京剧行当 Role of Sheng
Sheng,amalerole,usuallyaleadingone,datesbacktoSouthernDramaoftheSongandYuanDynasties(960-1368).Thisroleappearsinoperasinallhistoricalperiods.Accordingtotheageandsocialstatusofthecharacters,Shengfallsintofivesub-groups:Laosheng,Xiaosheng,Wusheng,HongshengandWawasheng(charactersofchildren).LaoshengisalsoknownasXusheng,meaningbeardedmen,becausetheactorswearartificialbeards,andtheyaremiddle-agedorelderlymen.Mostareuprightandresolutecharacters.Theysingintheirnaturalvoices,andtheiractionsareseriousones.
Xiaoshengisasub-categoryofShengrepresentingyoungmalecharacters.Theydon'twearartificialbeards.Theyalwayssingintheirrealvoices,whileinKunquandPihuangoperasthesingingmixesnaturalandfalsettovoices.Wushengstandsforallofthemalecharacterswhoappearinbattlescenes.TheyarefurthersubdividedintoChangkaoWuheng,DuandaWusheng,GoulianWushengandHouxiWusheng.Theyalwayswearhelmetsandthick-soledboots.Thegeneralsalwayscarrylongpikes.Wushengrolescallforsturdyandvigorousactions,withresoundingdeclamations.Themovementsofthewaistandlegsarepowerful,andahighlevelofmartialartsskillsisdemandedintheseroles.DuandaWushengrolesuseshort-handledweapons,andtheirmovementsarelightandswift.
旦行京剧中把女性统称为"旦"，其中按照人物的年龄、性格又可细分为许多行当，饰演大家闺秀和有身份的妇女称为"正旦"，正旦在京剧中俗称"青衣"，这就是因为正旦所扮演的角色常穿青色的长衫而得名。京剧《窦娥冤》中的女主角窦娥就是典型的青衣角色。青衣的表演庄重娴静，秀雅柔婉，以唱功为主，一般说来，青衣的唱腔旋律优美，细腻婉转。旦行中的"花旦"，多扮演天真活泼或放荡泼辣的青衣妇女，在表演上注重做工和念白，例如《红娘》中的红娘."武旦"和"刀马旦"相当于生行中的武生，扮演的是擅长武艺的青壮年妇女，装扮和武生差不多，也扎靠服，她们多在剧中扮演女侠、女将甚至女仙、女妖等。武旦和刀马旦的表演往往还伴随着热闹的锣鼓点，烘托场上的气氛。"老旦"，指在剧中扮演老年妇女的角色行当。为突出老年人的特点，走路迈一种沉稳的横八字步，服装色调为色彩偏暗的秋香色、墨绿色，演唱用真声表现。RoleofDaninPekingOperaTherolesontheChineseoperastagefallintofourcategories:Sheng,Dan,JingandChou.Theseroleshavethenaturalfeaturesofageandsex,aswellassocialstatus,andareartificiallyexaggeratedbymakeup,costumeandgestures.DanisthegeneralterminPekingOperaforfemaleroles.AsearlyasintheSongDynasty(960-1279),theZhuangdanroleappeared.SouthernDramaandNorthernZaju,whichdevelopedduringtheSongandYuanDynasties(960-1368),alsohadDanroles.AfterKunqumatured,ithadZhengdan,Xiaodan,TidanandLaodan.Later,moreDantypesweredeveloped.Nowadays,theDanrolesaresubdividedintoZhengdan(orQingyi),Huadan,Wudan,LaodanandCaidan,inaccordancewithage,characteristicsandsocialpositionsoftheroles.ZhengdanrolewasthemainDanroleintheNorthernZaju.Zhengdanreferstoyoungormiddle-agedwomenwithgentleandrefineddispositions.MostofZhengdan'slinesaredeliveredinsong,andeventhespokenpartsarerecitedinrhythmicstyle.Alwaysdressedinabluegown,ZhengdanisalsocalledQingyi(blueclothes).Huadanisaroleforavivaciousmaiden,ayoungwomanwithafrankandopenpersonality,orawomanofquestionablecharacter.WudanreferstofemalecharactersskilledinthemartialartsandcanbesubdividedintoDaomadanandWudan,accordingtothesocialpositionsandskillsrepresented.Daomadanisgoodatusingpikesandspears,andatridinghorses.Wudanalwayswearsshortrobesandtheroleemphasizesacrobatics.Wudanplaysgodsandghostsandhasexcellentfightingskills.Laodanusuallyrepresentsagedwomen.He/Shesingsintheirnaturalvoices,inastylesimilartothatofLaoshengbutinmildertones.Insometypesofopera,LaodaniscalledFudanorBodan.Caidan,alsocalledChoudan,representsclownishandcunningfemales.Theperformanceofthispartcallsforexuberance.
