Mei Lanfang
Mei Lanfang ( Chinese 梅蘭芳 / 梅兰芳 , Pinyin Méi Lánfāng ; born October 22, 1894 in Beijing , China ; † August 8, 1961 ibid) was one of the most famous Peking Opera actors.
Life
He only performed female roles (Dàn, 旦 ) on stage . He became famous for his singing and performance technique. His efforts to gain recognition for the Peking Opera made him known worldwide. With Mei Lanfang, Peking Opera became popular again, a trend that continues to this day - even if the female roles are now almost exclusively played by women.
In addition to Charlie Chaplin , Bertolt Brecht was also fascinated by his art, who wrote several essays on Chinese theater in general and the topic of alienation or "disillusion" in particular. Other admirers of Mei Lanfang were Douglas Fairbanks , Sergei Eisenstein and Wsewolod Meyerhold .
Mei Lanfang's life story was filmed in 2008 by the well-known director Chen Kaige , starring Hong Kong actor Leon Lai , Chen Hong in the role of his first wife and Zhang Ziyi as his lover. Critical voices claim, however, that the film does not do justice to Mei Lanfang as a person or as an artist.
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mei Lanfang |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | 梅兰芳 |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Peking Opera performer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | October 22, 1894 |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 8, 1961 |