How Does The Song Yuan Theater Produce Diverse Emotional Effects

Your Name
Chinese 178
Response Paper 1
.
Professor
University
Dater of Submission
Question:
How does the Song-Yuan Theater produce diverse emotional effects – humor and dread through the spatial logic of theatrical performance?
1.0 Introduction
The Song-Yuan Theater produces diverse emotional effects, and especially humor and dread, though the spatial logic of theatrical performance in different ways. Regardless of the time of production, Chinese drama has a lot in common, especially the use of dramatic effects such as humor and dread. It is these theatrical performance elements that distinctly identify Chinese drama since its inception. This essay analyses and discusses different techniques as employed in Chinese drama. The analysis will focus on the Top Graduate Zhang Xie, Yueh-Yang Tower and other Chinese drama pieces.[George A. Hayden “Crime and Punishment in Medieval Chinese Drama: Three Judge Pao Plays.” (Harvard University Press. 1978). 56.]
2.0 Chinese Drama Discussion and Analysis
The drama Top Graduate Zhang Xie employs a modern type of humor. Three forms of modern humor have been used in this play, namely cold humor, jerk humor and non-sense humor. These forms of humor have been largely achieved through song and poetic humor. In fact the entire first scene has been largely performed through songs. Similarly, in the Four Plays of Yuan, modern humor has been used, and specifically, cold and jerk humor. In Scene 2 of the play, Jing and Mo say that they compose songs and rhymes. Thus the use of rhyme as an element of humor also comes out in this scene. The sense of humor in the Graduate Zhang Xie has been largely achieved through positive attitude, optimism, expressiveness, quick wit and associative thinking. These elements have been used in most of the drama series under discussion.
In the Four plays of the Yuan, different kinds of humor have been used. The drama is witty, ironic, sarcastic and in certain scenes, obscene. Sarcasm has been used to create humor where play actors engage in verbal speech that can be viewed as sarcastic. The drama also makes use of basic elements of modern humor. These elements include funny action, ridiculous verbal speech, and witty imagination.
The comic actors in the Four Plays of the Yuan are so good at finding and using the right words, at the right moment, and in the right manner. Another element of humor used is phrase hiding where actors hide phrases in prose. Jokes have been used to bring out the humor. In certain scenes, pure jokes have been used. A collection of jokes has been used across all plays to keep the audience expectant and entertained. The extensive use of jokes in the Four Plays of the Yuan is a clear indicator that the Chinese drama of the 1970s valued the importance of jokes as an element of humor. The humorous jokes were also used to express vulgarity. In The Four Plays Drama, an example of how jokes have been used to express vulgarity is found in ACT 1 where Lu Tung-Pin sings a tune of the Tien-Chiang-Chun. A review of the play suggests the extensive use of songs by Lu Tung-Pin, which he often uses as his mode of communication with other actors in the play.[Richard F. S. Yang. “The Yüeh-yang Tower,” in Four Plays of the Yuan Drama, trans. (Taipei: China Post, 1972), 57.]
The Four Plays of Yuan Drama has also made extensive use of similes and symbolism. An example from the play is in ACT 1 where Lu Tung-Pin uses similes in psalm 2. In this psalm, Lu Tung-Pin says, it is making sounds akin to wind in pines. Another example of the use of similes is when Lu Tung-Pin says, shaped like a lute or a shuttle’s head. Another element of humor used in this drama is poetic humor. It has been extensively used by all actors. Lu Tung-Pin uses it in Dragon Tail. An example where Lu Tung-Pin has used poetic humor is when he states that: you might scare and terrify the Jade emperor and he might consequently allow you to construct a brewery in close proximity to the bid dipper.[Ibid.] [Ibid, 68.] [Ibid.]
Another form of humor used in the play is sarcasm. The play uses sarcastic humor which can be found in ACT 1 in which the Clerk says that there is this famous tower under the sky, and there is no other wine in this world. Humor has also been achieved through the use of cold jokes. For example, Lu Tung-Pin says that this place is haunted by this white plum tree, when referring to his colleague. Symbolism has also been used where Willow Spirit refers to himself as a tree, in ACT 1. In ACT 2, poetic humor is used by Kuo. In ACT 4, dread has been depicted through the use of spiritual symbolism to elicit fear in the audience. In ACT 4, Lu Tung-Pin uses verbal cold humor. He calls Kuo dumb, stupid and muddled. He calls him a man with a dumb brain and a stupid head. The jokes broadened the viewer’s w...