净行在京剧中，"净"角是舞台上具有独特风格的人物类型，脸部化妆最为丰富彩。"净"因面部化妆要用各种色彩和图案勾勒脸谱，所以又俗称"大花脸"。一般扮演品貌或者性格有特点的男子，在京剧中多为将军、神化人物或有一定社会地位的人，虽有文武善恶之分，但在性格气质上都近乎粗犷、奇伟、豪迈，因而在演唱上要求用真声演唱，音色宽阔洪亮、粗壮浑厚，动作造型也要求粗线条，气度恢宏，以突出扮演人物的性格和声势。
RoleofJingTherolesontheChineseoperastagefallintofourcategories:Sheng,Dan,JingandChou.Theseroleshavethenaturalfeaturesofageandsex,aswellassocialstatus,andareartificiallyexaggeratedbymakeup,costumeandgestures.Jingreferstopainted-faceroles,knownpopularlyasHualian.Thedifferentcolorsanddesignsonthefacesrepresentmaleswithdifferentcharacteristics.Someareboldandvigorousandsomearesinister,ruthless,crudeandrash.Thevoiceisloudandclear,andthemovementsareexaggerated.TheJingroleoriginatesfromtheFujingroleoftheSongZaju.TheJingrolesgraduallyincreasedinnumber,andbecamefurtherdividedintoseveralgroups,accordingtothedifferentsocialpositionsandcharactersoftheroles.DahualianwithafullypaintedfaceisknownasZhengJing.Therolesrepresentmenofhighsocialstandingandgoodbehavior,oftencourtministers.ZhengJingsingsinvigorousandsturdytones.Erhualian,alsoknownasFuJing,haspowerfulbodilymovementsandsturdysingingvoices.Somerolesinthisgrouprepresentrascallyministers,recognizablebytheirwhitefaces.Wu'erHualianisalsoknownasWuJing.Thisroleismorephysicalthanmostoftheothers,withlittlesingingorreciting.YouHualian,alsoknownasMaoJing,isaclownishrole.SomeofYouHualianroleshavespecialskills,suchasspoutingfirefromthemouthorbaringtheteeth.
丑行京剧中的"丑"角演员又称为"小花脸"。"丑"行的化妆虽与大花脸有点相象，可是他的表演风格却完全不同，有点像夸张的漫画。丑角的出场常会带来满堂的笑声。"丑"分"文丑"和"武丑"两类。武丑扮演的经常是一些机警风趣、武艺高超的人物，象绿林好汉、侠盗小偷等等。"文丑"经常扮演花花公子、狱卒、酒保、更夫、老兵等。不管文丑或武丑，虽有文武善恶、身份高低之分，在剧中都是幽默、滑稽的喜剧人物，也并不都是反派。京剧的行当是经过长期的提炼和规范，突出人物的内在特征，把人物的内在特征加以外化而形成的，是京剧与其他戏剧形式不同的重要特征。RoleofChouinPekingOperaTherolesontheChineseoperastagefallintofourcategories:ShengDan,JingandChou.Theseroleshavethenaturalfeaturesofageandsex,aswellassocialstatus,andareartificiallyexaggeratedbymakeup,costumeandgestures.TheChouisoneofthemainrolesinPekingOpera.Theeyesandnosearesurroundedbyawhitepatch,soChouisalsoknownasXiaoHuaLian(partlypaintedface).TheChourolesoriginatedinSouthernDramaoftheSongandYuandynasties(960-1368)andappearinvariouskindsofoperas.Theyportrayvariouskindsofcharacters,somearewarm-hearted,simpleandsincere,andsomearesinisterandmean.Inmodernoperas,theperformanceofChouroleshasdevelopedrapidly,anddifferentoperashavetheirownstyles.Ingeneral,theChourolesdonotfocusonsinging,butthedialogueisclearandfluent.Accordingtothesocialpositions,charactersandskillsdemanded,theChourolesaredividedintotwocategories:Wenchou(civilian)andWuchou(martial).Bothhavetheirownspecialfeatures.WuchouisalsoknownasKaiKouTiao.Itrequiresnotonlyagoodcommandofthemartialartsoracrobatics,butalsotheabilitytodeliverthelinesbothclearlyandfluently.Themovementsshouldbelightandpowerful.