Author: Ye Lang (Senior Professor of Liberal Arts, Peking University)
Editor's Note:
Professor Gu Chunfang's book "Introduction to Drama Science" of Peking University provides a comprehensive introduction and interpretation of China's theater tradition, theater concepts and theater genres, and is a weighty masterpiece that attempts to establish a systematic theory of drama science. This issue of "Bright And Pleasant Reading" sincerely invites Ye Lang, senior professor of liberal arts at Peking University, to write a book review, he talks about the academic originality of this work, he believes that one of the characteristics of this book is to use Chinese aesthetics and artistic spirit to observe and interpret dramatic art, and to find the internal connection between dramatic art and Chinese aesthetics from theory, so that this book has a Chinese vision, a Chinese stance, and a Chinese spirit.
After Professor Gu Chunfang's Introduction to Drama Science was published by Peking University Press in 2014, drama teachers in many colleges and universities listed the book as a teaching bibliography and printed it three times in six years. In 2020, the author revised the work, with a revised edition of 680,000 words, published by Guangxi Normal University Press. As some commentators have said, this is a weighty masterpiece that attempts to establish a systematic theory of drama science, and it is a work that tries to build a foundation project for the discipline construction of theater science. In this article, I will focus on the academic originality of this "Introduction to Drama Studies" (revised version, hereinafter referred to as "Introduction").
Mei Lanfang pioneered the flower shirt industry and played Yang Guifei in "Guifei Drunk". Image from Introduction to Dramatology
Emperor Ming of Tang in the Hall of Eternal Life (生). Image from Introduction to Dramatology
1.Establish a systematic theory of drama
The theoretical framework of an academic work best reflects the scholarly and original nature of the book, especially books with the nature of "introduction" and "introduction".
The theoretical framework of this Introduction to Dramatology has the following characteristics:
First, to study ancient and modern Chinese and foreign dramas from the modern perspective of theater science. The knowledge and theory of this book is not limited to dramatic literature, but grasps the important classics and key propositions in the history of Chinese and foreign theater with the overall vision of theater science, and shows the modern consciousness of theater studies. The study of drama cannot be equated with the study of dramatic literature, and this book is not limited to the discussion of dramatic literature, but focuses on and studies the broader theatrical arts (including performance, directing, stage art, performance space, dramatic imagery, etc.). The author points out that drama is a kind of present presentation of performance, the presence of the emotions of life and the world of the heart. Its most basic feature is that "the actor and the character" are present, and the "performance and the audience" are together. The boundary between drama and non-drama lies in the "presence of characters in presumptive space-time." The significance of the existence of the theatrical space is that the audience does not go to see the exhibition of inanimate objects, but to experience the presence of the present in a fictional situation. In this book, the author has made an extremely detailed and in-depth exposition of the "scene", "hypothetical" and "time-space fusion" of dramatic art, for the actors to create roles, and for the dual speech of actors and roles. In the book, the author emphasizes that the dual speech of the actor and the character makes the performing arts a truly irreplaceable art of life.
Second, the whole book runs through the pursuit of the meaning of humanistic values. For theatrical art, the author is not limited to the research and interpretation of the technical level, but pays special attention to the research and interpretation of the humanistic level and the educational level, and pays special attention to the thinking and ultimate care of the theater art on society and life. For example, in the chapter on tragedy and comedy, the author emphasizes: "The theme of tragedy should touch the more important philosophical propositions in the process of human development and history. In order to truly understand the essence of tragedy, it is also necessary to interpret specific tragic stories with a correct philosophical and historical view. In interpreting Hamlet, the author points out that Shakespeare's tragedy touches on the eternal philosophical proposition: "Hamlet's situation is in line with the eternal tragic situation of mankind, and Hamlet's tragedy is the tragedy of truth." The author has always emphasized in the book that theatrical art can awaken human reason and conscience. This can be said to be the core value of this book.
Third, this book strives to use Chinese aesthetics and artistic spirit to observe and interpret theatrical art, and to find the internal connection between theatrical art and Chinese aesthetics from the theory. This is a major feature of this book. This gives the book a Chinese vision, a Chinese stance, and a Chinese spirit.
