of focus from the page to the stage, with increasing attention given to the performance aspects of theater as opposed to drama as a form of literary composition. Jiang Shiquan (1725-1785) serves as an illuminating case study for our understanding of this transitional period. On the one hand, he was renowned as a classical poet, a master of qu poetry, and the last major elite playwright in the Qing dynasty. Yet, on the other hand, one can see clearly in his works new trends and styles of writing. Focusing on Jiang Shiquan, this paper explores the competing styles and aspects of performance (xi) and poetry (qu) in his drama, their relation to the elite and court theatrical traditions, as well as the changing roles and self-perception of a playwright in eighteenth-century China. 十八世纪标志着中国古典戏曲发展史上一个重要的历史转折时期。这一时期见证了所谓的“花雅之争”，即雅部（指昆山腔）的凋落与花部诸腔（指各种地方戏，又称“乱弹”）的勃兴。由此相应地，焦点也渐由作为文学概念的剧本创作（“曲”） 转向作为艺术概念的场上表演（“戏”）这一层面。清代曲家蒋士铨（1725-1785）的个案有助于我们进一步理解这一转折时期。一方面，蒋士铨是文人剧作家的代表，被誉为“腹有诗书”的清代戏曲之殿军，曲“为近时第一”；但另一方面，其剧作中又显示出一些新发展趋势及风格面貌。本文以蒋士铨为中心，探讨其剧作中所呈现的不同风格、对“戏”与“曲”的审美追求，并将之联系到盛清剧坛文人戏曲与宫廷演剧之交汇及融合，以及十八世纪曲家身份与自我认同的转变等议题。