The Influence of Daoism on the Dramatization of the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju

Xing Lan

doi:10.3390/rel13010020

Abstract

This study employs a collection of fresh resources of the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju (Sichuan opera) to examine the influence of Daoism upon the dramatization of Chinese theatre. In contrast to Buddhism, it has long been supposed that Daoism has exerted only a minor influence on Chinese theatre. Despite some progress after the year 2000, the research into Daoism’s influence on Chinese theatre is still in its infancy. Noting the gap in the literature, the study identifies that the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju has provided us with some exceptional insights into Daoism’s influence on Chinese theatre. Since 2012, the successive publication of 24 Liaozhaixi scripts of Chuanju allows us to more fully enter the exploration. Reinforced by these fresh resources, the study summarizes the influence of Daoism on the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju into two typical adaptation approaches, “transplantation” and “improvement”. By analyzing the two approaches, the study will manifest how Daoism has shaped the dramatization of the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju and will employ these approaches to exemplify the confluence of religions and dramas in Chinese folk culture.

Highlights

Liaozhaixi refers to the plays dramatized from the stories in Strange Tales from a ChineseStudio (Liaozhai zhiyi 聊齋志異) by Pu Songling (1640–1715).1 Strange Tales from a ChineseStudio, a collection of almost 500 tales, is one of the most outstanding works of classical tales in Chinese literature history (Mair 2010, pp. 691–93)
By analyzing the two approaches, the study will manifest how Daoism has shaped the dramatization of the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju and will employ these approaches to exemplify the confluence of religions and dramas in Chinese folk culture
It has been argued that Daoist priests are always positive in the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju, and many improvements in these characters can be observed in the dramatization

Summary

Introduction

Liaozhaixi refers to the plays dramatized from the stories in Strange Tales from a Chinese. Though some efforts have been made in this area since the 1980s (Guan and Che 1983), roughly only 20 scripts have been printed Because of these two reasons, the great research potential of Liaozhaixi has not been fully explored. After a meticulous investigation on them, the present study argues that these fresh materials provide us with new and exceptional insights into the influence of Daoism on the dramatization of Chinese theatre. These new materials illustrate how Daoism has shaped the dramatization of the Liaozhaixi of Chuanju. Developing this argument will broaden our understanding of the relation between Daoism and Chinese theatre

The Relation between Daoism and Chinese Theatre

The Two Approaches

Transplantation Strategy

Improvement Strategy

Conclusions