As an "introduction" book to drama, this book makes a comprehensive, accurate and detailed introduction to the ideas, theories and genres of drama in the history of Western theater, including not only the genres of dramatic literature, but also the theories and genres of dramatic performance and directing, which can be said to be an encyclopedia of theories and genres of drama science. For example, Stanislavsky's performance system and Brecht's theory of "distancing effect" are well known to Chinese readers, but most Chinese readers do not have a real understanding of the specific content of the Si system and Brecht's theory, and this book is accurate and sufficient for the performance aesthetics of these two theater theorists, si's concept and method of shaping actors, and Brecht's "distancing method" ("defamiliarization method"), although the text is not much, but the introduction is accurate and sufficient. The reader is equivalent to reading two concise books on the Schist system and Brecht's aesthetics, which requires a high degree of theoretical generalization ability.
Zhang Dingbian (net) in "Jiujiangkou". Image from Introduction to Dramatology
Not only Stanislavsky and Brecht, the Introduction makes clear the history of Western theater, especially the famous theater genres and theories in the history of modern Western theater, such as Metlink's symbolist drama, Pirandello's "rational drama", Strindberg's expressionist drama, Sartre and Camus's existential drama, Beckett's absurdist drama, Strasberg's "Methodist" drama, Shakner's "anthropological performance" drama, Lehman's "post-dramatic theater" drama, etc., The detailed introduction and exposition, and all combined with the representative works of each genre, enable the reader to obtain an extremely vivid understanding of the image.
The Introduction also provides a comprehensive introduction and interpretation of China's own theatrical traditions, theater concepts and genres of drama. The "Introduction" makes a concise exposition on the ideological system and influence of Confucian aesthetics, on the value pursuit and aesthetic pursuit of "literature to carry the Tao", "application through the world", "the return of benevolence", "the unity of reason", and "the unity of beauty and goodness", and the moral commitment of human care, the sense of distress, the feeling of salvation, the moral commitment of saving the world, and the embodiment of the spirit of actively joining the world in the drama. The "Introduction" also fully discusses the aesthetic implications of the stylized performance of Chinese opera, the structural aesthetics of Chinese classical drama, and the directing theory of Chinese classical opera.
In particular, it is worth paying attention to the study of the theory and practice of drama theory and practice of contemporary Chinese dramatists in "Introduction". We can take the introduction of Huang Zuolin's "freehand drama concept" in the Introduction as an example. The author believes that Huang Zuolin's advocacy of the "freehand theater concept" is relative to the "realistic" theater concept, and is a breakthrough in the inherent realistic and illusionary drama mode, which condenses the spirit and aesthetic character of traditional Chinese art. The proposal of "Freehand Drama Concept" tries to start from the aesthetic concept different from Western drama, and seek the aesthetic foothold of Chinese drama with full cultural self-confidence, so as to open up the modern character of stage art and create a unique national drama school of Chinese drama. The aesthetic concept of "freehand" does not deny the importance of the artist observing life and refining life, it pursues the artistic realm of "external teacher creation, middle gain".
The theoretical framework of this "Introduction" contains so many dramatic phenomena, dramatic forms, drama theories and theater genres in the history of theater, and it can be said that it has everything. Reading this "Introduction", just like on the vagina of the mountain, the flowers are racing and the eyes are overwhelmed, which is a great artistic enjoyment and theoretical enjoyment.
2.Use Chinese aesthetics to observe and interpret drama research
The theoretical propositions in the core area of the basic theory of a discipline in the humanities are often the frontier topics of the discipline. This Introduction is proof of this.
In the Preface to the Reprint, the author points out that in the republishment of the book, she more explicitly used "image generation" throughout the book as the core proposition of interpreting theatrical art. This forms the greatest feature of this work in the core area of the basic theory.
"Image generation" is the core proposition of traditional Chinese aesthetics. To run "image generation" throughout the book is to use Chinese aesthetics and the spirit of Chinese art to observe and interpret drama research. This is an attempt by the author to find the intrinsic connection between theatrical art and Chinese aesthetics, so that the basic theory of Chinese drama science embodies the Chinese spirit and Chinese character.
