Performance Patterns and Role Types – Sequel І

Everyone who sees a performance of Chinese opera can grasp what the actor or actress is doing even without understanding the language, because all the movements performed on the stage are created from real life and conform to the respective roles.

In traditional Chinese operas there is a minimum of stage equipment; the time, environment, relations among the roles and the characters of the people in the story are all demonstrated through singing, speaking and body movements. For example, there is no door on the stage, but the presence of a door is conveyed quite clearly to the audience when a performer makes the gestures of opening a door, stepping through and closing it again. This type of artistic exaggeration is brought to perfection in the superb martial arts skills of the performers when simulating battles. Stylized patterns of singing, dialogue, acting and acrobatics were gradually formed - all in coordination with specific musical rhythms.

At the same time, the roles were classified according to the sex, age, personality and social status of each character – into sheng, dan, jing and chou.

1.       Sheng-These are all male roles, and include laosheng, xiaosheng, wai, mo, wusheng and wawasheng.       

Laosheng are generally positive characters, middle-aged or older, decisive and honest. They usually wear artificial beards, so they are also known as xusheng. Laosheng roles stress singing and dialogue in a specially exaggerated tone.

Xiaosheng are young male characters. In accordance with their specific features they are further subdivided into jinsheng, who usually wear square hats; qiongsheng, men of letters, both young and poor; and zhiweisheng, who usually have two, pheasant's tail feathers in their hats.

Wusheng are young generals skilled in martial arts. Changkao wusheng usually wear the full general's uniform, including thick-soled boots. They are vigorous and put on impressive martial arts displays. Duanda wusheng usually wear short robes and thin-soled boots. Light and graceful, they specialize in tumbling and somersaults.

Wawasheng are children's parts.