The Innovation based on the Convention：The Writing Strategy and its Archaeology of Performance of Li Yu's Plays

• Main Authors: Lin, Li-Hsiung, 林立雄
• Other Authors: Wang, Shi-Pei
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2018
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/6q8t58

碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 中國文學系所 === 106 === In recent years, Li Yu（李漁）’s novels have been well discussed by researchers. His works of Chuanqi（傳奇）, by contrast, receive less attention, with some exceptions of focuses on Li’s theories of drama, music and lyrics rather than the texts. As a playwright, Li Yu was undoubtedly one of the most progressive and surprising playwrights in the late Ming and early Qing dynasty. In a society during the early Qing dynasty, particularly noted for its tense political climate and traditional Confucian values, it is known that Li Yu’s plays were criticized by many people. In the contemporary era, many Chinese opera group began to explore old texts by re-adapting and re-producing. It is however rare to see Li Yu’s Chuanqi plays to be favored. This thesis thus raises the following question: Why do today’s theater creators not care about Li Yu’s plays, even though they are so avant-garde? By asking "How does Li Yu become a professional playwright?", this thesis is concerned with an inquiry of how Li Yu creates and innovates, as well as how people read Li Yu's creation, based on the "staging" methods of previous essays, "text", "performance and communication." The first chapter is the research motivation and purpose of this thesis. In addition, this thesis integrates and reviews both historical and current researches of Li Yu by dividing different contexts of his research literature and summarizing research trends of each periods. I hope that this chapter provides a significant reference for incoming scholars in favor of conducting research on Li Yu. The second chapter focuses on the six chuanqi plays published during the "Hangzhou Period". I hope that by analyzing the chuanqi of Li Yu, " Li Weng Shr Jung Chiu "（笠翁十種曲）, I can see how Li Yu “inherits” and "transforms" the "convention". In the same chapter, I also analyze Li Yu's creative process by looking into the way in which he tries to construct a set of "writing strategy” from inheritance to a new process of his creation. By understanding Li Yu from the use of legendary techniques, his purpose of creation will be found in observations of the commonality of Li Yu's creation in Hangzhou. The third chapter deals with a reading of Li Yu from "form" to “content.” By firstly examining Li Yu's creation in Hangzhou, I further analyze and understand the four chuanqi of Li Yu's "Nanjing Period". Li Yu changed his style, writing strategy and thoughts after moving to Nanjing. Compared with the "Hangzhou period", Li Yu's creation is no longer simply "new" but, as I argue, full of ideas of Taoism, education, personal experiences and care for the society. Chapter Four is from stage practices and performances of the exhibition of Li Yu’s plays. Literature reviews on the performances of Li Yu’s plays, including Li Yuanben（梨園本）, music scores, performance records, newspapers and periodicals, are discussed with constructing the history of Li Yu’s plays exhibition, and understanding how the audience during the time watched and understood Li Yu and his plays. In short, based on the analysis of staging and individual texts, this thesis explores different styles and creative motifs of Li Yu's "Hangzhou Period" and "Nanjing Period." By expanding the meaning of "staging" from predecessors through different text styles, as well as reasoning how people watch and accept Li Yu’s plays, this theis is a work of understanding how a professional playwright is born.