On October 10, 2024, the Clark Library continued our Arts on The Grounds programming with a lecture and demonstration of “Kunqu Opera Performance: Techniques and Characteristics,” sponsored by UCLA Asia Pacific Center and Center for Chinese Studies. Elements of the event included a robust book display, as well as costuming representative of some of the character types portrayed in Kunqu Opera. Performers from the Kunqu Opera Society USA joined esteemed Kunqu artists Zhenrong Qian and Hsi-Jung Liu to demonstrate the xiosheng (young scholar), and the chou (comic role). The lecture was presented in Mandarin and translated for English-speaking audiences. We look forward to further collaborations in the seasons to come.
Courtesy of the Kunqu Opera Society USA, videos of the performance, lecture, and costume display are available on their YouTube Channel.
–Carole Robinson, Site Manager, William Andrews Clark Memorial Library