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“Shashibiya : staging Shakespeare in China” (Publication, 2003)

Year

2003

Text

Li, Ruru. Shashibiya : staging Shakespeare in China. (Hong Kong : Hong Kong University Press, 2003). (Shak8)

Type

Publication

Chronology Entries (98)

# Year Text Linked Data
1 1880 Zeng, Jize. Shi xi ri ji [ID D7904].
Er schreibt über die Aufführung von Hamlet von William Shakespeare in London : "On the seventh day (of the third month, the fifth year of Guangxu). The play was a story about the King of Denmark who murdered his brother and married his sister-in-law. Therefore his brother's son took his revenge. The play was over at the beginning of zi shi [eleven o'clock in the evening] and then we came home."
2 1904 Lanmu, Cha'ersi [Lamb, Charles]. Yingguo shi ren yin bian yan yu [ID D10417].
Lin Shu's translation of Tales from Shakespeare contains twenty stories based on the Bard's plays, it was the second earliest introduction of Shakespearean works into China.
Lin Shu schreibt im Vorwort : "When the Europeans criticize our country, they usually say that China is becoming increasingly weak and ill-fated because she is narrow in her view of the world, outdated in her thinking, allowing her past to dominate her present, and too fond of gods, fairies, ghosts, and demons. The young and audacious in our country are going all out for reform and change. They embrace only the new, mocking the old tradition and practice and discarding past history and heritage.
There are certainly justifications in what these people are doing. But, if they think that all things Western are new to China, they are wrong, for it would be like glorifying somebody by exaggerating his merits or destroying somebody by magnifying his faults. Aren't Hardy and Shakespeare literary giants of the great civilized England ? Look at Hardy's books that I have translated ; there are taboo snakes and condemned ghosts all over the place. Shakespeare's poetry is quite comparable to that of our [great poet] Du Fu, but he often conjures up images of gods, fairies, ghosts, and demons. If the Westerners are so civilized, then maybe these works mentioned should be banned and burned so as not to interfere with scientific knowledge. As far as I know, however, Shakespeare's poetry is held in high esteem among the well bred [in the West]. There his works are not only read and recited in every household but also performed in theaters, where men and women are moved to tears as they hold each other's hands listening to every word, where no one is ever tempted to call him old-fashioned or accuse him of having a fetish about gods, fairies, ghosts, and demons. Why is this the case ? Certainly, many old things are useless today, for example, the cooking vessels and drinking cups from the Bronze Age, heavy and rust eaten. But no expense should be spared to obtain, preserve, and display, say, a distinguished suit of armor once worn by a great personage from an illustrious family. People who are affluent and not troubled by the material needs of everyday life turn their interest to the past in pursuit of new personal enrichment. This is just like what [Su] Dongpo said, that when one has had enough rich meats and fine grains he starts to miss the snails and clams [of the old days].
Running a country and educating its people are two important matters that do not depend on arts and literature. When all is well with the country and its people, good arts and literature can add more luster; but when good arts and literature is all a country has, they do not benefit either the governing or educating. That's why the Westerners make government and education their priorities, gathering wealth and building military strength. They are so rich and powerful that no outsiders dare to humiliate them. It is only then they begin to enjoy arts and literature in their leisure time. Maybe Mr. Hardy and Mr. Shakespeare are old-fashioned and using gods, fairies, ghosts, and demons too much, but the civilized Westerners are certainly not complaining.
I am old, and I do not use the same language as Hardy and Shakespeare, but I am particularly fond of these two gentlemen's works. My good friend Mr. Wei Chunshu, from Renhe [Hangzhou, Zhejiang] —young, erudite, and a master of Western languages—and I teamed up to do translations at the Translation Studio of the Jingshi Daxuetang (Capital University). After Mr. Wei orally translated the works to me, I put them into [Chinese] literary form. In about two years we translated about three or four works, of which the most massive one is the Biography of Napoleon. We are about to graduate from the studio early this coming autumn. When free one night, Mr. Wei picked up some Shakespeare by chance; I started scribbling away by the night lamp. Twenty days later we have a book of Shakespeare's poetic tales.
The British certainly embrace new ideas in running their country, but they do not discard Shakespeare's poetry. Now that I have translated the book of Shakespeare's poetic tales, won't those blievers in new things reject it ?
There are some different versions of Shakespeare's poetic tales coming into our country. There are similarities and differences in the selections of tales as well as in the contents of actual tales themselves. My book contains bwenty tales, each of which has a new title by me for the purpose of highlighting."

Tian Han schreibt : "The novels translated by Lin Qinnan [Lin Shu] were very popular then and they were also my favourite type of publication. I was really interested in Lamb's Tales from Shakespeare which was translated als 'English poet, reciting from afar on joyous occasions'. I've been unconsciously influenced by this book. I read The tempest, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in the originals when I grew up, but it seemed to me that Lin's way of telling these stories as fairy tales was more appealing."

