Kunqu Opera productions to be staged in Beijing

Kunqu Opera Troupe of Jiangsu Performing Arts Group is going to launch a weeklong showcase of the ancient art form at the Tianqiao Performing Arts Center in Beijing from April 28 to May 3.

Kunqu Opera productions will be staged, including a new rendition of The Butterfly Dream, based on the classic Kunqu Opera piece from the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), which tells the story of Zhuangzi, an ancient Chinese philosopher and Taoist master who doubts his wife's loyalty and tries to test her love for him; The Story of Xie adapted from Shi Shuo Xinyu, one of the most significant works in Chinese literary tradition, which is a collection of anecdotes and short stories; and a contemporary Kunqu Opera piece, Qu Qiubai, based on the life story of Qu (1899-1935), who was a leader of the Communist Party of China and a revolutionary hero.

Award-winning Kunqu Opera actors and actresses, such as Li Hongliang and Kong Aiping, will be featured in the performances, who will also stage excerpts of classic Kunqu Opera pieces, such as The Peony Pavilion and The Palace of Eternal Life.