The theatrical art of China dates back to the Shang Dynasty in 1500 BC. Now, there are many sub-genres in Chinese theater, such as Peking Opera, Acrobats, Clowns, Shadow Theater, and so on. Music and acrobatics developed during the Shang Dynasty with many plays featuring these elements. Theatrical art developed further during the Yuan Dynasty. This structure began to develop and was recognized throughout China. The Yuan style reflected in Peking Opera persists to this day.
Chinese theater art mainly involves four skills. It's the voice, the dance, the song, and the acrobats. The dances are done with the acting and the combat is part of the acrobats. In all of this, the emphasis is on the beauty of the movement, and actors are expected to master all four of them as they are an integral part of Chinese theater art. Some actions are codes and can be understood about certain events. Just as when an actor follows a circular motion, it means he is walking a long distance. In the other case, if the actors on stage straighten their clothes and headgear, it means the protagonist is about to say something important.
The Tang Dynasty saw the rise of shadow theatre. It reached such a culmination that an acting school called Pear Garden was founded by Ming Huang, who produced a musical film with the actors of this school, called Children of the Pear Garden. There are two genres of shadow puppets: Cantonese and Pekingese. The difference is in the creation of the puppet. The Cantonese puppets are larger, with characters that have symbolic colors depending on the role they play. They are made of thick leather, and the rods are mounted perpendicular to the puppet's head. Peking puppets are more delicate, small and brightly colored. They are made of thin, translucent leather, and the rods attached to the puppet's neck are bent 90 degrees and parallel to the puppet's body. The script is generally the same for Cantonese and Pekingese. Chinese puppeteers believe in an age-old superstition that puppets will come to life at night if the puppet's head of the puppet was left intact with the body. Therefore, the head and body were separated and stored in two different boxes.
Performances are usually presented on rectangular platforms surrounded by spectators on three sides. Shoujiu is a decorative curtain that divides the curtain. The stage was sparsely decorated and more focused on the actors' light costumes and makeup, so fewer props were used during the performance. The clothes vary depending on the role. The king and his family wore yellow, while a high-ranking warrior wore purple. Mang, or python dress, is the name of this costume. A high-ranking character wears a red shirt with rich decorations, usually in the shape of a dragon, and other lower-ranking characters wear blue robe. A young character wears white clothes; an older character wears a white, olive, or brown robes; and the rest of the supporting cast wears black robes.
Music is played on instruments such as the jinghu, a low-pitched two-string fiddle, and the Ruan, a round-bodied plucked lute. The performance begins with harsh drumming called Xiaoluo and Daluo. There are three ways to classify the tunes played. Aria is the first class with two sub-genres, Erhuang and Xipi. Xipi is used to express more powerful expressions. Qupai is a second layer that basically consists of instrumental melodies that illustrate the course of a momentous event, such as a festival or party or the arrival of an important person. The percussion pattern is the third layer, consisting of music with a fixed tone.
The themes of most plays are illusory and unrealistic, mainly related to Chinese folk tales. Later plays were also written about the history, and dramas today include Chinese versions of international plays such as A Midsummer Night's Dream and King Lear.
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