Li Ruru : Lin Shu adapted his Tales into Chinese. Taking the extract quoted earlier as an example, his version, compared to the original account by the Lambs, is tinged with more personal feelings evoked through the use of dialogue. His style is influenced by traditional Chinese story telling, which alternates freely and frequently between firs-person expression and third-person narration and commentary.
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Shakespeare translation in China. In : Leeds East Asia papers ; no 4 (1991). (Shak17, Publication)
  • Document: Chinese theories of theater and performance from Confucius to the present. Ed. and transl. by Faye Chunfang Fei ; foreword by Richard Schechner. (Ann Arbor, Mich. : University of Michigan Press, 1999). [Enthält] : Lin, Shu. Preface to "Tales from Shakespeare". S. 114-116. (Shak5, Publication)
  • Person: Hardy, Thomas
  • Person: Lamb, Charles
  • Person: Lin, Shu
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Tian, Han
3 1913 Erste professionelle Aufführung von Rou quan = The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Lin Shu und Wei Yi von Lamb, Charles. Tales from Shakespeare [ID D10417] durch die Xin min she (New People's Group) unter der Regie von Zheng Zhengqiu in Shanghai.
4 1914 Die Zeitung Shen bao schreibt über Yuan hu = Bitterness = Much ado about nothing von William Shakespeare :
"In Britain there are theatres which specialize in putting on Shakespeare's plays. You can imagine how expensive the tickets are ! Contract of the flesh has won high acclaim. Today we present 'Bitterness' to you, in which men and women deceive each other from the beginning to the end. The bickering couple become happy foes, and this makes you laugh to death. Later, the bridegroom stirs up trouble in the wedding hall, and the bride screams for justice. This makes you cry your eyes out... Those who are curious hurry up to see this Shakespeare play."
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
5 1916 Die Zeitung Min guo ri bao schreibt über Nü lü shi = The female lawyer = The merchant of Venice : "…one of Shakespeare's famous plays. It involves cutting off a piece of one's own flesh to borrow money, while the heroine, though a women, nevertheless becomes a lawyer. Ecxellent literary style ; a wonderful story full of fun. It is a masterpiece performed by Wang Youyou, Zha Tianying, Li Beishi and Xu Banmei."
6 1929 Guo, Moruo. Wo de you nian. (Shanghai : Guang hua shu ju, 1929). 我的幼年
Er schreibt : "The novels translated by Lin Shu were very popular and I liked them very much. The Lambs' tales from Shakespeare, which Lin shu translated into Chinese especially interested me. I was unconsciously influenced by this book. I read The tempest, Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet in the original when I grew up, but it seemed to me that Lin Shu's way of telling these stories as fairy tales was more appealing. More than many other foreign wirter, Walter Scott influenced me tremendously ; it was almost a secret of mine."
7 1930 Aufführung von As you like it von William Shakespeare durch die Zhong xi nü xiao (Chinese-Western Girls School) in Tianjin.
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
8 1930 Erste vollständige Aufführung des Weinishi shang ren = The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Gu Zhongyi [ID D23505] durch die Shanghai xi ju xie she (Shanghai Drama Association) unter der Regie von Ying Yunwei und Meng Junmou als Bühnenbildner.
Zhang Xiao Yang : It was the first time that the Chinese saw a real stage representation of a Shakespearean play given in a mature form of modern spoken drama and with Shakespeare’s original text.
Murray J. Lewitt : This production is considered the first original-text performance of Shakespeare in China. It featured 16th and 17th century period costumes and scenery suggested by Renaissance Italian paintings.
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 111. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Document: Levith, Murray J. Shakespeare in China. (London : Continuum, 2004). S. 17. (Shak12, Publication)
  • Document: Sun, Yanna. Shakespeare in China. (Dresden : Technische Universität, 2008). Diss. Technische Univ. Dresden, 2008.
    http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=990753824. S. 20. (Shak, Web)
  • Person: Gu, Zhongyi
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
9 1934 Mao, Dun. Shashibiya yu xian shi zhu yi [ID D23874].
Einführung der Beurteilung von Marx und Engels von Shakespeare in China durch Mao Dun, basierend auf Aussagen des russischen Kritikers S. Dianamov.
Er schreibt : "… They [Marx and Engels] once tried to persuade Lassalle to study Shakespeare. When they commented on Shakespeare, their focus was not on the external shape of Shakespeare’s works... Both Marx and Engels thought that on the basis of the themes, content and real nature of these plays, Shakespeare is a truly realistic writer... He [Shakespeare] was eager to look for a new foundation in life. By evaluating the whole experience and the history of the class that he belongs to, he attempts to seek the basis of the new, fresh, and free life. He created a gigantic encyclopaedia of morality and an upright life style."
10 1937 Aufführung von Luomi'ou yu Zhuliye [ID D14237] = Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Tian Han durch die Shanghai ye yu shi yan ju tuan (Shanghai Amateur Experimental Drama Company) unter der Regie von Zhang Min. Zhao Dan spielt Romeo und Yu Peishan Juliet.
Tang, Wen. Luomiou yu Zhuliye : canguan cai pai. In : Da gong bao zeng kan ; 8 Juni (1937).
Er schreibt : "Everything on the stage is black, and immediately you feel the horror and the sadness of death. The set is made from a dozen platforms of different sizes in semi-circular shapes. Along both sides of the stage, there are a chancel, a platform for Juliet's body and hug staircases. Lighting is provided by candles. Accompanied by heartbreaking music, the hero and heroine – one dies and the other comes to life, and then one comes to life and the other dies. How sad ! How touching ! This play will make audiences shed countless tears !"

