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NANJING, China, July 14, 2023 /Xinhua-AsiaNet/--

Rebecca, the masterpiece of director Alfred Hitchcock tells the illusory and

mysterious life story of a woman. It mirrors the traditional Chinese story of

"Zhuang Zhou tests his wife". The classic Kunqu Opera the Butterfly Dream

produced by Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd. and innovatively performed

by Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theater was staged at Zijin Grand Theatre in June. The

new rendition of the classic piece which tells the story of Zhuang Zhou, an

ancient Chinese philosopher and Taoist master who doubts his wife's loyalty and

tries to test her love for him has enthralled the audience.

As a rare light comedy of Kunqu Opera on the contemporary stage, it combines

both banter in the classical theater and the absurdity in contemporary

aesthetic expression. It makes a new interpretation of the traditional plot

that Zhuang Zhou tests his wife, and his wife splits the coffin and awaken him

from dreams.

Director Xu Chunlan said that the Butterfly Dream after adaptation is a

romantic fantasy. Following the artistic patterns of Kunqu Opera, the creators

have innovated performance methods, stage design and music design from multiple

perspectives, and integrated modern aesthetic spirit, so that it shows strong

characteristics of the times in terms of aesthetic sentiments.

Young Kunqu Opera artists have also developed new interpretations of

traditional themes. As the heroine of this play, Tian is no longer the same as

she was in the past. The character has undergone subversive changes, from a

"testee" to an active "tester". In traditional plays, Zhuang Zhou and Chu

Wangsun are played by one person, but in this version, they are played by two

people, which puts forward higher requirements for the actors. During the

performance, the five artists worked together appropriately, showing their own

unique charm and interpreting the characters vividly.

Inheriting the aesthetic characteristics of traditional Kunqu Opera, the

adaptation of the Butterfly Dream has carried out creative transformation and

innovative development, highlighting life philosophy through a love episode.

Therefore, the audience can naturally think more deeply after laughing, and the

traditional play also shines with new brilliance.

Art transcends borders. Follow the Facebook and YouTube accounts of "China

Culture & Art" to appreciate the innovative expression of traditional Chinese

culture online.

Source: Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd.

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   Caption: The classic Kunqu Opera the Butterfly Dream