![]() ![]() The techniques he introduced led to the development of the “Mei School” that is regarded as one of the three major dramatic performing systems in the world, alongside the naturalistic method acting school of Constantin Stanislavsky and Brecht's Epic Theater of artifice.īorn on Octoto a family of Peking Opera and Kunqu performers, Mei made his stage debut at the historic Guanghe Theater in Bejing at 10. He brought a number of innovations to Peking Opera, from makeup (he was the first to wear lipstick), music (his productions popularized the erhu in shows), choreography (his iconic sword dance in Farewell My Concubine) and, most importantly, characterization.Īt a time when females were barred from performing, Mei elevated the dan into the starring role by combining elements of the qinyi (noble lady), huadan (coquettish woman) and daomadan (female warrior) into a new huashan character that excelled in singing, dancing and martial arts. Remembered as the best of his era's Four Great Dan, Mei was much more. He's credited for popularizing the art abroad, where his fans included Charlie Chaplin, silent film Zorro Douglas Fairbanks and German playwright Bertolt Brecht. ![]() Mei Lanfang was arguably China's greatest actor – impressive because he predominantly played the female dan role in Peking opera. This month may be dominated by the 120th birthday celebrations of Mao Zedong, but another national icon is being feted for the same anniversary. ![]()
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