Li Ruru : The production was of importance in at least one sense : during its run, many reviews and critical analyses were carried in newspapers, journals and magazines. This production initiated a link between translation, performance and criticism in the history of the 'Shakespeare enterprise' in China
It was a production in which Chinese practitioners attempted to implement Constantin Stanislavski's methods in 'hua ju' acting. As a theatrical form based on the established Western theatre with influences taken from Japanese 'shingeki', it was keen to 'grab' anything from abroad, no matter if it was from 'xi yang' (Western – foreign – Europe and America) or from 'dong yang' (Eastern foreign – Japan).
  • Document: Li, Ruru. The bard in the Middle kingdom. In : Asian theatre journal ; vol. 12, no 1 (1995). [Betr. William Shakespeare]. (Shak15, Publication)
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Tang, Wen
  • Person: Tian, Han
  • Person: Yu, Peishan
  • Person: Zhang, Min
  • Person: Zhao, Dan
11 1937 Aufführung von = Weinishi shang ren [ID D14427] = The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Liang Shiqiu durch die Guo li xi ju zhuan ke xue xiao (The National Drama School) unter der Regie von Yu Shangyuan in Nanjing.
Yu Shangyuan schreibt einen Artikel in Zhong yang ri bao ; June 18 (1937) : He explains why the first graduating class of his school would perform a public Shakespearean production. He held what it was of great significance to use Shakespeare's plays for drama training because they had been universally accepted as one of the most important theatrical activities in the world and even as the highest standard of stage representation.
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 187. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Person: Liang, Shiqiu
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Yu, Shangyuan
12 1938 Aufführung von Zhu qing = The tempering of love = Romeo and Juliet = 铸情 von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Xing Yunfei durch die Shanghai xin sheng hua ju yan jiu she (Shanghai New Life Spoken Drama Research Society) unter der Regie von Xing Yunfei.
Li Ruru : The adapted script was a mixture of Tian Han's translation, dialogue from the American film produced by MGM, and Xu Zhimo's verse translation of the balcony scene.
13 1938 Aufführung von Hei jiang jun = The black general = Othello = 黑殭菌von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Liang Shiqiu durch die Guo li xi ju zhuan ke xue xiao, Sichuan unter der Regie von Yu Shangyuan in Chongqing.
14 1942 Aufführung von Hamuleite = Hamlet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Liang Shiqiu durch die Guo li xi ju zhuan ke xue xiao (National Drama School), unter der Regie von Jiao Juyin. Wen Xiying spielt Hamlet, Lu Shui Ophelia in einem konfuzianischen Tempel in Jiang'an.
Jiao Juyin hält eine Rede vor der Schauspieltruppe : "The character of Hamlet is like a mirror, a lesson to us people who are living the the period of the Anti-Japanese war... So, the conclusion we can draw from the tragedy of Hamlet is that victory in our Anti-Japanese war will depend on the joint action taken by the people all over the country, and also more on immediate actions taken by the people without any hesitation. Today this sounds more correct than ever as triumphant reports pour in from battlefields on the anti-Nazi front all over the world, and we can foresee our victory against the Japanese invaders as well. This is the significance underlying our introduction of Hamlet to Chinese audiences. As to the skills or techniques of the performance, this is less significant, and it is quite unnecessary to bother too much about where it succeeds or fails."
Yu Shangyuan, Leiter der National Drama School in 1942 sagt : "The social significance of Hamlet [to us] is Hamlet's progressive and revolutionary spirit, which is what the Chinese people need during the Anti-Japanese war. Prince Hamlet resisted the destiny arranged by fate, countered feudal oppressions, and sought liberation from an environment filled with licentious and corrupt individuals. Those countries that produce the most high-quality Shakespearean productions are the countries with the highest cultural prestige. Performing Shakespeare is a crucial step for our country to catch up and to join the countries with world-class cultural achievements".
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 216. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Document: Huang, Alexander C.Y. Chinese Shakespeares : two centuries of cultural exchange. (New York, N.Y. : Columbia University Press, 2009). (Global Chinese culture). S. 131. (Shak36, Publication)
  • Person: Jiao, Juyin
  • Person: Lu, Shui
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Wen, Xiying
  • Person: Yu, Shangyuan
15 1942 Aufführung von Qing tian hen (Oper, yueju) = Love and hate = Romeo and Juliet = 情 天恨 von William Shakespeare durch die Yuan Xuefen ju tuan unter der Regie von Yuan Xuefen im Shanghai da lai Theater.
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 143. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Yuan, Xuefen
16 1944 Aufführung von Roumiou yu Youliye [ID D23516] = Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Cao Yu durch das Shen ying ju tuan (The Divine Eagle Theatre) mit Jin Yan als Romeo und Bai Yang als Juliet ; unter der Regie von Zhang Junxiang in Chongqing.
Cao Yu : "One of my favourite Western playwrights is Shakespeare, and my fondness of Shakespeare's plays started from reading Lin Shu's Tales when I was a little boy. As soon as I was able to read the original English, I was eager to get hold of a Shakespeare play because Lin’s translation of Shakespeare's fantasy world was so fresh in my own mind.”
Li Ruru : Cao Yu's translation, rendered in an elegant style of verse and prose, plays with the tones of Mandarin as well that the combination of rise and fall gives actors an excellent opportunity to deliver the poetry in the text. Cao Yu himself was undergoing an emotional turmoil during this period, and the feelings and passions Shakespeare wrote beautifully for Romeo and Juliet best expressed his own inner world.
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 112. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Person: Bai, Yang
  • Person: Cao, Yu
  • Person: Jin, Yan
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Zhang, Junxiang
17 1944 Aufführung von San qian jin [ID D23533] = Three daughters = King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Gu Zhongyi durch das Shanghai yi shu ju tuan (Shanghai Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Fei Mu.
18 1945 Aufführung von Luan shi ying xiong = The hero of the turmoil = Macbeth = 乱世英雄von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Li Jianwu's Drama Wang Deming aus den Fünf Dynastien, durch die Ku gan xiu yan xue guan (Bitter Toilers Drama School) unter der Regie von Huang Zuolin in Shanghai.
Si Ming schreibt in der Zhongguo zhou bao : "Having experienced the turmoil and chaos of the war, The hero of the turmoil really shocked us ! What a sigh of emotion".
Li, Quan. "Luan shi ying xion" guan hou de ping jia. In : Hai bao ; May 2 (1945).
Er schreibt : "The whole play is penetrated with a power, so strong that it can shake the mountains. It gripped us audiences from the beginning to the end. We saw a violent, fierce and ambitious man, who assassinated the emperor, killed the innocent, and finally destroyed himself. He was battling all the time, fighting against external enemies and against his own conscience. We couldn't help following him to struggle and to combat. We were out of breath throughout the entire show".
19 1946 Aufführung von Xiao nü xin (yue ju) = The heart of a filial daughter = King Lear von William Shakespeare. Adapation durch die Fu Quanxiang ju tuan, Shanghai.
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
20 1947 [Shakespeare, William]. Shashibiya xi ju quan ji. Zhu Shenghao yi [ID D23377].
Zhu Shenghao ist der erste chinesische Übersetzer, der die Gesamtwerke von William Shakespeare übersetzen will.
Er schreibt im Vorwort : "I have always loved Shakespeare's plays and in some cases I went over whole plays a dozen times, studying the text closely and reciting it to myself. I feel that I have quite a good understanding of the spritit in the original plays. In the spring of 1935, encouraged by my colleagues and my predecessors, I began my attempt to translate the complete works of Shakespeare. The next year war broke out and all my books, more than one hundred items including different Shakespeare editions, annotations, research papers and reviews, were completely destroyed by fire in a bombing raid. In great haste, I was abel to rescue the complete edition published by the Oxford University Press and a few pieces of translation. After that I was compelled to move from place to place and hunt around for a living so that I did not have the leisure to carry on with what I wanted to do. Not until the spring of 1942, when I found the times really bad, did I sever myself from all other work and, confining myself to home, concentrate on my translation work. Though I was pressed on both sides by poverty and illness, I never stopped translating. Over a period of ten years, I finished all the manuscripts. Ten years is not a long time for a task as arduous as translating Shakespeare. However, I have put my whole life's effort into it."
"I do my best for conserving the flavor and features of the style of the original. In case I failed to reach this goal, I would try to communicate the ideas... clearly and faithfully in an elegant and comprehensive Chinese. I considered it indecent to translate word for word without expressing the ingenuity and vigor of the original. Whenever I felt unable to render an English sentence into Chinese adequately, I would work a long time on it, and strive to reveal the English poet's ideas clearly, risking a completely different rearrangement of the words of the original sentence. Every time I finished translating a paragraph, I used to read it carefully as the first reader... if there were any ambiguities, and at the same time I would consider myself an actor for examining if the tone of the version was harmonical and the rhythm was agreeable. If, for example, a word or a sentence were not used with good taste, I would mediate even for some days trying hard to find the right word."
  • Document: Levith, Murray J. Shakespeare in China. (London : Continuum, 2004). S. 11-12. (Shak12, Publication)
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Zhu, Shenghao
21 1948 Aufführung von Zhu qing ji (jing ju) = The story of tempering love = Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Weng Ouhong durch die Xiao you ju tuan (Alumni Company), Beijing unter der Regie von Jiao Juyin. Wang Jinlu spielt Romeo.
Wang Jinlu sagt im Interview zu Li Ruru : "The play was adapted in accordance with the form of a Chinese story, yet the adaptation was not done as a totally conventional jing ju. For exemple, although the female roles wore traditional make-up, the costumes were modified. We used jin ju melodies, but there were long prose recitations rarely heard in traditional plays. The play was divided according to acts. There were also scenery and lighting effects. The ball in the original was changed to a 'choosing a son-in-law and fencing competition'. In the last act, we devised an episode in which there was fighting with real swords. The play was well received by audiences. A a reformed play, it was also approved by veterans in the jing ju circle."
22 1948 Aufführung von Weinishi shang ren = The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Liang Shiqiu durch die Guo li xi ju zhuan ke xue xiao (The National Drama School), Nanjing unter der Regie von Yu Shangyuan und Yan Zhewu.
23 1949-1978 William Shakespeare und Marxismus / Leninismus / Maoismus in China
Yanna Sun : The Soviet model of Shakespearean criticism exerted a great influence on Chinese scholars of Shakespearean Studies. In the Soviet Union, Shakespeare was regarded as an important Western writer for the Soviet critic and Soviet theatre ; accordingly, more and more Chinese academics were encouraged to study his works through translating Russian critical essays on him. As a result, these Chinese renditions developed into compulsory reference books for teaching foreign literature and Shakespearean plays at the Department of Foreign Languages and Chinese language. Basing their works on the theory of Soviet criticism, many Chinese scholars analysed Shakespeare’s plays from such aspects as the historical and social backgrounds for creating these plays, the class struggle and social conflicts in them, always leading to the conclusion that Shakespeare plays balonged to realism rather than romanticism.
Theatre companies, both hua ju and local genres, were organized under the leadership of the party and the government in each region at different administrative levels. State-run theatres quickly replaced most of the private companies.
Three plays were chosen by the Soviet experts : Much ado about nothing, Twelfth night and Romeo and Juliet. Following the Soviet experts' models, the majority of hua ju Shakespeare performances werde dominated by an intricately realistic but cumbersome scenography : grand scenery set in the Renaissance style with high pillars and broad arches, artificial make-up with prosthetic noses and wigs, and luxurious costumes. Stage presentation was guided by commentaries of Marx and Engels, and interpretation had to follow the same track.