"Peony Pavilion Garden" [Soap Robe]: It turned out that Zi Yan was red all over the place, and it seemed that all of them were paid with the broken well. What a beautiful day, whose yard is the pleasure? Image from Introduction to Dramatology
What is "image generation"? Things in the world have nothing to do with people and are meaningless, as Wang Yangming said, the flowers and trees in the rocks, which bloom and fall on their own in the deep mountains, are meaningless. Aesthetic activities and artistic activities are to give various spiritual meanings to the material world that has nothing to do with people, which is the generation of imagery. Mr. Zhang Shiying said: "The non-spiritual thing itself is abstract and meaningless. The reason why objects (works of art) in aesthetic consciousness can dialogue and communicate with people is that people and things are in the unity of spirituality, in the unity of people and the world. (Introduction to Philosophy, p. 249) Therefore, Liu Zongyuan said: "Beauty is not beautiful from beauty, but manifested by people", so Zong Baihua said: "All the light of beauty comes from the source of the soul, and without the reflection of the mind, it is nothing beautiful." (Art Realm, p. 15) Aesthetic activities and artistic activities create an image world in the intuition of the moment, a complete perceptual world full of meaning. This is the generation of imagery. The generation of imagery is when the human mind gives a spiritual meaning to things, thus manifesting or illuminating an inherently living world.
The author of "Introduction" points out that "dramatic imagery" is both a provision of the ontology of dramatic beauty and an ontology of the creative activity of dramatic aesthetics. The image world of drama can be divided into the image world of text and the image world of performance. The completion of the literary text indicates the birth of the world of imagery and the world of value of the text, which is independent and belongs to the category of literature. The overall image of Othello is "the storm of the mind that destroys everything", the overall image of Macbeth is "deceptive desire to lose the soul in the wasteland", and the overall image of "The Free Seagull is shot". The author of the stage performance gives birth to the world of imagery and value in the imagery of the text, which is also independent and belongs to the stage category. The hustle and bustle and vicissitudes of the dying late Qing Tea House in Jiao Juyin's "Tea House" are the world of imagery and value created by stage art. The most important thing for the author of the stage performance is to find a complete stage image that reflects the artist's insight into history and life.
The author of "Introduction" makes a meticulous analysis of the aesthetic characteristics of the integrity, authenticity, transience, multi-solution and uniqueness of the imagery of stage performances. She pointed out that stage modeling is the face, and aesthetic imagery is the soul. Realistic and freehand, speech style, technique, is not as good as saying "image", the former all say its "face", "image" explores its origin, there is "image", and these four are possessed. What determines the image is the artist's aesthetic intuition, which he obeys with the highest truth and the most eternal beauty. The author cites Lin Zhaohua's "Cherry Orchard" as an example. History, memory, culture, spirit, the irretrievable collapse of the owner of the declining cherry orchard is a warning, or an inspiration, both lamentation and hope. The author points out that the fundamental conflict of Chekhov's plays lies in the conflict between man and time, the conflict between time and space. It is the profound conflicts and contradictions that are precipitated as people who carry the historical space of the past and its culture because they cannot integrate into the new time tunnel, and present their historical ethics in obedience or resistance. The author points out that the image of stage performance should have an endless "charm", and the unified and consistent vitality and creativity should be immersed in the entire stage. Such stage imagery does not present logical reasoning and judgment, but poetic life perception and experience.
There is a passage in the Introduction: "All great art, which is great, is the originality of its unrepeatable aesthetic imagery, because it represents the highest spiritual activity of mankind and exalts the freest, most pleasant, and richest spiritual world of mankind." It is the 'enjoyment of beauty', full of energy, detached, and vientiane, an infinite pleasure and sublimation. Breaking through the shackles of appearance, breaking free from the shackles of rules, through the net curtain of order, getting rid of the temptation of utilitarianism, seeing the light in chaos, feeling the infinite in the limited, seeing freedom in the cage, this is really the joy of leisure and self-satisfaction, and it is also the realm of 'there is a true meaning in this, and the desire to argue has forgotten'. This passage is extremely wonderful, a summary of the meaning of the core proposition of "image generation". This is the core idea that runs through the Introduction. Because this core proposition runs through the book, this "Introduction" has academic originality in the core area of the basic theory of drama, and makes the book have a distinctLy Chinese color.
