Abstract
This article focuses on the question of modernity of Chinese dramas. We take Gao Xingjian’s works as the basis for analysis, to see how Gao creates a theatrical theory of “neutral actor” not only based on the Chinese traditional way of perceiving and thinking but also influenced by Western speculative thought. From a cultural point of view, we look into the ontological subjectivity which does not focus on “who” I am but on “where” I am.
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Notes
- 1.
François Jullien: L’écart et l’entre, Leçoninaugurale de la chaire sur l’altérité, Paris, Galilée, 2012, p. 17.“Alterity” in French: altérité.
- 2.
Michel Foucault : “What is Enlightenment?” (“Qu’est-ceque les Lumières?”), in Rabinow (P.), ed., The Foucault Reader, New York, Pantheon Books, 1984, pp. 32–50.
- 3.
Baudelaire: Painter of modern life and other essays, Translated and edited by Jonathan Mayne, London, Phaidon Press, 1964, p. 13.
- 4.
Michel Foucault: “What is Enlightenment?”, op., cit, pp. 32–50.
- 5.
Gao Xingjian: 《没有主义》 (Without -ism), 台北(Taibei), 联经,2001, p. 115.
- 6.
Lu Xun : 《中国小说史略》 Zhongguoxiaoshuoshilue, in 《鲁迅全集》 (Luxunquanji), Vol. 9, Beijing, Renminwenxuechubanshe, 1973.
- 7.
Andrew H. Plaks: «Towards a Critical Theory of Chinese Narrative», in Chinese Narrative: Critical and Theoretical Essays, editor Andrew H. Plaks, New Jersey, Princeton University, 1977, pp. 309–352.
- 8.
Gao Xingjian: 《没有主义》, op. cit., p. 115.
- 9.
Gao Xingjian: 〈土地、人民、流亡—叶石涛、高行健文学对话〉 (« Literary dialogue between Ye shitao et Gao Xingjian), in 《高行健─台湾文化之旅》 (Gao Xingjian – a cultural trip in Taiwan), Taibei, Wenjianhui (文建會出版社), 2001, pp. 123–124.
- 10.
Henry Zhao:Towards A Modern Zen Theatre – Gao Xingjian and Chinese Theatre Experimentalism, Lndoon, School of Oriental & African Studies, 2000, p. 40.
- 11.
Brecht: Brecht on Theatre, the Development of an Aesthetic, edited and translated by John Willett, London, Eyre Methuen, 1964, pp. 92–93.
- 12.
Henry Zhao: Towards A Modern Zen Theatre - Gao Xingjian and Chinese Theatre Experimentalism, op. cit., p. 38.
- 13.
GaoXingjian: 《对一种现代戏剧的追求》 (In pursuit of a modern theater), 北京(Beijing), 中国戏剧出版社, 1988, pp. 179–180.
- 14.
GaoXingjian: Aesthetics and Creation, translated by Mabel Lee, New York, Cambria press, 2012, in chapter Another Kind of Aesthetics.
- 15.
Ibid.,p. 180.
- 16.
GaoXingjian: Aesthetics and Creation, translated by Mabel Lee, New York, Cambria press, 2012, in chapter The Potential of Theatre.
- 17.
Ibid., in chapter Dramaturgical Method and the Neutral Actor.
- 18.
François Jullien:L’écart et l’entre, Leçoninaugurale de la chaire sur l’altérité, op. cit., p. 55.
- 19.
François Jullie:,L’écart et l’entre, Leçoninaugurale de la chaire sur l’altérité, op. cit.
- 20.
Latin, it means “the thing”.
- 21.
François Jullien:L’écart et l’entre, Leçoninaugurale de la chaire sur l’altérité, op. cit., p. 55
- 22.
Ibid., p. 56.
- 23.
ŁABEDZKA Izabella mentions this point of view of Huang in Gao Xingjian’s idea of theatre, from the word to the image, Brill, Leiden & Boston, 2008; QUAH Sy Ren also mentions it in Gao Xingjian and transcultural Chinese theater, Hawai, University of Hawai’i Press, 2004.
- 24.
Merleau-Ponty:Phenomenology of Perception, translated by Colin Smith, London and New York, Routledge Classics , 2002, p. 240.
- 25.
Ibid., p. 250.
- 26.
Ibid.
- 27.