Zhang Xiao Yang : As China's dominating ideology since 1949, Marxism has greatly influenced the social and cultural practices of the Chinese. The socialist revolution took place under the guidance of Marxism-Leninism because Chinese culture has elements in common with the principles of Marxism such as advocating active participation in state and local government and sharing similar moral and social values. While Marx himself tended to approach Shakespeare from a literary and artistic standpoint, his successors, especially in Russia, often interpret the playwright historically and politically to illustrate the Marxist theory of dialectical and historical materialism. The Chinese appreciation was mainly influenced by Russian Shakespearean studies, as can be easily discovered by persuing Shakespeare criticism in China from this period.
There had been a tendency in Chinese Shakespeare studies to link the plays with their Elizabethan and Jacobean historical contexts. Marxist theory states that people are the real motivating force of history. Influenced by Marxism, Chinese critics believed that all writers wrote for a particular social class, most likely their own.
Using the Marxist method of class analysis, some Chinese critics believed that in hist works Shakespeare described the conflict between the declining feudal system and the ascendant bourgeois force.
The studies of Shakespeare's philosophical ideas in China, ranging from his concept of nature to his views of history, are greatly affected by Marxist philosophy, especially its materialism and dialectics.
Engel's theory of literary typification has often been used by Chinese Shakespeare scholars to analyze Shakespeare's characters. Following this theory they tried to find how Shakespeare reproduced 'typical characters under typical circumstances', which was actually an endeavor to relate the qualities of Shakespeare's characters to the relevant social contexts shaping such qualities.
The universal appeal of Shakespeare helped him to easily adapt to the taste of the proletarian revolutionaries, even if he wrote mainly for the aristocracy and bourgeoisie. Marxism has contributed to the positive reception of Shakespeare by the Chinese. Marx's historically and socially analytical method was commonly employed. This continued Marxist influence on Shakespeare studies in China is partly due to the fact that the impact of Marxism on the Chinese is so deep that some of his principles, particularly dialectic and historic materialism, habe become ingrained in the thinking of the people.

Murray J. Levith : The Chinese have mostly appropriated and adapted the playwright for their own purposes. They have dressed the Bard in various Chinese opera styles, forced him to be an apologist for Marxism-Leninism, celebrated his clunkers, neglected several of his masterpieces, excised sex, religion and contrary politics from his texts, added to them, and at times simplified, corrupted, or misunderstood his characters and themes. Perhaps more than any other nation, China has used a great artist to forward its own ideology rather than meet him on his ground.

