WANG Peiyu: From Peking Opera to Life, the Distance from Far to Near

Lecture Information

Time: Oct 21 Saturday 19:00-20:30

Venue: 202, Teaching Building Block B

Speaker: Ms. WANG Peiyu

Language: Chinese

Topic: Fun with Yu: From Peking Opera to Life, the Distance from Far to Near

Introduction

Ms. WANG Peiyu, a prominent female Peking opera artist, is the fourth generation of Yu School Laosheng (old characters) founded by Legend YU Shuyan. She is billed as “Boss Yu” both in and out of the Peking opera world. She contributes to solid popularization of the centuries-old opera, carrying on the tradition while also trying to break new ground. Her fine features, delicate skills, classic and impressive styles are the perfect models as a Peking opera master, which won her the “Best Performance” Award in the National Television Contest of Young Peking Opera Performers and the Plum Performance Award, etc.

Riding on the popularity with young fans, one of her amazing show could be her speech and appearance in the Qipa Series. In the show of Qipa Congress, Boss Yu used simply 7 Chinese characters to completely unveil the secret skills of Peking opera. Fans were swarmed and crazed by her expressions.

From Peking Opera to Life, the Distance from Far to Near

At the age of 13, a performance of "The Wenzhao Pass" won her the appreciation from Master MEI Baojiu, son of Master MEI Lanfang. When she reached 18, she was presented flower by the Master TAN Yuanshou and was called by the latter "Little MENG Xiaodong". Later, the 25-year-old WANG Peiyu even became one of the vice chiefs of Shanghai Peking Opera Theatre Company. All these experiences tell a story about her journey of performing Peking opera - though crazy once but still at ease at the same time.

She loves the movie "Farewell My Concubine" above all in which she found an extreme beauty of self-ecstasy that man and the opera combine to become one. That’s how she devotes herself to Peking opera. But what makes her different from the tragedy is although she wishes to reach the height of "combining man and opera as one", she can get herself back to the reality. Perhaps, that is what she called the distance from Peking opera to life. She is a peking opera artist, she is Wang Peiyu.

From Peking opera to life, the distance from far to near…what does this "distance" exactly mean? Does it refer to the distance between on and off stage, or the life in and beyond the play? In our fourth "Meeting Intellectuals in the Spring Hills", we invite Boss Yu to give us a lecture of "Fun with Yu", sharing with us her thoughts on Peking opera and life.

Next Speaker of the Series

Mr. YAO Qian

2017.11.08  Wed. 19:30

“Chun Shan Ya Ju”  or “Meeting Intellectuals in the Spring Hills”, is one of the University's lecture series where the University will invite social elites to share with our students in form of salon or lecture to promote a discussion of thought-provoking issues or soul-touching experiences. During these events, everyone will have a chance to listen and respond on their world views, their aspirations, and intellectual taste in life.