Gordon Craig, Mei Lanfang and the Chinese Theatre

Abstract

Edward Gordon Craig's 1935 visit to Russia coincided with Mei Lanfang's 1935 performance in Russia. While Mei Lanfang's performance and its impact on Brecht and Russian theatre artists have been well documented and studied in recent years, Craig's contacts with the Chinese actor and his interest in the Chinese theatre, however, have yet to be investigated. Drawing on previously unpublished archive materials and other rarely used sources, this article for the first time documents Craig's contacts with Mei Lanfang during his visit to Russia. It also investigates his interest in the Chinese theatre in the context of his theoretical construction of the art of the theatre and his overall interest in the traditions of Asian theatres.

The Influence of K.S.Stanislavsky's Teaching on the Development of Chinese Theatre

“…At the same time, as mentioned earlier, it has also left its cross-cultural imprint on the international stage. It is necessary to deconstruct this myth in order to make a historical understanding and assessment of Chinese opera (especially Mei Lanfang's performing arts) [5] and its place in world theater. This historical understanding and assessment is not based on the evaluation or affirmation of Chinese opera by internationally renowned or authoritative artists, whether such evaluation or affirmation is true, beautified, or (re)created, nor is it based on how old it is To some extent, it conforms to a certain "scientific system", whether Stanislavsky or Brecht, [6] but is based on discovering its artistic differences and Uniqueness, find its place in the past and present world drama, and then define and construct its place in the future world drama.…”