Shen Fan : The study and criticism of Shakespeare was based on a few simple Marxist-Maoist theories of art and culture : 1. All societies – feudal, capitalist, and socialist – are divided into classes save for the primitive communist society and the final communist society of the future. 2. Each writer writes from the point of view of his class, consciously or unconsciously using his writing to serve his class's goals while reflecting society from its point of view. 3. All literature and art should be analyzed from a class perspective as a product of class struggle.
The merchant of Venice, which has been produced more frequently in China than almost any other Shakespearen play, deals with merchants, trade, banking, and love – all major concerns of Marxist Chinese interpretation – and presents spectacle qhich requires peculiar adaptations to fit the concentions of traditional Chinese theatre.
  • Document: Shen, Fan. Shakespeare in China : The merchant of Venice. In : Asian theatre journal ; vol. 5, no 1 (1988). (Shak34, Publication)
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 235-240. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Document: Levith, Murray J. The paradox of Shakespeare in China. In : The Shakespeare newsletter ; 48 (1998). (Shak35, Publication)
  • Document: Sun, Yanna. Shakespeare in China. (Dresden : Technische Universität, 2008). Diss. Technische Univ. Dresden, 2008.
    http://deposit.d-nb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=990753824. S. 7, 93-94. (Shak, Web)
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
24 1953 Aufführung der Balkonszene aus Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama) unter der Regie von Kurinev.
25 1956 Aufführung von Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama) unter der Regie von Dan Ni = Danni und A.V. Raikov in Beijing. Es ist die erste Shakespeare-Aufführung seit 1949. Ji Qiming spielt Romeo und Tian Hua spielt Juliet.
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 113. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Person: Dan, Ni
  • Person: Ji, Qiming
  • Person: Raikov, A.V.
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Tian, Hua
  • Person: Zhu, Shenghao
26 1956 Film : Othello von William Shakespeare unter der Regie von Sergei Yutkevich mit Sergei Bondarchuk als Othello.
27 1957 Aufführung von Much ado about nothing von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao [ID D23403] durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Yevgeniya Konstantinovna Lipkovskaya und Hu Dao in Shanghai und Beijing.
  • Document: Huang, Alexander C.Y. Chinese Shakespeares : two centuries of cultural exchange. (New York, N.Y. : Columbia University Press, 2009). (Global Chinese culture). S. 243. (Shak36, Publication)
  • Person: Hu, Dao
  • Person: Lipkovskaya, Yevgeniya Konstantinovna
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Zhu, Shenghao
28 1957 Aufführung von Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao [ID D23382] durch die Beijing dian ying zhu an ke xue xiao (Beijing Film School) unter der Regie von Gennadi Kazansky.
29 1958 Aufführung von Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Cao Weifeng [ID D23707] durch das Shanghai dian ying yan yuan ju tuan (Shanghai Film Studio) unter der Regie von Lin Zhihao.
30 1959 Aufführung von Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Cao Weifeng durch das Shanghai dian ying yan yuan ju tuang (Shanghai Film Studio) unter der Regie von Lin Zhihao [Wiederholung von 1958].
31 1959 Aufführung von Hamlet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch Studenten der Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama) unter der Regie von Jiao Juyin in Beijing.
32 1961 Aufführung von Much ado about nothing von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan shi yan ju tuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy's Experimental Company) unter der Regie von Hu Dao.
Zhu Xijuan [Beatrice] referred to the play as "a comedy shining in the brightness of humanism. With its optimistic attitude, it eulogizes enthusiastically the sublime love of young people, hones friendship and happy marriage. Shakespeare, countering the medieval feudal system and its asceticism, created a group of new bourgeois female characters".
33 1961 Aufführung von Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Cao Yu durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama) unter der Regie von Zhang Qihong.
34 1962 Aufführung von Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Cao Weifeng durch die Shanghai dian ying zhu an ke xue xiao (Shanghai Film School) unter der Regie von Lin Zhihao.
35 1979 Aufführung von Much ado about nothing von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai qing nian hua ju tuan (Shanghai Youth Spoken Drama Company) unter der Regie von Hu Dao. Die Aufführung wird von der Shanghai Television übertragen.
36 1979 Aufführung von Hamlet von William Shakespeare in Englisch und einer Simultanübersetzung mit Kopfhörern durch Ying Ruocheng in der Übersetzung von Bian Zhilin ; durch die die British Old Vic Company und das Beijing ren min yi shu ju yuan (Beijing People's Art Theatre), mit Derek Jacobi als Hamlet und Jane Wymark als Ophelia in Beijing und Shanghai unter der Regie von Toby Robertson.
37 1980 Aufführung von The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Zhongguo qing nian yi shu ju yuan (China Youth Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Zhang Qihong in Beijing.
Zhang, Qihong. Zai shi jian he tan suo zhong de ji dian ti hui shi tan 'Weinisi Shangren' de dao yan chu li [ID D23956].
Er schreibt : "Time has passed and we are in different countries with distinctive national features. It is for a Chinese audience and for their understanding that we put The merchant of Venice on the Chinese stage. The hostility that existed hundreds of years ago between the christian and jewish religions, between the two peoples, is quite alien to the ordinary Chinese audience of today. After learning that we had chosen The merchant of Venice for our season or else after seeing our performance, many foreign journalists and students visited our theatre. Among the first questions put to us always were why we had chosen this particular play and whether there is any connection between our play and the current situation in Israel. Wasn't it better for us simply to reduce the unessential points made in the play to avoid such unneccessary conjectures and misunderstandings ?"
38 1980 Aufführung von Macbeth (hua ju) von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuang (Central Academy of Drama) unter der Regie von Xu Xiaozhong und Li Zibo.
39 1980 Aufführung von Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Cao Yu durch das Shanghai ren min yi shu ju yuan (Shanghai People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Huang Zuolin, Zhuang Zejing und Ji Qiming.
40 1981 Aufführung von Measure for measure von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Ying Ruocheng durch das Beijing ren min yi shu ju yuan (Beijing People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Toby Robertson und Ying Ruocheng.
41 1981 Aufführung von Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare durch Studenten in tibetischer Sprache, basierend auf der Übersetzung von Cao Yu durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Xu Qiping xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Xu Qiping.
42 1981 Aufführung von The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Fang Ping durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Zhang Zhenmin, Liu Jianping und Zhao Guobing.
43 1981 Aufführung von The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare durch die Taiyuan shi hua ju tuan (Taiyuan City Spoken Drama Company).
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
44 1982 Aufführung von The tempest von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama) unter der Regie von Tsai Chin.
Tsai Chin schreibt : The play has similarities with many Beijing operas and provided me an opportunity to experiment with synthesizing the two forms. Tragic and comic scenes juxtapose in the play’s structure. Miranda and Ferdinand conform to the Chinese ideals of love and marriage : purity, chastity, and parental consent with celestial blessing. A Chinese audience could also easily identify with this story of calamity, injustice, and revenge. Moreover, the theme of the play was especially topical, concerning as it does a lesson in forgiveness, which mirrored the attitude adopted by the Chinese people towards their former persecutors during the Cultural revolution.
  • Document: Levith, Murray J. Shakespeare in China. (London : Continuum, 2004). s. 65. (Shak12, Publication)
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Zhou, Caiqin
  • Person: Zhu, Shenghao
45 1982 Aufführung von King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Thatre Academy) unter der Regie von Yu Zitao und Zhong Gaonian.
46 1983 Aufführung von Othello von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Shao Hongchang durch die Beijing shi yan jing ju tuan (Beijing Experimental Jingju Company) unter der Regie von Zheng Bixian. Ma Yong'an spielt Hamlet, Li Yalan Desdemona.
Ma Yong’an sagt 2002 in einem Interview zu Alexander Huang : "The biggest challenge to me, a person trained in the ‚hua lian’ role type, is to bring out the delicate emotions and sensitivity of a seemingly rough and masculine chracter like Othello. As an actor specializing in the ‘hua lian’ role type, I was used to enacting rough, militant, and quick-tempered characters such as generals, soldiers, or court officials. The love between Othello and Desdemona needs to be carefully developed, so that the audience can relate to their situations later on in the tragedy."
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 146. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Document: Huang, Alexander C.Y. Chinese Shakespeares : two centuries of cultural exchange. (New York, N.Y. : Columbia University Press, 2009). (Global Chinese culture). S. 177-178. (Shak36, Publication)
  • Person: Li, Yalan
  • Person: Ma, Yong'an
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Shao, Hongchang
  • Person: Zheng, Bixian
47 1983 Aufführung von Tian zhi jiao nü = The gentle woman from heaven = The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare = 天 之嬌女 in der Adaptation von Qin Zhongying durch die Guangzhou shi yan yue ju tuan (Guangzhou Experimental yue yu Company) unter der Regie von Zhang Qihong und Hong Xiannü.
48 1984 Aufführung von Antony and Cleopatra von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai qing nian hua ju tuan (Shanghai Youth Spoken Drama Company) unter der Regie von Hu Weimin.
49 1984 Aufführung von Hamlet von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch Studenten der Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Chen Mingzheng und An Zhenji.
Li Ruru : Chen's production displays certain influences from two Western versions of Hamlet : Laurence Oliver's 1948 film which was dubbed into Chinese in 1958 and the English stage production from the Old Vic in London which visited Beijing and Shanghai in 1979.
