Female opera: Up and down

Author: Wang Chunzi, Wang Xiping
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-11-01
Features: The Female Actor consists of three volumes, written in the form of legendary literature, vividly depicting the historical journey of Chinese female theater actors from breaking government bans to perform on stage during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, to their growth and flourishing in the theater world, and ultimately contributing to another unprecedented prosperity in Chinese theater. The protagonist of this volume, Yang Chuoxi, is one of the outstanding early female actors in the history of modern Chinese theater. She was not only a talented performer in singing and dancing but also exceptionally beautiful, renowned throughout the world. Yuan Shikai presented her to the son of the first Minister of State, Prince Qing, as a courtesan, which led to the "Yang Chuoxi Case," a scandal that shook Korea. To rescue Yang Chuoxi, her fellow actresses bravely entered the capital to perform female theater. Although they were expelled from the capital by the Qing government, their actions marked the beginning of the struggle for equality and women's rights in China.