3. Seek the contemporary transformation of the aesthetics of classical Chinese opera
The frontier topics of the discipline are the key topics that appear in the development of the discipline, and this kind of topic often reflects the requirements of the new era for the construction of the discipline.
In the Introduction, we can see the discussion of many topics at the forefront of the discipline, and it is very glorious.
Two examples.
One example is the conception of a discipline system of drama studies with Chinese characteristics.
The construction of a drama discipline system with Chinese characteristics is of far-reaching significance for establishing the basic direction of Chinese drama research in the 21st century, creating the basic paradigm of Chinese drama, entering the frontier field of academic research in drama, and finding the basic path of coordinated development of academic research, discipline development, professional setting, curriculum system, and talent training of drama. This is the requirement of the times put forward by Chinese theater scholars in the 21st century, and it is also a major issue facing Chinese theater scholars.
Ancient copy of the Pipa Book. Image from Introduction to Dramatology
Lou A Rat (ugly) in "Fifteen Consecutive". Image from Introduction to Dramatology
The author of "Introduction" put forward his own ideas.
The author believes that the drama system with Chinese characteristics should include four aspects:
I. Research on the History of Theater. The study of the overall history of drama should be expanded from the original "second history" to the "four histories", including the history of Chinese opera, the history of Chinese drama, the history of Chinese and foreign comparative drama, and the history of departmental drama. As a branch of the overall drama history, the "history of departmental drama" mainly includes the study of local theater history and performance history, and the history of departmental drama also includes the general history of local drama and the history of representative dramas.
2. Research on drama theory. Including the study of dramatic drama, theatrical performance, theatrical theater, and the sociology of drama. Expanding the vision and pattern of the original theory of drama research urgently needs to be improved in four dimensions: one is the historiographical view of the history of dramatic literature and the history of acting; the second is the intrinsic philosophy and aesthetic view; the third is the overall theater concept; and the fourth is the technical innovation and methodology of theater.
3. Research on the aesthetics of drama. Theatrical aesthetics is the most metaphysical theoretical form in the study of drama. It is particularly necessary to pursue Chinese characteristics here, to contribute the artistic concepts and artistic spirit in the aesthetics of traditional Chinese opera under the comparative vision of China and the West, and to seek the contemporary transformation of the aesthetics of classical Chinese opera. The theory of classical Chinese opera has left a lot of resources for the aesthetics of drama. In the Yuan Dynasty, Hu Qisuan had the "Nine Beauty Theory" on the performing arts of actors, Tang Xianzu's "Love To Say", Pan Zhiheng's "Love Obsession Theory", Li Yu's "Nature Theory", Huang Haoqiu's "Affection Theory", etc., in addition to a large number of theoretical summaries of plays, figures and singing, which can be fully integrated into the core propositions of modern theater aesthetics.
4. Research on dramatic philology. Literature is a spiritual product of the past and a precious record of ancient culture, and the most important and basic tool and material for the study of theater historians is the theater literature. This is the foundational work of the study of drama. You want to establish an authoritative database.
To sum up, the author points out that to build a drama system with Chinese characteristics, it is necessary to take Chinese theatrical aesthetics and dramatic literature as the basic foothold, draw wisdom and connotation from Chinese philosophy and artistic aesthetics, and inject them into the theory and practice of drama, and then transform them into leading, universal and world-influential dramatic ideas and theater concepts.
This is a very revealing idea. Of course, the realization of this idea requires long-term and arduous efforts by scholars and artists in the field of theater.
Another example is the discussion of "poetic space".
"Poetic space" is an aesthetic proposition of great value in contemporary theater. The author explains this in considerable depth.
