INSTRUCTOR: Deng Jiao, IES Abroad Chinese language instructor INSTRUCTOR 2: Fang Zhiyuan, Professor, China Academy of Fine Arts
Description:
The course is designed to introduce students to the many varieties of theater and performance in Chinese culture including opera, xiangsheng (two-person comic performance), and contemporary and classic plays, poems, and prose pieces. The course will have both a content/lecture component and an advanced practicum in Chinese stage performance. The content component of the course will familiarize students with the evolution of performing arts and stagecraft through recent Chinese history with particular emphasis placed upon a comparison of the pre- and post-reform eras.
The practicum will ask students to perform several classic works of the Chinese stage, poetry, and prose while improving their understanding of pronunciation skills, intonation, mood, and expressive abilities.
The course will allow students to experiment with script writing and creative performance – including
improvisation – using the Chinese language. The course will culminate with a performance by the students of selected scenes from Lao She’s Teahouse, one of the most beloved stage works in modern
China.
Prerequisites:
Students are required to be enrolled in Chinese Language classes at the 300 level or above.
Additional student cost:
None
Learning outcomes:
As a result of this course, you should:
• Introduce students to the variety of stage performance arts in China
• Familiarize students with the evolution of performing arts and stagecraft through recent Chinese history with particular emphasis placed upon a comparison of the pre- and post-reform eras.
• Develop key language skills such as pronunciation, phrasing, diction, and projection.
• Provide students the opportunity to practice writing scripts and scenes using their Chinese language skills
• Gain confidence in extemporaneous Chinese language communication through improvisation exercises
Method of presentation:
The course will meet twice per week. One hour will be devoted to lecture and classroom discussion. The second session will be a practicum under the supervision of the instructors.
Required work and form of assessment:
Students will be evaluated on their participation in the practicum, their ability to perform for the professors during the midterm and final performance evaluation, as well as quizzes based upon the lecture material and course readings.
• Classroom Component
• Short Essay 15%
• Short Essay 15%
• Final Exam 20%
• Performance Component
• Quizzes 10%
• Midterm Performance Exam 15%
• Final Group performance 20%
• China Night “Teahouse” performance 15%
Lecture: An introduction to classical performance: Yuan Drama
Practicum: Language and Expression: Putting words and body language together
Begin practicing Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinyuanchun" and Ting Shu, "To a Rubber Tree"
Week 3
Mackerras, Chapter 3
Ye Tan, Chapters 6 & 7
Lecture: An introduction to performing arts in the Republican Period: Early forms of modern stage drama
Practicum: Techniques in reading for performance
Practicing Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinchunyuan" and Ting Shu, "To a Rubber Tree"
Week 4
Mackerras, Chapter 4
Ye Tan, Chapters 9 & 10
Lecture
An introduction to performing arts on stage in the Republican Period: Early Chinese Cinema
Short essay (15% of lecture class grade)
Practicum:
Improvisation workshop
Continue practicing Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinyuanchun" and Ting Shu, "To a
Rubber Tree"
Week 5
Mackerras, Chapter 5
Lecture: Performance arts and methods in the Mao Era (Red Cinema)
Practicum
Writing for the stage (on an assigned topic or one of your choosing)
Run through of Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinyuanchun" and Ting Shu, "To a Rubber Tree" with instructor feedback. (Practice test)
Week 6
Mackerras, Chapter 6
Lecture: Performance arts and methods in the Mao Era (Revolutionary Model Operas) Practicum -- oral presentation of poetry and lyric verse (midterm exam)
Mao Zedong "Snow" (after the meter of Qinyuanchun) and Shu Ting, "To a Rubber Tree"
Week 7
Mackerras, Chapter 7
Lecture: The background of "Teahouse" Practicum
Appreciating modern drama: Lao She’s "Teahouse" and an analysis of the main characters
Week 8
Mackerras, Chapter 8
Lecture: The major representative works of contemporary theater
Practicum
Tea House (an explanation of selected scenes and assignment of parts)
