英文摘要
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After the retreat of the Republic of China to Taiwan in 1949, in order to comply with a series of policies towards restoring Central Plains Culture, Peking Opera was commonly labeled as the sole National Opera. The government granted the military rich resources so as to establish military troupes. In addition, in 1968 Foo Hsing School of Dramatic Arts and its subsidiary opera troupes were taken over by the Ministry of Education. During the two decades after the war, Peking Opera seemed to become the only ”official/orthodox/national” Opera in Taiwan. Not only did private Chinese opera troupes have to depend on official resources to survive, but also, when Shanghai-style Peking Opera became mainstream commercial performance, they were reduced to occasionally using gimmicks in public theatre.Under these circumstances, Today's World Recreation Center still opened up at the end of 1968. The Recreation Center had nine performance halls. Among the nine halls, ”Chilin Hall” hired the Shanghai-style Peking Opera artist Zhou Lin-Kun to lead ”Chilin Chinese Opera Troupe” and perform traditional Peking Opera and Shanghai-style Peking Opera twice a day year-round; the performances lasted for five years and added up to nearly 2,000 showings. Chilin Chinese Opera Troupe's performances can be regarded as the final appearance of Commercial Performances of Shanghai-style Peking Opera and Peking Opera in Taiwan.What occasion led business owners to give Zhou Lin-Kun the right to operate as well asto invest heavily in ”Cilin Chinese Opera Troupe” without considering adverse conditions? If ”Cilin Hall” was successful with an endless stream of tourists, why did it succeed?”Chilin Chinese Opera Troupe” not only involved the rise and fall of a single opera troupe, but also shows the part Peking Opera plays in the current situation when government selectively invests national resources. In addition to the history of founding troupes, this article will also explore the rise and fall of commercial performances of Peking Opera and the corresponding cultural phenomenon. Also, through discussing Zhou Lin-Kun's personal stage experience as well as his leadership style, this report aims to peer into the interactions between performers, opera troupes and their social environments.
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