Staging Yuan Zaju: Adaptation of Autumn In the Han Palace (汉宫秋) in Xinchang Diaoqiang Opera
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33736/ijaca.12045.2026Keywords:
diaoqiang, yuan zaju, classics, reception, adaptationAbstract
Drawing on Susan Bennett’s reception theory (Bennett, 2003), this paper adopts a spectator-oriented qualitative approach to explore Diaoqiang’s adaptation of Autumn in the Han Palace (汉宫秋). As one of the oldest surviving theatrical forms, dating back to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), Diaoqiang is often described as a living fossil of Chinese opera and is especially renowned for its capacity to stage classical repertoires such as Autumn in the Han Palace. Focusing on stage arrangements, extra-daily bodily movements, and the soundscape of this adaptation, this paper argues that the Diaoqiang troupe seeks to balance the pursuit of archaeological reconstruction, as theorised by Pavis (2013) with contemporary audience reception. Rather than treating Diaoqiang merely as a means of preserving the classical canon, this paper draws attention to the troupe’s efforts to engage modern audiences, a perspective frequently overlooked in existing scholarship. This study concludes that the Diaoqiang troupe is committed to negotiating the tension between traditional conventions and contemporary audience reception by introducing their own interpretative elements into gaps in the original text, thereby making the classic more accessible to contemporary spectators.
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