Week 9
Mackerras, Chapter 9
Lecture: The major representative works of contemporary theater, Part II Short Essay #2 (15%)
Practicum
Visit the Beijing People's Art Theater and Museum and attend a performance of "Teahouse"
Week 10
Mackerras, Chapter 10
Lecture: An introduction to "sketch comedy" and other popular forms of entertainment
Practicum
Rehearsal, Extemporaneous Performance rehearsal for individual comedic recitations
(Prepare costumes, props, and music in advance)
Form groups and assign parts for the end of semester group performance
Week 11
Mackerras, Chapter 11
“Teahouse”: dress rehearsal
Week 12
Mackerras, Chapter 12
Lecture: Traditional Performing Arts continued, a comparison of Xiangsheng in popular Taiwan and
Mainland culture
Practicum: Check delivery, direction for original sketch performance and for “Teahouse”
Week 13
Final exam: Written Examination (20% of Lecture Class score)
Performance Evaluation on original sketch
China Night
Final performance of “Selections from Lao She’s Teahouse”
Required readings:
Colin Mackerras, ed. Chinese Theater: From its Origins to the Present Day
Ye Tan, The A to Z of Chinese Theater
Main Performance Pieces:
Mao Zedong, “Snow” in the meter of Qinyuanchun
Shu Ting, “To a Rubber Tree”
Lao She, selections from “Teahouse”
Brief Biography of Instructor:
BRIEF BIO: Fang Zhiyuan graduated from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts where he majored in Western painting, and has been an instructor at CCAF since the Cultural Revolution. He was also the visiting instructor at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, East Art Institute and Beijing College of Art and Design. He has also been an Art Director for Beijing College of Art and Design and Beijing Information Management School. He is a research fellow at Beijing Calligraphy Society, and has published many articles in domestic professional journals.
BRIEF BIO 2: Deng Jiao received her master's degree in Comparative Literature from Liaoning Normal University in 2005. Since then she has taught Chinese as a Second Language, Business Chinese, and Chinese for Movies and Television. Additionally, she is an experienced examiner for the Chinese language exam, HSK. She is the co-author of YBM-Sisa Test Prep.
Theater Performance Workshop
The course is designed to introduce students to the many varieties of theater and performance in Chinese culture including opera, xiangsheng (two-person comic performance), and contemporary and classic plays, poems, and prose pieces. The course will have both a content/lecture component and an advanced practicum in Chinese stage performance. The content component of the course will familiarize students with the evolution of performing arts and stagecraft through recent Chinese history with particular emphasis placed upon a comparison of the pre- and post-reform eras.
The practicum will ask students to perform several classic works of the Chinese stage, poetry, and prose while improving their understanding of pronunciation skills, intonation, mood, and expressive abilities.
The course will allow students to experiment with script writing and creative performance – including
improvisation – using the Chinese language. The course will culminate with a performance by the students of selected scenes from Lao She’s Teahouse, one of the most beloved stage works in modern
China.
Students are required to be enrolled in Chinese Language classes at the 300 level or above.
None
As a result of this course, you should:
• Introduce students to the variety of stage performance arts in China
• Familiarize students with the evolution of performing arts and stagecraft through recent Chinese history with particular emphasis placed upon a comparison of the pre- and post-reform eras.
• Develop key language skills such as pronunciation, phrasing, diction, and projection.
• Provide students the opportunity to practice writing scripts and scenes using their Chinese language skills
• Gain confidence in extemporaneous Chinese language communication through improvisation exercises
The course will meet twice per week. One hour will be devoted to lecture and classroom discussion. The second session will be a practicum under the supervision of the instructors.
Students will be evaluated on their participation in the practicum, their ability to perform for the professors during the midterm and final performance evaluation, as well as quizzes based upon the lecture material and course readings.
