The city play is typical place drama in Peking, it comes from the badge play of Anhui, behind absorb, remit to match, melt to turn into but become with Qin2 Qiang(Bang son) of the Han play, Xia west and the Kun song of Jiangsu of Hubei mutually again.
In the development process for 200 years, the city play is more and more sing a phrase and reads aloud white and word rhyme top Peking to turn, the ErHu, Jing-Hu of the usage etc. musical instrument, also blended the invention of several races, finally become a kind of mature of art.Calling a city play "eastern opera" is all because of two plays to grow is gather to sing, dance, music, art, literature equal integral whole of special drama form, at formally extremely similar;In the meantime, in the respectively different cultural background, they all acquired classic a position.
On the person's a certain color of face top is with personality and quality, role and destiny which symbolizes this person, is a great characteristics of the play in the city, is also the key which comprehends a plot.In brief speak, blush from shame imply a commendatory, represent a honest and brave;The black face is a neuter gender and represent fierce wise man;The blue face is also a neuter gender with green face and represent wild jungle hero;Yellow face and white face contain a derogatory sense, representative fierce Zha;Gold face and silver face are mysterious, representative absolute being demon.
In addition to color outside, the theatrical mask delineates a form to also have similar symbol meaning.For example symbolize the powder face of fierce poison, there is a full faces of all white powder face, there is a the powder face of the bridge of nose eyehole, the size of the area and the dissimilarity of the part, symbolize cunning and deceitful degree dissimilarity, generally say come, the area is more big more cruel.In fine, color representative personality, but differently delineate the degree that the rule means personality.The theatrical mask originates the religion of ancient period with dance a mask, all reserved this kind of in many Chinese place dramas today tradition.
The role of city play according to men and women old and little, the Jun be ugly just evil be divided in to living, Dan, clean and ugly 4 greatly go to be and"living" is a male and positive role, "Dan" is a female and positive role, "clean" is the personality fresh and clear male supporting roles, "ugly" is that the humor is funny or reverse side role.Grow a role and there are the theatrical mask, the appearance of a person in costume and makeup...etc. of enunciation identity each time, as long as the actor take place, you a hope and then know.
"Theatrical mask" means actor in the Chinese traditional drama face the colorful disguise of the department.This kind of face of department disguise mainly useds for clean(flower face) with ugly(clown).It has a certain format on the form, color and the type.Expert of audience's canning distinguish this role from the theatrical mask be a hero or a bad person and the cleverness is still stupid, is support by person to still keep making the person disgust. City play that charming theatrical mask occupies a special position in the Chinese drama numerous department disguises.Play theatrical mask in the city is call with"symbol" and"exaggeration" Zhao.It passes an usage exaggeration and transforms of sketch to display the personality characteristic of role.Eyes, forehead and two cheeks are usually drawn into bat, the wing form of butterfly or barn swallow, and grandiloquent mouth and nose, make the face that need department effect.