50 1984 Aufführung von Othello von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Guangdong hua ju yuan (Guangdong Provincial Spoken Drama Theatre) unter der Regie von Zhou Ying und Liang Yong.
51 1984 Aufführung von The winter's tale von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Zhang Zhenmin.
52 1985 Aufführung von Tian chang di jiu = Everlasting and unchanging = Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare. Adaptation durch die Shanghai Hongkou yue ju tuan (Hongkong District yue ju Company) unter der Regie von Xie Honglin und Zhou Zhigang.
53 1986 Aufführung von All's well that ends well von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Xi’an hua ju yuan (Xi’an Spoken Drama Theatre) unter der Regie von Yang Huizhen.
54 1986 Aufführung von Titus Andronicus von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju yue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Xu Qiping.
55 1986 Aufführung von Licha san shi = Richard III von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Zhongguo er tong yi shu ju yuan (China Children's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Zhou Lai und Huang Yilin.
56 1986 Radio Übertragung von Macbeth von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Yuan Guoying durch die Shanghai ren min guang bo dian tai (Shanghai People's Broadcasting Station) unter der Regie von Zu Wenzhong und Yuan Guoying.
57 1986 Aufführung von Xie shou ji (kun ju) = Blood-stained hands = Macbeth von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Zheng Shifeng durch die Shanghai kun ju tuan (Shanghai Kun ju Company) unter der Regie von Li Jiayao, Shen Bin und Zhang Mingrong unter der Leitung von Huang Zuolin. Ji Zhenhua spielt Macbeth, Zhang Jinxian Lady Macbeth.
Li Ruru : Macbeth is an authentic 'kun ju' production with a wholly Chinese stars, characters and costuming and all the techniques and skills typical of the traditional style.
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Shakespeare adaptation in China. In : Papers of the British Association for Korean Studies ; vol. 6 (1996). (Shak24, Publication)
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 156. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Person: Huang, Zuolin
  • Person: Ji, Zhenhua
  • Person: Li, Jiayao
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Shen, Bin
  • Person: Zhang, Jinxian
  • Person: Zhang, Mingrong
  • Person: Zheng, Shifeng
58 1986 Aufführung von A midsummer night's dream von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Zhongguo mei kuang wen gong tuan (Chinese Coal Mining Song, Dance and Drama Ensemble) unter der Regie von Xiong Yuanwei.
59 1986 Aufführung von The taming of the shrew von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Shanghai ren min yi shu ju yuan (Shanghai People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Bernard Goss.
60 1986 Aufführung von The merry wives of Windsor von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Zhong yang shi yan hua ju yuan (Central Experimental Spoken Drama Theatre) unter der Regie von Yang Zongjing.
61 1986 Aufführung von The merry wives of Windsor von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Fang Ping durch das Wuhan shi hua ju yuan (Wuhan City Spoken Drama Theatre) unter der Regie von Hu Dao.
62 1986 Aufführung von Love's labour's lost von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Jiangsu sheng hua ju tuan (Jiangsu Provincial Spoken Drama Company) unter der Regie von Xiong Guodong.
63 1986 Aufführung von King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Sun Jiaxiu [et al.] durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama), Beijing unter der Regie von Ran Jie, Liu Muduo und Li Zibo.
64 1986 Aufführung von King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Tianjin ren min yi shu ju yuan (Tianjin People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Sha Wei.
65 1986 Aufführung von Othello von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Zhong guo tie lu wen gong tuan (Chinese Railway Song, Dance and Drama Ensemble) unter der Regie von Chen Ping.
66 1986 Aufführung von King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch das Liaoning ren min yi shu ju yuan (Liaoning People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Ding Ni.
67 1986 Aufführung von Othello von William Shakespeare in mongolischer Version, basierend auf der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Liu Jianping.
68 1986 Aufführung von Twelfth night (yue ju) von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Zhou Shuihe durch die Shanghai yue ju yuan san tuan (Shanghai Yue ju Theatre Company) unter der Regie von Hu Weimin und Sun Hongjiang.
Li Ruru : The presentation is distinctly foreign with Western costumes, make-up and gestures, all of which are far removed from the standard 'yue ju'.
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Shakespeare adaptation in China. In : Papers of the British Association for Korean Studies ; vol. 6 (1996). (Shak24, Publication)
  • Person: Hu, Weimin
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Sun, Hongjiang
  • Person: Zhou, Shuihe
69 1986 Aufführung von Much ado about nothing (huang mei xi) von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Jin Zhi durch die Anhui sheng huang mei xi ju tuan (Anhui Provincial Huang mei xi Company) unter der Regie von Jiang Weiguo und Sun Huairen. Berater ist Zhang Junchuan. Ma Lan spielt Beatrice, Wu Qiong spielt Hero, Jiang Jianguo spielt Claudio.
Li Ruru : The 'huang mei xi' version was chosen by the Ministry of Culture to entertain Queen Elizabeth when she visited China in the autumn. It is a relatively recent style in traditional Chinese thatre. It has been popular in the country generally, and especially among urban youth. The story, characters, costumes, music and stage presentation have a distinctly Chinese flavour. The events take place at un unspecified time in a remote border region of ancient China where Han people live with minority races.
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Chinese traditional theatre and Shakespeare. In : Asian theatre journal ; vol. 5, no 1 (1988). (Shak18, Publication)
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Shakespeare adaptation in China. In : Papers of the British Association for Korean Studies ; vol. 6 (1996). (Shak24, Publication)
  • Person: Jiang, Jianguo
  • Person: Jiang, Weiguo
  • Person: Jin, Zhi
  • Person: Ma, Lan (2)
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Sun, Huairen
  • Person: Zhang, Junchuan
70 1986 Aufführung von The winter's tale (Shao xing opera) von William Shakespeare durch die Hangzhou yue ju yuan yi tuan (Hangzhou Yue ju Theatre Company No. 1) im China Theatre Shanghai in der Adaptation von Qian Mingyuan, Wang Fumin, Tian Ma unter der Regie von Wang Fumin.
  • Document: Zha, Peide ; Tian Jia. Shakespeare in traditional Chinese operas. In : Shakespeare quarterly ; vol. 39, no 2 (1988). (Shak32, Publication)
  • Person: Qian, Mingyuan
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Tian, Ma
  • Person: Wang, Fumin
71 1986 Aufführung von Luan sheng xiong mei = The twins = Twelfth night (Puppentheater) von William Shakespeare in der Adapation von Lu Yanglie und Ding Yanzhao durch die Shanghai mu ou ju tuan (Shanghai Puppet Company) unter der Regie von Yao Jinshi.
72 1986 Aufführung von A midsummer night's dream von William Shakespeare in mongolischer Version, basierend auf der Übersetzung von Fang Ping durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Lu Ruoping und Tong Ruimin.
73 1986 Radio Übertragung von A midsummer night's dream von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Huang Zuolin durch die Shanghai ren min guang bo dian tai (Shanghai People's Broadcasting Station) unter der Regie von Zu Wenzhong.
  • Document: Zhang, Xiao Yang. Shakepseare in China : a comparative study of two traditions and cultures. (Newark : University of Delaware Press, 1996). S. 197. (Shak16, Publication)
  • Person: Huang, Zuolin
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
  • Person: Zu, Wenzhong
74 1986 Aufführung von Luan shi wan (jing ju) = The king of the Rurmoil = Macbeth von William Shakespeare durch die Wuhan shi jing ju tuan (Wuhan City Jingju Company) unter der Regie von Hu Dao [et al.].
75 1987 Aufführung von The merry wives of Windsor von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Hou Suizhu [et al.] durch die Huizhou shi dong jiang xi ju tuan (Huizhou city Dong jiang xi Company) unter der Regie von Hou Suizhu.
76 1987 Aufführung von The merry wives of Windsor (chao ju) von William Shakespeare durch die Shantou shi chao ju tuan (Shantou City Chao yu Company). [Keine Angabe von Übersetzer und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
77 1987 Aufführung von Qiao duan ren rou an (Hunan xiang ju) = A brilliant judgement on the case of flesh = Adaptation von The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare durch das Hunan sheng xiang ju yuan (Hunan Provincial Xiang ju Theatre). [Keine Angabe von Übersetzer und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
78 1987 Aufführung von Xie jian (wu ju) = The bloody sword = Adaptation von Macbeth von William Shakespeare durch die Wu ju xiao bai hua dong yang yan chu tuan (Wu ji Small Hundred Flowers, Dongyang Company). [Keine Angabe von Übersetzer und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
79 1987 Aufführung von Romeo and Juliet (yu ju) von William Shakespeare durch die Zhoukou di qu yu ju tuan (Zhoukou District Yu ju Company). [Keine Angabe von Übersetzer und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
80 1989 Aufführung von Richard III. von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Peng Liqi.
81 1989 Aufführung von The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Fang Ping durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Zhang Zhenmin und Jiang Wenqiu.
82 1989 Aufführung von Qi zhai qing yuan (Anhui lu ju) = A strange debt and fated marriage = Adaptation von The merchant of Venice von William Shakespeare durch die Hefei shi lu ju tuan (Hefei City Lu ju Company). [Keine Angabe von Übersetzer und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
83 1990 Aufführung von Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Xiang Qi und Liu Jianping.
84 1993 Aufführung von Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Zhong yang xi ju xue yuan (Central Academy of Drama), Beijing unter der Regie von He Bingzhu.
85 1993 Aufführung von Measure for measure von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Ying Ruocheng durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Chen Mingzheng.
86 1994 Aufführung von Shamuleite = Shamlet = 莎 姆雷特. An apology for the life of Mrs Shamela Andrews, eine Parodie von Hamlet von William Shakespeare und eine Satire von Henry Fielding auf Samuel Richardson's Novelle Pamela in der Adpation von Li Guoxiu durch das Shanghai xian dai ren ju she und Taiwan ping feng biao yan han (Shanghai Modern People's Theatre und Taiwan Ping feng Workshop) unter der Regie von Liu Yun.

