Rebecca, the masterpiece of director Alfred Hitchcock tells the illusory and 
mysterious life story of a woman. It mirrors the traditional Chinese story of 
"Zhuang Zhou tests his wife". The classic Kunqu Opera the Butterfly Dream 
produced by Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd. and innovatively performed 
by Jiangsu Kunqu Opera Theater was staged at Zijin Grand Theatre in June. The 
new rendition of the classic piece which tells the story of Zhuang Zhou, an 
ancient Chinese philosopher and Taoist master who doubts his wife's loyalty and 
tries to test her love for him has enthralled the audience.

As a rare light comedy of Kunqu Opera on the contemporary stage, it combines 
both banter in the classical theater and the absurdity in contemporary 
aesthetic expression. It makes a new interpretation of the traditional plot 
that Zhuang Zhou tests his wife, and his wife splits the coffin and awaken him 
from dreams.

Director Xu Chunlan said that the Butterfly Dream after adaptation is a 
romantic fantasy. Following the artistic patterns of Kunqu Opera, the creators 
have innovated performance methods, stage design and music design from multiple 
perspectives, and integrated modern aesthetic spirit, so that it shows strong 
characteristics of the times in terms of aesthetic sentiments.

Young Kunqu Opera artists have also developed new interpretations of 
traditional themes. As the heroine of this play, Tian is no longer the same as 
she was in the past. The character has undergone subversive changes, from a 
"testee" to an active "tester". In traditional plays, Zhuang Zhou and Chu 
Wangsun are played by one person, but in this version, they are played by two 
people, which puts forward higher requirements for the actors. During the 
performance, the five artists worked together appropriately, showing their own 
unique charm and interpreting the characters vividly.

Inheriting the aesthetic characteristics of traditional Kunqu Opera, the 
adaptation of the Butterfly Dream has carried out creative transformation and 
innovative development, highlighting life philosophy through a love episode. 
Therefore, the audience can naturally think more deeply after laughing, and the 
traditional play also shines with new brilliance.

Art transcends borders. Follow the Facebook and YouTube accounts of "China 
Culture & Art" to appreciate the innovative expression of traditional Chinese 
culture online.

Source: Jiangsu Performing Arts Group Co., Ltd.

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   Caption: The classic Kunqu Opera the Butterfly Dream