GLOSSARY
Page 2- huaju
From the encyclopedia:
Alternate title: hua-chü
Huaju, ( Chinese: “word drama”) Wade-Giles romanization hua-chü, form of Chinese drama featuring realistic spoken dialogue rather than the sung poetic dialogue of the traditional Chinese dramatic forms.
Alternate title: hua-chü
Huaju, ( Chinese: “word drama”) Wade-Giles romanization hua-chü, form of Chinese drama featuring realistic spoken dialogue rather than the sung poetic dialogue of the traditional Chinese dramatic forms.
- Huaju was developed in the early 20th century by intellectuals who wanted to replace traditional Chinese forms with Western-style drama.
- The first full-length play was an adaptation of Uncle Tom's Cabin, produced by a group of Chinese students in Japan in 1907.
- During the War of Resistance against Japan, drama troupes traveled the countryside to spread nation-building propaganda.
- Huaju was used by the Communist government, to promote the Chinese Communist Party.
- 1950s saw state-run training institutes and state theaters such as: Beijing People's Art Theatre, China Youth Art Theatre, and Shanghai People's Art Theatre.
- Soviets came to China to train actors in Stanislavsky.
- During the Cultural Revolution (1966-76), spoken drama was removed from the national stage in favor of model operas.
- The 1970s and 80s saw re-staging of spoken drama as well as more avaunt-garde and experimental theater.
- Arthur Miller is a favorite playwright, especially Death of a Salesman.
Page 10 - Bamboo Curtain
From Wikipedia :)
The Bamboo Curtain was a Cold War euphemism for the political demarcation between the Communist states and thecapitalist and non-communist states of East Asia, particularly the People's Republic of China. The term was less often applied to the Korean Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea and the flexible Southeast Asia border between Communismand the West (here referring to the forces aligned against Communism during the Cold War).
During the Cultural Revolution in China, the Chinese authorities put its sections of the Curtain under a lock-down of sorts, forbidding entry into or passage out of the country without explicit permission from the Chinese government. Many would-be refugees attempting to flee to capitalist countries were prevented from escaping in this manner. Occasional relaxations had led to several waves of influx of refugees into the then-British crown colony of Hong Kong.
The Bamboo Curtain was a Cold War euphemism for the political demarcation between the Communist states and thecapitalist and non-communist states of East Asia, particularly the People's Republic of China. The term was less often applied to the Korean Demilitarized Zone dividing North and South Korea and the flexible Southeast Asia border between Communismand the West (here referring to the forces aligned against Communism during the Cold War).
During the Cultural Revolution in China, the Chinese authorities put its sections of the Curtain under a lock-down of sorts, forbidding entry into or passage out of the country without explicit permission from the Chinese government. Many would-be refugees attempting to flee to capitalist countries were prevented from escaping in this manner. Occasional relaxations had led to several waves of influx of refugees into the then-British crown colony of Hong Kong.
Page 11- Zhou Xuan
An iconic Chinese singer and film actress. She was the best known of the seven, nicknamed the "Golden Voice", and had a concurrent movie career until 1953. She recorded more than 200 songs and appeared in over 40 films.
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Page 25 - Peking Opera
A traditional form of Chinese theater which combines music, vocal performance, mime, dance, and acrobatics. It arose int he 18th Century and became more developed by the mid-19th century.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
Page 26 - Jasmine Flower Song
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Page 68- zhajiang sauce
A Chinese meat sauce . RECIPE
Legend has it that Marco Polo brought this back to Italy and it became spaghetti with meat sauce.
Legend has it that Marco Polo brought this back to Italy and it became spaghetti with meat sauce.
Page 70 - cheung-sam |
Page 79 - white camellia
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page 134- 18 stories of Hell
The First Floor:
Name: Chamber of Tongue Ripping Function: Those who stir up troubles by gossiping will find their tongues being ripped out. The Second Floor: Name: Chamber of Scissors Function: Those who break the marriage of others will have their fingers cut off. The Third Floor: Name: Chamber of Iron Trees Function: Those who cause discords among family members of other people will find their body being pierced by hooks and hung upside down on iron trees. The Fourth Floor: Names: Chamber of Mirror Functions: Those who escape the earthly punishment will find their true shape being displayed in the mirror, and the old karmic debt will have to be paid with high interest. The Fifth Floor: Name: Chamber of Steamer Function: Instigators and hypocrites will find themselves being steamed in a steamer. |
The Sixth Floor:
Name: Forest of Copper Column Function: Arsonists will get themselves stuck to a scotching hot copper column. The Seventh Floor: Name: Mountain of Knifes Function: Those who kill sentient beings with knife will find themselves climbing a hill of knifes. The Eighth Floor: Name: Hill of Ice Function: Cold-blooded schemers and ungrateful suckers, including those who ill-treat their partners and elders, will find themselves naked in this freezing cold environment. The Ninth Floor: Name: Cauldron of Boiling Oil Function: Sex offenders such as rapists, lechers and adulterers will find themselves being fried in boiling oil. The Tenth Floor: Name: Chamber of Ox Function: Those who abuse animals will find themselves being bullied by animals. |
The Eleventh Floor:
Name: Chamber of Rock Function: Those who abandon or kill newborns will find themselves being crushed under a rock and soaked in filthy water. The Twelfth Floor: Name: Chamber of Pounding Function: Those who wilfully waste food will find themselves being pounded like crops. he Thirteenth Floor: Name: Pool of Blood Function: Those who do not respect others will find themselves soaked in blood. It is said that those who died of bleeding are actually given a preview of their afterlife. The Fourteenth Level: Name: Town of Quitters Function: Those who commit suicide will find themselves wandering in this town of misery where the wind of sorrow and rain of grief blasting day and night. They are the ones slipping off the normal incarnation paths and will live in the gaps of the worlds for a long, long time. |
The Fifteenth Level:
Name: Chamber of Dismemberment Function: Those who disturb the deceased by digging tombs will find their body being torn into pieces. The Sixteen Floor: Name: Mountain of Flames Function: Those who steal, briber and rob will find themselves surrounded by the lasting inferno. The Seventeenth Floor: Name: Yard of Stone Mill Function: Those who abuse their power and oppress the people will find themselves being ground into powder. The Eighteenth Floor: Name: Chamber of Saw Function: Those who exploit the loopholes in the law to cheat and engage in malpractice in business will find themselves being sawed into half. |
page 139- Peking recitative style
The style of spoken dialogue used by serious characters. More HERE.