Tang Xianzu
Tang Xianzu (simplified Chinese: 汤显祖; traditional Chinese: 湯顯祖; pinyin: Tāng Xiǎnzǔ; Wade–Giles: T'ang Hsientsu, September 24, 1550 — July 29, 1616), courtesy name Yireng (義仍), was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty.
Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the Provincial examinations at the age of 21 and at the imperial examinations at the age of 34. He held official positions in Nanjing, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province etc.. He retired in 1598 and returned to his hometown where he focused on writing.
His major plays are collectively called the Four Dreams, because of the decisive role dreams play in the plot of each one. All of them are still performed (in scenes, or in adapted full versions) on the Chinese Kun opera (kunqu) stage. Generally considered his masterpiece, the Mudan Ting is one of two of his works available in print in English, the other being Nanke Ji.
Works
- The Purple Flute (Chinese: 紫簫記; pinyin: Zǐxiāo Jì)
- The Purple Hairpin (Chinese: 紫釵記; pinyin: Zǐchāi Jì)
- The Peony Pavilion (Chinese: 牡丹亭; pinyin: Mǔdān Tíng)
- Record of Handen (Chinese: 邯鄲記; pinyin: Hándān Jì)
- Record of Southern Bough (Chinese: 南柯記; pinyin: Nánkē Jì)
Works available in English
- The Peony Pavilion (Cyril Birch). Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980 Boston
- Tang, Xianzu and Zhang, Guangqian (2003). A Dream Under the Southern Bough. Beijing: Foreign Languages Press. ISBN 7-119-03270-4.
Studies available in English
- Peony Pavilion Onstage : Four Centuries in the Career of a Chinese Drama (Catherine Swatek). Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Center for Chinese, 2003.
References
- Xu, Shuofang, "Tang Xianzu". Encyclopedia of China (Music and Dance Edition), 1st ed.