A Chinese Director's Theory of Performance: on Jiao Juyin's System of Directing

Abstract

This translation consists of excerpts from a book on Jiao Juyin, who was a distinguished director of Chinese spoken drama. The selections translated here highlight Jiao's two principal theories: the Theory of Mental Images and "On Nationalizing Spoken Drama." The first represents his adaptation of the Stanislavsky system; the second outlines his ideas for integrating Western realistic drama, which gave birth to Chinese spoken drama, with the techniques and aesthetic principles of traditional Chinese opera.