Ibid.
- 28.
Ibid.
- 29.
Ibid., pp. 250–251.
- 30.
Ibid., p. 251.
- 31.
Gao Xingjian: 《没有主义》, op. cit., p. 291.
- 32.
Gao Xingjian: Aesthetics and Creation, op. cit, in chapter Dramaturgical Method and the Neutral Actor.
- 33.
Soul Mountain, Translated by Mabel Lee, Sydney, Flamingo, 2000, p. 312.
- 34.
We changed here the original translation “You and I are no different” to “each other, no different” according to the Chinese version “彼此彼此”.
- 35.
Gao Xingjian: The Other Shore – Plays by Gao Xingjian, translated by Gilbert C. F. Fong, Hong Kong, The Chinese University Press, 1999, pp. 83–85.
- 36.
Gao Xingjian: The Other Shore – Plays by Gao Xingjian, translated by Gilbert C. F. Fong, op. cit, pp. 123–125.
- 37.
Gao Xingjian: Aesthetics and Creation, op. cit, in chapter Dramaturgical Method and the Neutral Actor.
- 38.
Ibid.
- 39.
Gao Xingjian: Aesthetics and Creation, op. cit, in Chapter The Potential of Theatre.
- 40.
《论戏剧(高行健和方梓勲关于戏剧的对话)》 (On Theater – Dialogue between Gao Xiangjian and Gilbert C. F. Fong), 台北 (Taibei), 联经, 2010, p. 34
- 41.
Gao Xingjian: The Other Shore – Plays by Gao Xingjian, op. cit., pp. 74–75.
References
BAUDELAIRE. 1964. Painter of Modern Life and Other Essays. Trans. and Ed. Jonathan Mayne. London: Phaidon Press.
BRECHT, Bertolt. 1964. Brecht on Theatre, the Development of an Aesthetic. Trans. and Ed. John Willett. London: Eyre Methuen.
FOUCAULT, Michel. 1984. What is Enlightenment? In The Foucault Reader, ed. P. Rabinow. New York: Pantheon Books.
GAO, Xingjian. 1988. 《对一种现代戏剧的追求》 (In Pursuit of a Modern Theater), 北京(Beijing): 中国戏剧出版社.
———. 1999. The Other Shore – Plays by Gao Xingjian. Trans. Gilbert C. F. Fong. Hong Kong: The Chinese University Press.
———. 2000. Soul Mountain. Trans. Mabel Lee. Sydney: Flamingo.
———. 2001.《没有主义》 (Without -ism), 台北(Taibei): 联经.
———. 2010.《论戏剧(高行健和方梓勲关于戏剧的对话)》 (On Theater – Dialogue Between Gao Xiongjian and Gilbert C.F.Fong ), 台北(Taibei): 联经.
———. 2012. GaoXingjian: Aesthetics and Creation. Trans. Mabel Lee. New York: Cambria Press.
JULLIEN, François. 2012. L’écart et l’entre, Leçoninaugurale de la chairesurl’altérité. Paris: Galilée.
ŁABEDZKA, Izabella. 2008. Gao Xingjian’s Idea of Theatre, from the Word to the Image. Leiden/Boston: Brill.
LU, Xun. 1973. 《中国小说史略》 Zhongguoxiaoshuoshilue. In 《鲁迅全集》 Luxunquanji, vol. 9. Beijing: Renminwenxuechubanshe.
MERLEAU-PONTY, Maurice. 2002. Phenomenology of Perception. Trans. Colin Smith. London/New York: Routledge Classics.
PLAKS, Andrew H. 1977. Towards a Critical Theory of Chinese Narrative. In Chinese Narrative: Critical and Theoretical Essays, Plaks, Andrew H, Princeton: Princeton University, .
QUAH, Sy Ren. 2004. Gao Xingjian and Transcultural Chinese Theater. Hawai: University of Hawai’i Press.
ZHAO, Henry. 2000. Towards a Modern Zen Theatre – Gao Xingjian and Chinese Theatre Experimentalism. London: School of Oriental & African Studies.
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Yingying XIAO. (2019). On the Modernity of Chinese Drama Through the Perspective of Perception from Gao Xingjian’s Dramas. In: Nagata, Y., Chaturvedi, R. (eds) Modernization of Asian Theatres. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6046-6_12
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