Performers and roles Cantonese opera

1 performers , roles

1.1 types of play
1.2 roles

1.2.1 sang (生)
1.2.2 daan (旦)
1.2.3 zing (淨)
1.2.4 cau (丑)


1.3 major career artists

performers , roles
types of play

there 2 types of cantonese opera plays: mou (武, martial arts ) , man (文, highly educated , esp. in poetry , culture). mou plays emphasize war, characters being generals or warriors. these works contain action scenes , involve lot of weaponry , armour. man plays tend gentler , more elegant. scholars main characters in these plays. water sleeves (see used terms) used extensively in man plays produce movements reflecting elegance , tenderness of characters; female characters wear them. in man plays, characters put lot of effort creating distinctive facial expressions , gestures express underlying emotions.

roles

there 4 types of roles: sang, daan, zing, , cau.

sang (生)

these male roles in cantonese opera. in other chinese operas, there different types of male roles, such as:

siu sang (小生) – literally, young gentleman, role known young scholar.
mou sang (武生) – male warrior role.
siu mou sang (小武生) – young warrior (usually not lead actor more acrobatic role).
man mou sang (文武生) – literally, civilized martial man, role known clean-shaven scholar-warrior. actresses close century, of 3 generations , huge successes worldwide, perform male role yam kim fai (mentor , first generation), loong kim sang (protégée , second generation), koi ming fai , lau wai ming (the 2 youngest listed below both age , experience).
lou sang (老生) – old man role.
sou sang (鬚生) – bearded role

daan (旦)

these female roles in cantonese opera. different forms of female characters are:

faa daan (花旦) – literally flower of ball, role known young belle.
yi faa daan (二花旦) – literally, second flower, role known supporting female.
mou daan (武旦) – female warrior role.
dou maa daan (刀馬旦) – young woman warrior role.
gwai mun daan (閨門旦) – virtuous lady role.
lou daan (老旦) – old woman role.

zing (淨)

these characters known painted-faces. male characters such heroes, generals, villains, gods, or demons. painted-faces usually:

man zing (文淨) – painted-face character emphasizes on singing.
mou zing (武淨) – painted-face character emphasizes martial arts.

some characters painted-faces are:

zhang fei (張飛; zœng fei) , wei yan (魏延; ngai jin) 3 humiliations of zhou yu (三氣周瑜; saam hei zau jyu).
xiang yu (項羽; hong jyu) farewell concubine (霸王別姬; baa wong bit gei).
sun wukong (孫悟空; syun ng hung) , sha wujing (沙悟凈; saa ng zing) journey west (西遊記; sai jau gei).

cau (丑)

this known clown figures in cantonese opera. examples are:

cau sang (丑生) – male clown.
cau daan (丑旦) – female clown.
man cau (文丑) – clownish civilized male.
coi daan (彩旦) – older female clown.
mou cau (武丑) – acrobatic comedic role.

major career artists

fong yim fun performing outside realm of cantonese opera in 1953