'Zhaojun's Dream' By Xue Dan: Translated by Mark Stevenson and Wu Cuncun

Abstract

According to the 'Guben xiqu jumu tiyao' [An Annotated Catalogue of Dramatic Works in Ancient Editions] the following 'zaju' play by Xue Dan (fl. mid-17th to early 18th century) was the source of something of a nationwide revival in late Qing dynasty (1644-1911) and early Republican period (1912-1949) interest in the Wang Zhaojun story,particularly in theatrical writing and performance. Whereas previousperformances and accounts, especially since the Song dynasty (960-1279), had embellished the story in accordance with conservative Neo-Confucian values, Xue Dan's story dismisses concerns over chastity and suicide in favour of more romantic themes of love and longing. The result is a 'playful' play, experimenting with tensions between hope and fate, desire and duty, and illusion and reality that reach back through China's cultural past.