Li Ruru : There are three levels at which Shamlet tries to communicate with the audience. The first level is a satire on Shakespeare himself together with a parody of Hamlet in which a few episodes from the original texte are performed in a low comedy style. On the second level is a portrayal of a troupe of Taiwanese actors attempting to stage a performance of Hamlet, or Shamlet as it is called by the director of the troupe who has misread the title of the play. The thoughts, emotions and behavior of Hamlet and other characters in the original play are apralleled, in a trivialized and satirical style, with the personalities of the actors, their lives in contemporary Taiwanese society and the difficulties they face in playing Hamlet.
The production of 'Shamlet' did not go well. The audience simply could not understand what the play was about. Critics at the forum pointed out some of the problems : too many repetitious episodes and some events lasting too long and becoming boring.
Murray J. Levith : The play's intention is to make a commentary on the absurdity of modern life with ist lack of meaningful order and confused identities.This self-reflexive theme suggests both the complexity and emptiness of contemporary society where all the world seems a stage.
  • Document: Li, Ruru ; Jiang, David. The 1994 Shanghai International Shakespeare Festival : an update on the bard in Cathay. In : Asian thatre journal ; vol. 14, no 1 (1997). (Shak19, Publication)
  • Document: Levith, Murray J. Shakespeare in China. (London : Continuum, 2004). S. 109. (Shak12, Publication)
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Hamlet in China : translation, interpretation and performance : http://web.mit.edu/shakespeare/asia/essays/RuruLi.html. (Shak13, Web)
  • Person: Li, Guoxiu
  • Person: Liu, Yun
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
87 1994 Aufführung von Henry IV von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao und dem Drehbuch von Wu Xiaojun durch die Shanghai xi ju xue yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) unter der Regie von Su Leci.
88 1994 Aufführung von Othello von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Li Rong durch die Shanghai ren min yi shu ju yuan (Shanghai People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Lei Guohua und Bühnenbildner Wang Jun.
Li Ruru : The mise-en-scène of the production appears to have been strongly influenced by the 1956 Soviet film version of Othello, directed by Sergei Yutkevich with Sergei Bondarchuk. The production was an attempt to discuss concepts of 'justice and injustice' and 'fairness and unfairness' that Chinese people had not faced since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded. Under the Communist regime 'justice' was defined by the revolutionary cause and was limited to the fight between revolutionary and counterrevolutionary. Thus most people never thought they should question what justice was, and those who wanted to do so were either too frightened or, having the courage to speak, were quickly silenced by means of persecution.
  • Document: Li, Ruru ; Jiang, David. The 1994 Shanghai International Shakespeare Festival : an update on the bard in Cathay. In : Asian thatre journal ; vol. 14, no 1 (1997). (Shak19, Publication)
  • Document: Li, Ruru. Shakespeare on the Chinese stage in the 1990s. In : Shakespeare quarterly ; vol. 50, no 3 (1999). (Shak23, Publication)
  • Person: Lei, Guohua
  • Person: Li, Rong
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
89 1994 Aufführung von Wang zi fu chou ji = [The prince revenge] = 王 子复仇记 = Yue ju Adaptation von Hamlet von William Shakespeare durch die Shanghai xi ju xue ju yuan (Shanghai Theatre Academy) nach dem Drehbuch von Xue Yunhuang unter der Regie von Su Leci, Wu Xiaolou und Liu Jue ; mit Zhao Zhigang als Halmet und Lei Liya als Ophelia.
Li Ruru : The yue yu Hamlet was a fully sinicized adaptation transposing the original work into an entirely Chinese setting with Chinese characters.
90 1994 Aufführung von Troilus and Cressida (Western opera style) von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Sheng Zhengjun (Lyrik) und Xu Jianqiang (Komponist) durch das Harbin ge ju yuan (Harbin Opera House) unter der Regie von Guo Xiaonan und Wang Yongji und dem Bühnenbildner Zhao Jinsong.
91 1994 Aufführung von King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Dai Xiaotong durch die Shijiazhuang si xian xi ju tuan (Shijiazhuang si xian xi Company) unter der Regie von Hu Dao.
92 1995 Aufführung von Qi wang meng (jing ju) = King Qi's dream = 歧 王梦 King Lear von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Wang Yongshi durch das Shanghai jing ju yuan (Shanghai Jing ju Theatre) unter der Regie von Ma Ke.
93 1995 Aufführung von Tian zuo zhi he (Guangdong yue ju) = A match made in heaven = Twelfth night von William Shakespeare in der Adaptation von Wu Shumin und Zhang Qihong durch die Guangzhou hong dou yue ju tuan (Guangzhou Hong dou yue ju Company) unter der Regie von Zhang Qihong, Zhang Jianjun und Hong Xiannü.
94 1995 Open Air Aufführung von Much ado about nothing von William Shakespeare in der Übersetzung von Zhu Shenghao durch die Shanghai ren min yi shu ju yuan (Shanghai People's Art Theatre) unter der Regie von Yu Luosheng im Huangpu Park in Shanghai.
95 1996 Aufführung von The two gentlemen of Verona (chuan ju) von William Shakespeare durch die Guiyang shi chuan ju tuan (Guiyang City Chuan ju Company). [Keine Angabe von Übersetzer und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
96 1996 Aufführung von Zhuomei yu Aluo (hua deng xi) = Adaptation von Romeo and Juliet von William Shakespeare durch die Yuxi di qu hua deng xi ju tuan (Yuxi District Hua deng xi Company). [Keine Angabe von Autor und Regisseur].
  • Person: Shakespeare, William
97 1996 Jiang, Tao. Lun Zhongguo sha ju wu tai shang de dao yan yi shu [ID D24029].
Er schreibt : "With regard to Hamlet, the most important aspect is his character, and the hesitation in his character. He hesitated not because he is a coward. His hesitation is caused by his love for truth. He has to think over everything he encounters and he than fails... We Chinese people are often too cautious about everything and as a result we lose courage. In the end we can do nothing."
98 2000 Aufführung von Dian wang meng (dian ju) = King Dian's dream = Adaptation von Macbeth von William Shakespeare durch die Kunming shi dian ju tuan (Kunming City Dian ju Company).
  • Person: Shakespeare, William

