“Interrupted dream” is the classic of classical scenes.
We basically followed the traditional music (melody).
However, this (following) design is very important.
That is the (newly designed) flower goddesses.
These flower goddesses are very beautiful.
Everyone felt that our flower goddesses are a success.
The success of our flower goddesses is in fact due to a break with tradition.
In such places I feel sometimes innovation is called for.
Not that Kunqu must always follow tradition, never innovate. But you cannot innovate carelessly.
In the matter of the flower goddesses, I felt that (originally) there were no rules anyway.
In Tang Xianzu’s time, there was only one great flower god,
a bearded flower god who just entered and showed his face.
Later performance scripts indicated a lot of flower goddesses.
Some (producers) felt modernization was needed. OK, what about the design of the goddesses?
In the beginning of the last century, flower goddesses were thought to be great (idea)!
All were goddesses, very pretty. What were they holding?
Every goddess held a bunch of plastic flowers, came out and waved those around.
I believe that that was very modern then:
plastic flowers were terrific at that time. Very modern.
Of course it won’t do now. Won’t look good now.
I thought at the time, the success of this scene in our production depends on our flower goddesses.
So I had a bold idea.
Personally I was never satisfied with the previous flower goddesses.
We must have a design that
surpasses what went before, and it must be truly beautiful.
Because “Interrupted dream” is a crucial scene: the flower goddess came to celebrate their love.
How can they not be beautiful?
Let us look at the flower goddesses in our “Interrupted dream” scene.
I said that plastic flowers don’t look good,
and are awkward for dancing.
So I had the flowers embroidered on their clothes, on those white capes.
(That) looks better on the flower goddesses.
Twelve seasonal flowers, plum blossoms, chrysanthemums, all different.
Besides, these are Suzhou hand embroidery. Very beautiful.
Look at these flower goddesses, like fairies. Beautiful?
Look at this picture! Looks like crimson and purple in bloom.
See that ribbon, very important. We made that up.
It is green, a green ribbon. We got the inspiration from Chu culture.
… Chu culture had a custom of a “soul summoning banner”.
It is springtime; the green ribbon represents willow branches.
Willows summon spring time, a dance of spring.
I think that is a meaningful symbol.
In the beginning we used a real willow branch. That was ugly.
… But the prop (ribbon)…
is abstract, an abstract representation of spring.
Our entire design, not only the costumes,
we also used modern technology backstage: namely, rear projection.
That is also abstract.
In the scene “The soul departs” we also made some breakthrough (innovations).
“The soul departs” is the last scene of Book I.
The heroine Du Liniang was lovesick and died.
In death, the soul must leave the body.
How did we design the instant of the soul’s departure?
There were several breakthroughs.
Look at the costume. I’m going to claim credit again.
This was my idea.
Prof. Wei Hua 華瑋Professor and Division Head
Prof. Kenneth Hsien-yung Pai 白先勇Wei Lun Professor of Humanities
Prof. Lindy Li Mark 李林德Professor Emerita
