TAPS Graduate Student Organizes Celebration of Hundred Years of Women’s Yue Opera
On April 6, 2024, The University of Chicago marked a significant milestone in the history of Yue Opera with an exhilarating celebration commemorating the 100 Years of China's All-Female Yue Opera. Put together by UChicago PhD student Susanna Sun, the event broke new ground by presenting Yue Opera in a concentrated, multimedia format that bridged academic and practitioner perspectives outside China.
The celebration was organized and coordinated by Susanna Sun, a passionate Yue opera enthusiast and a PhD student in the joint program of the Department of Theater and Performance Studies (TAPS) & East Asian Languages and Civilizations (EALC). The event was made possible through the collaboration of esteemed UChicago faculty members including Professor Judith Zeitlin, Professor Ariel Fox, and Professor Melissa Van Wyk from TAPS.
The event featured a diverse program, including a screening of five Yue opera film classics accompanied by insightful commentary, a keynote address by Professor Jiang Jin, and a panel discussion comprising three presentations with commentary by specialist faculty. A performance lecture and a six-person roundtable discussion on the future of Yue opera, involving both scholars and artists, provided further depth to the proceedings.
One of the highlights of the celebration was the stunning performance by contemporary Yue opera star actress Jun’an Wang, who captivated the audience with her portrayal of Liu Yong. The event, held at the International House, attracted a full-house attendance, underscoring the significance of Women’s Yue opera’s 100 years of history and honoring the contributions of women artists to the art form.
The celebration served as a testament to the enduring legacy of Women’s Yue Opera and its cultural significance, while also fostering dialogue and reflection on its future trajectory.
