The Kunqu Opera classic "Changsheng Dian" ("The Palace of Eternal Life") has been cut by almost half for its staging at the Yifu Theater as part of the ongoing 7th Shanghai International Arts Festival.

 

 

In the new production, the 50 acts of the original play — written by Hong Shen, a playwright of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) — will be condensed into a 27-act version. It will run for a total of seven and a half hours and be performed over three nights.
"Changsheng Dian" will be presented by the Suzhou Kunqu Opera House from neighboring Jiangsu Province with the financial backing of a Taiwanese company. The play was well received in Taiwan during its 10-day run there last February. It also received a Golden Cock Award as the "Best Traditional Drama Performance" in the island.
The Suzhou Kunqu Opera House had already successfully performed a more youthful version of "Mudan Ting" ("The Peony Pavilion"), another Kunqu classic, in collaboration with well-known Taiwanese writer Pai Hsien-yung.
In its original form, "Changsheng Dian" was thought to be too slow, complicated and subtle to attract a younger audience, so the long version was adapted and modern theatrical techniques were introduced to satisfy youth's appetite for visual excitement.
The 600-year-old Kunqu Opera, a combination of songs, dances, poetry and martial arts, is regarded as the best representation of Chinese dramatic aesthetics. It won favor with the imperial court, the aristocracy and ordinary people. It was very popular during Ming (1368-1644) and Qing dynasties. However, Kunqu lost a lot of its attraction in the early years of the 20th century because it was considered to be over-sophisticated in its artistic presentation.

Date: November 1-3, 7:15pm
Address: 701 Fuzhou Rd
Tickets: 80-680 yuan
Tel: 6322-5294, 6232-6917