Peking Opera The Unicorn Purse

Peking Opera The Unicorn Purse

Fragrance of Chinese Quintessence

Venue: National Centre for the Performing Arts - Theatre

Dates: Mar. 01, 2013

Price: VIP/320/260/200/120/80 RMB

About

The Unicorn Purse is a classical repertoire with concentrated expression of Cheng School. By means of describing an unconstrained girl Xue Xiangling's vicissitudes from affluence to poverty, playwright Weng Ouhong poetically expresses unlimited inconstancy of human relationships and fickleness of human nature to everyone's knowledge.

Cheng Yanqiu designs elegant and unusual singing aria and beautiful posture for this play. Aesthetic stylized performance contains profound worldly emotions and philosophy of conducting in the society.

In May 1940, The Unicorn Purse made its debut at Shanghai Golden Grand Theater. It was staged for consecutive ten sessions, and the audiences swarmed into the theatre. Since then, the story on Xue Xiangling firmly touches the hearts of countless audiences.

Synopsis

According to Chinese traditional custom, the unicorn purse (a lucky purse) is sent by a mother to her daughter as a wedding gift. Peking Opera The Unicorn Purse is a complicated but touched story about such a lucky purse, which shows love and goodness in the world. Here is the story. Xue Xiangling comes from a rich family in Dengzhou, Shandong province. On the eve of her wedding, Xue's mother gives her a lucky purse which signifies her good wishes for the newly-weds. On that big day, Xue comes across a rainstorm on her way to the groom's house and sheltersfrom the rain with her maids and servants in Chunqiu Pavilion. There she meets a poor girl Zhao Shouzhen who is also a new bride. Zhao weeps with sorrow, thinking of her gloomy and poor life. Xue comforts her and gives her the lucky purse. When the rain stopps, they part and take their own way. Later Dengzhou jis flooded, which makes Xue lose touch with her family. She has to become a maid of Gentleman Lu's family. One day when she accompanies Lu's son to play a game, she finds her lucky purse in an attic. It turns out that her mistress is just Zhao Shouzhen. Zhao is full of gratitude for her and treats her as a distinguished guest. Finally, with Zhao's help, Xue managesto reunite with her family.