The author points out that drama is essentially a spatial dynamic structure to present the spiritual world. The understanding, imagination and creation of space increasingly affect the self-development and self-transcendence of theatrical art. The "poetic space" is the meaning form of the life space, which carries the connotation of history and culture, and it points to a mood of life and the authenticity of life. For example, the creation of the drama space at the end of "TeaHouse" is a precipitated memory, a condensed life, a solidified history, and a manifestation of the thoughts, pulses and weather of the times. Therefore, the creation of "poetic space" is the manifestation of human beings' pursuit of "spiritual transcendence" and "poetic inhabitation", and it is the ultimate experience and cognition of the essence of the world and the truth of life. This is a statement of unspeakable words. Only such words can create a "poetic space" with infinite meaning.
I think these two examples illustrate the modern character of this Introduction in the interpretation of frontier topics in theatre.
4. Appreciation and interpretation of theatrical classics
The basic theory of art science cannot be separated from the interpretation of art classics.
Beauty is the creation of the human mind, and the art classics are the creation of the greatest mind in human history. Such as "Dream of the Red Chamber", Shakespeare's plays, Beethoven's music, "War and Peace", etc., the secrets of beauty are contained in it. To study and interpret the classics of art is to have a dialogue with the greatest human heart. This will not only help us grasp aesthetics and art theory, but also promote the development of aesthetics and art theory.
Introduction to Drama (Revised Edition)
Gu Chunfang
Guangxi Normal University Press
A major feature of this "Introduction to Drama Studies" is that the author attaches great importance to the appreciation and interpretation of classic works in the history of Chinese and foreign theater (including script imagery and theater art imagery), as the book says, this is a spiritual mountaineering sport. This revision adds new cases of interpretation of the classics of drama, and strives to explain more deeply the great heart that created these classics.
Opening the Introduction, we will see the author's deep interpretation of the dramatic classics since Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides, especially the classics of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear. The book opens up Hamlet's inexhaustible room for interpretation. The author points out that Hamlet's profound reflection on the finitude of man from the perspective of reason has made Hamlet's significance as a tragic figure step from classical to modern. Both absurdity and death were transcended, Shakespeare gave Hamlet a sacred funeral, and hordes of angels sang to send him to rest.
The interpretation of classics in the history of Chinese theater also occupies an important place in the Introduction. The interpretation of "Peach Blossom Fan" (directed by Zhu Duanjun) is a wonderful example. Director Zhu Duanjun set the overall style of the drama in the style of "poignant and bright, desolate and enthusiastic", on the whole, the clouds and water, natural, the details of painstaking management, heavy work, reflecting a profound sense of life and history. "Ciyuan" shows Hou Chaozong defecting to the Yangzhou Shige Department in order to avoid disasters and starry night, saying goodbye to Xiangjun Yiyi, conveying the sense of life and sorrow of "ten years of life and death, not thinking, unforgettable, thousands of miles of lonely graves, and nowhere to say desolate"; "Absolute Hou", showing hou Chaozong, who has already defected to the Qing court, reunited with Li Xiangjun, after a long period of embarrassment and silence, Xiangjun stood on the left side of the stage, her spirit, life, will and hope were suddenly shrouded in death. That pause, that long arc of scheduling, that suffocating calm, reflects the director's portrayal of the character to the point of pure fire. The curtain slowly closes with the lyrical singing of female voices, the sound of gushing spring water and the sound of twilight drums. The "Introduction" explains the stage performance image of Zhu Duanjun's "Peach Blossom Fan" not only introduces the director's use of techniques such as "relaxation and tension", "combination of virtual reality", "risk-writing and strangeness", and "lyricism of scene writing", but also emphasizes that Chinese theater art must embody a stable spiritual coordinate of Chinese aesthetics and reflect the unique temperament and spirit of Chinese culture.
This explanatory case of "Peach Blossom Fan" can vividly illustrate how the interpretation of the drama classics has become an indispensable part of the academic originality of this "Introduction".
Finally, let me conclude this article by quoting a passage from the Introduction:
"Drama is the bounty of existence. Drama is a spiritual vessel that carries human thoughts, consciences, and noble emotions. ...... The 'beauty' of drama saves us from the burden of real life and enters a world of meaning and aesthetics. Only beauty makes man human. (Author Affilications: Research Center for Aesthetics and Aesthetic Education, Peking University, School of Art, Peking University)
Guangming Daily ( 2022-01-06 11 edition)
Source: Guangming Network - Guangming Daily