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CHINOPERL Papers No. 29 268 The Soul of Beijing Opera: Theatrical Creativity and Continuity in the Changing World. By Li Ruru, with a foreword by Eugenio Barba. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press, 2010, xvi + 335 pp. 22 illus. Paper $25.00; Cloth $50.00. Among the huge advances made in studies of Chinese theatre in European languages over recent decades, those on the genre now normally called jingju 京劇 in Chinese and referred to in English as Peking opera or Beijing opera occupy a significant place. Theatre is by its nature multidisciplinary in the sense that it covers history, politics, performance, literature, society and other fields. Among other book-length studies published in the last few years, this art has yielded those with a historical perspective such as Joshua Goldstein‘s Drama Kings: Players and Publics in the Re-creation of Peking Opera, 1870–1937 (University of California Press, 2007) and those focusing more on stage aesthetics such as Alexandra B. Bonds‘ Beijing Opera Costumes: The Visual Communication of Character and Culture (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2008). Li Ruru‘s new study stands out for the breadth of its scope and the vastness of experience and learning of its author. Li Ruru has already written widely about the Chinese theatre, and jingju in particular. She comes from a family deeply versed in theatre. Her mother Li Yuru 李玉茹 (1923–2008) was well known and distinguished as a performer of jingju while her stepfather Cao Yu 曹禺 (1910–1996) can rightly be regarded as China‘s premier exponent of huaju 話劇 (spoken drama). The author is definitely neihang 內行 when it comes to Chinese theatre. But there are other ways in which her experience and learning are difficult to surpass. She has studied jingju as a performer and a scholar, the second for much longer than the former, and lived a long time both in China and England, with a notable academic career at the University of Leeds. This is an extraordinary book, which takes a novel approach to the study of jingju. Through an examination of the acting of six major controversial performers it looks at the ―soul‖ of jingju. The term ―soul of jingju‖ (jingju hun 京劇魂) comes from an interview with Li Yuru. It is explained in a crucial sentence by Li Ruru: ―Performers and their endeavours in their new work re-form but also continue the tradition, and the dynamic between the creativity and continuity form the ‗soul of BOOK REVIEWS 269 jingju,‘ which has made the theatre relevant to audiences since its inception about two hundred years ago‖ (p. 10). The interplay between creativity and continuity amid change is of critical importance to this book, and appropriately emphasized through inclusion in its subtitle. Although the author does not explain her methodology in great detail, it clearly has three parts. One is analysis of printed material, and her bibliography shows an enormous command of both the Chinese- and English-language literature on the subject. The second one is personal experience and I doubt there is anybody who can claim greater richness and variety in this field than she. And thirdly she has undertaken large numbers of interviews with a whole range of people involved with the theatre; among them actors loom largest, emphasizing the way the book ―focuses on the function of the performer, the ultimate creator of jingju‖ (p. 10). I actually found much of what she heard in these interviews extremely moving for the closeness of the interviewees to their subject and the passion with which they talk about their experiences. Each chapter begins with a summary of the time period it covers, plus a brief explanation of the main issues involved. This is an excellent way to go. It makes the various chapters easy to follow, by clarifying the main points of the content. I find the structure of the chapters enlightening and greatly admire how Li Ruru is able to bring out interesting and important issues through the careers of distinguished performers. It makes for fascinating reading and, apart from what it tells us about the soul of Beijing Opera, explicates the theme of reform and shows how jingju relates to the society where it exists. The...

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