• Classroom Component
• Short Essay 15%
• Short Essay 15%
• Final Exam 20%
• Performance Component
• Quizzes 10%
• Midterm Performance Exam 15%
• Final Group performance 20%
• China Night “Teahouse” performance 15%
Week 1
Mackerras, Introduction & Chapter 1
Ye Tan, Chapters 1 & 2
Lecture: An introduction to classical performance arts: The theater and drama in Chinese history
Practicum: An introduction to the application of language skills, pronunciation, and projection
Week 2
Mackerras, Chapter 2
Ye Tan, Chapters 3 & 4
Lecture: An introduction to classical performance: Yuan Drama
Practicum: Language and Expression: Putting words and body language together
Begin practicing Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinyuanchun" and Ting Shu, "To a Rubber Tree"
Week 3
Mackerras, Chapter 3
Ye Tan, Chapters 6 & 7
Lecture: An introduction to performing arts in the Republican Period: Early forms of modern stage drama
Practicum: Techniques in reading for performance
Practicing Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinchunyuan" and Ting Shu, "To a Rubber Tree"
Week 4
Mackerras, Chapter 4
Ye Tan, Chapters 9 & 10
Lecture
An introduction to performing arts on stage in the Republican Period: Early Chinese Cinema
Short essay (15% of lecture class grade)
Practicum:
Improvisation workshop
Continue practicing Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinyuanchun" and Ting Shu, "To a
Rubber Tree"
Week 5
Mackerras, Chapter 5
Lecture: Performance arts and methods in the Mao Era (Red Cinema)
Practicum
Writing for the stage (on an assigned topic or one of your choosing)
Run through of Mao Zedong, "Snow in the meter of Qinyuanchun" and Ting Shu, "To a Rubber Tree" with instructor feedback. (Practice test)
Week 6
Mackerras, Chapter 6
Lecture: Performance arts and methods in the Mao Era (Revolutionary Model Operas) Practicum -- oral presentation of poetry and lyric verse (midterm exam)
Mao Zedong "Snow" (after the meter of Qinyuanchun) and Shu Ting, "To a Rubber Tree"
Week 7
Mackerras, Chapter 7
Lecture: The background of "Teahouse" Practicum
Appreciating modern drama: Lao She’s "Teahouse" and an analysis of the main characters
Week 8
Mackerras, Chapter 8
Lecture: The major representative works of contemporary theater
Practicum
Tea House (an explanation of selected scenes and assignment of parts)
Week 9
Mackerras, Chapter 9
Lecture: The major representative works of contemporary theater, Part II Short Essay #2 (15%)
Practicum
Visit the Beijing People's Art Theater and Museum and attend a performance of "Teahouse"
Week 10
Mackerras, Chapter 10
Lecture: An introduction to "sketch comedy" and other popular forms of entertainment
Practicum
Rehearsal, Extemporaneous Performance rehearsal for individual comedic recitations
(Prepare costumes, props, and music in advance)
Form groups and assign parts for the end of semester group performance
Week 11
Mackerras, Chapter 11
“Teahouse”: dress rehearsal
Week 12
Mackerras, Chapter 12
Lecture: Traditional Performing Arts continued, a comparison of Xiangsheng in popular Taiwan and
Mainland culture
Practicum: Check delivery, direction for original sketch performance and for “Teahouse”
Week 13
Final exam: Written Examination (20% of Lecture Class score)
Performance Evaluation on original sketch
China Night
Final performance of “Selections from Lao She’s Teahouse”
Colin Mackerras, ed. Chinese Theater: From its Origins to the Present Day
Ye Tan, The A to Z of Chinese Theater
Main Performance Pieces:
Mao Zedong, “Snow” in the meter of Qinyuanchun
Shu Ting, “To a Rubber Tree”
Lao She, selections from “Teahouse”
BRIEF BIO: Fang Zhiyuan graduated from the China Central Academy of Fine Arts where he majored in Western painting, and has been an instructor at CCAF since the Cultural Revolution. He was also the visiting instructor at Tianjin Academy of Fine Arts, East Art Institute and Beijing College of Art and Design. He has also been an Art Director for Beijing College of Art and Design and Beijing Information Management School. He is a research fellow at Beijing Calligraphy Society, and has published many articles in domestic professional journals.
BRIEF BIO 2: Deng Jiao received her master's degree in Comparative Literature from Liaoning Normal University in 2005. Since then she has taught Chinese as a Second Language, Business Chinese, and Chinese for Movies and Television. Additionally, she is an experienced examiner for the Chinese language exam, HSK. She is the co-author of YBM-Sisa Test Prep.