An ancient art's new stage

The reopening of an old theater in Beijing may mark a revival for Peking Opera, especially with shows infusing contemporary elements such as hip-hop and ballet, Chen Nan reports.

The grey-brick Tian Le Yuan Theater in the capital's ancient Qianmen area has served as a stage for creative culture since 1785 - and will reopen in March, after six years of renovation. Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang (1894-1961) performed there for four years, starting from age 17. Cheng Yanqiu (1904-58), who shared the title of the four great dan roles with Mei, Shang Xiaoyun (1900-76) and Xun Huisheng (1900-68), premiered four of his classic Peking Opera shows there from 1923 to 1927, including The Legend of Hongfu and A Red Mole.

The famed artists were performers of nandan - that is, men who played female roles because women were then forbidden to appear onstage.