Sources (6)

# Year Bibliographical Data Type / Abbreviation Linked Data
1 1922 [Shakespeare, William]. Hamuleite. Shashibiya zhu ; Tian Han yi. (Shanghai : Zhong hua shu ju, 1922). (Shao nian Zhongguo xue hui cong shu. Sha weng jie zuo ji ; 1). Übersetzung von Shakespeare, William. The tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. (London : Nicholas Ling and John Trundell, 1603). [Die ersten drei Szenen erscheinen in Shao nian Zhongguo ; vol. 2, no 12 (1921)].
哈姆雷特
Publication / Shak1
2 1929 Tian, Han. Shashibiya ju yan chu zhi bian qian. In : Nan guo yue kan ; no 3 (July 1929). [Changes in staging Shakespeare]. Publication / Shak325
3 1934 Mao, Dun. Shashibiya yu xian shi zhu yi. In : Wen shi ; vol. 1, no 3 (1934). [Shakespeare and realism]. Publication / Shak211
4 1983 Zhang, Qihong. Zai shi jian he tan suo zhong de ji dian ti hui shi tan 'Weinisi Shangren' de dao yan chu li. In : Shashibiya yan jiu ; vol. 1 (1983). [Ideas from practice and exploration-rehearsal of The merchant of Venice]. Publication / Shak292
5 1986 Song, Qingru. Guan yu Zhu Shenghao yi shu Shashibiya hui gu. In : Shanghai "Gu dao shi qi" hui yi lu. Zhongguo she hui ke xue yuan, Wen xue yan jiu suo. (Beijing : Ren min wen xue chu ban she, 1986). [Recollection on Zhu Shenghao's translation of Shakespeare]. Publication / Shak316
6 1996 Jiang, Tao. Lun Zhongguo sha ju wu tai shang de dao yan yi shu. In : Xi ju ; no 3 (1996). [Directing arts of Shakespeare performance on the Chinese stage]. Publication / Shak360