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Date: 2020.11.30
Location: National Taiwan College of Performing Arts
Interviewee: Professor Li Qiu-gui
Performance expertise: Peking Opera Danjiao Performing Arts, Traditional Opera
Voice Training
Professor Li's commentary on the subject |
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1.In National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, besides professional Chinese opera courses, are there general courses?
Answer:In National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, we have both professional Chinese opera courses and basic courses as other schools. You can learn to be a professional actor with courses of music and dance and, at the same time, learn the general courses such as Chinese, English and mathematics. You can continue the studies as well. When students attend the college, they first learn the basic courses such as acting and exercising. Subsequently, they acquire more professional courses such as creation of scripts, arrangement of stages and directing in order to cultivate the competence of performance and creation. National Taiwan College of Performing Arts is at present the only art education sector of 12-year national education in Taiwan. According to the students’ specialties, the teachers provide basic to advanced severe training and guide them to diverse development. Thus, National Taiwan College of Performing Arts is the school which emphasizes both academic subjects and skill subjects.
2.What are the basic qualifications for students to become professional actors?
Answer:Actors must possess various qualifications, including inborn and acquired ones. Cultivation of professional actors takes times. They should be well trained in daily times and make efforts even with inborn qualifications.
3.How much time does it take to train the students to perform on the stages?
Answer:It usually takes 6 to 9 years to perform on the stages. It requires efforts, training and self-discipline. Even the geniuses should work hard. In National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, there are three phases of training: (1)basic phase of elementary school: we teach basic skills, mat-work acrobatics, handling weapon skills, walking acting, names of tunes, identification of music and sound, etc. (2) Enlightenment phase of junior high school: students learn the roles of “male, female, painted face and clown” and acquire “four skills in performing and five acting rules”: singing, speaking, acting, fighting and performing techniques of hands, eyes, body gesture, steps and rule. (3) advanced phase of vocational school: it teaches 6 to 8 advanced operas of the students’ majors, including singing plays and martial art plays. The students should accomplish the internship of stage performance to gain the experience. After complete training, they can officially perform on the stages.
4.Students’ frustration is inevitable in learning process and how do you help students overcome it?
Answer:Frustration is certainly inevitable in students’ learning process. When they are frustrated, I first attempt to find if it is psychological frustration or is related to competence. When it is psychological frustration, I tell them some stories of the successful celebrities and how the celebrities encountered and overcame the difficulties. They constantly made efforts to be successful; I encouraged them to read the stories of great people and celebrities. When it is the frustration related to competence, I would ask them to seek for the classmates’ assistance. The complementary competence is effective and they can overcome the obstacles together.
5.In National Taiwan College of Performing Arts, besides the courses of drama performance, do you include the curriculum of script writing, professional directing and stage design to result in students’ diverse development?
Answer:In elementary school, junior high school and senior high school, the main courses are below: mat-work acrobatics, performance of internship, handling weapon skills, basic techniques, drama rehearsal and graduation production. By these courses, it trains the students with solid performance skills and transforms them into professional actors. In addition, at the phase of college, the students learn more professional courses. Besides 8 to 10 plays of their majors, students start acquiring the creation courses related to performing art, such as scripts of Chinese opera, directing of Chinese opera, stage lighting of Chinese opera, costumes of Chinese opera, creation of plays, art administration and world performing art. In internship, students rehearse the new plays. They should accomplish graduation production before graduation. The purpose is to allow the students to have the opportunity of diverse learning and development for their future career.
6.In modern educational system, what are the new methods to cultivate the students different from the past?
Answer:It was the education of physical punishment in the past. At the time, we followed what the teacher said and did not express our opinions; in modern education, we should guide and encourage the students since they were intelligent. When students have questions, the teachers communicate with them to approach their thoughts. Thus, they gradually develop their passion in Chinese opera in National Taiwan College of Performing Arts which cultivates professional talents of drama.
7.Please briefly explain your expectation toward future development of traditional Chinese opera
Answer:At present, Chinese opera is sunset art and it should be preserved. However, in Taiwan, various forms of Chinese opera should be concerned, such as Beijing Opera, Kunqu Opera, Hakka opera, Taiwanese opera, glover puppetry, Nanguan and Beiguan. Since they are numerous, governmental resources are scattered. Thus, we hope that the government can pay more attention and invest in more resources to enhance the development of traditional Chinese opera. In addition, in the college, we implement various basic education promotion projects. Performances rely on audiences and without audiences, actors cannot perform. Hence, we are increasing the audiences. We adapt the dramas as children’s plays and the audiences can approach the plays since childhood. The plays are funny and interesting and they are popular with both adults and children. They are amusing even for me. In the future, we will continue making efforts on this direction.
Interviewee:Professor Li Qiu-gui of National Taiwan College of Performing Art.
Source of Photos:Photographed by the research team