According to institutional size and scale, artistic attributes, and performing media, xiqu in Taiwan can be roughly divided into grand opera, minor op... (Read more)
According to institutional size and scale, artistic attributes, and performing media, xiqu in Taiwan can be roughly divided into grand opera, minor opera, and traditional puppetry. Grand opera refers to an opera with institutional integrity, abundant music, complete operatic structure, and relatively mature stage arts performed by professional actors/actresses; this includes such operatic forms as Luantan Opera, Siping Opera, Beijing Opera, Kaochia Opera, and Taiwanese Opera. Minor opera refers to an opera with simple and casual plots, costumes, and music mainly performed by xiao-dan (young female characters) and xiao-chou (comic characters) (two xiao) or xiao-dan, xiao-sheng (young male characters), and xiao-chou (three xiao), such as Chegu Opera, old Taiwanese Opera, and Three-role Tea-picking Opera. In Taiwan, traditional puppetry, in which puppets are used in a performing medium, includes three categories: glove puppetry, string puppetry, and shadow puppetry.
Formerly, audiences used to be relatively familiar with operatic plots. Therefore, in viewing grand opera, they mainly focused on the artistic ability and interpretation of actors/actresses, including performance, singing ability, declaiming, physical appearance, facial expressiveness, and martial arts. With the evolution of modern opera and changes in audiences’ aesthetic conception, plot arrangement, directing technique, choreographic design, and straddling creativity have all become the focus of appreciation for audiences.
Minor opera developed from singing and dancing in folk society. The simple plots of minor opera tend to reflect the life, values, body, language, and musical characteristics and ethnic culture of common people. Therefore, audience appreciation of minor operatic performances focuses on actors’ or actresses’ overall expressiveness, and the aesthetic values of the laymen that they embody. As for traditional puppetry, the ability of a puppeteer to make inanimate puppets lively and lifelike is based on individual skills and the distinctiveness of vocal arts. Undoubtedly, woodcarving skills in creating theaters made of wood also appeal to the aesthetic sense of audiences.
Taiwanese Xiqu integrates such folk arts as literature, music, dancing, performance, arts, and crafts, and serves as a microcosm in exhibiting the folk arts in Taiwan. By understanding and appreciating the cultural and artistic characteristics of Taiwanese xiqu, audiences can also appreciate the values and aesthetic point of view of the Taiwanese people.