英文摘要
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Lady Hui Xing(惠興), the principal of Zhenwen Girls School(貞文女學校)in Hangzhou, due to the failure to manage the school because of the long-term financial difficulty, committed suicide by swallowing opium, an indication of devoting herself to female education. Having been reported by media, this incident aroused the public attention in Beijing. Zhang Zhanyun(張展雲), the editorial writer of the Beijing Women's Daily(《北京女報》), and Tian Jiyun(田際雲), the master of Yucheng Troupe(玉成班), jointly organized the charitable performances as to fundraise for Zhenwen Girls School. During the charitable performances, Lady Hui Xing's story was adapted by Tian Jiyun to a drama-Ms. Hui Xing(《惠興女士傳》). This new play can be regarded as the first response of the northern Chinese Opera to the reformation of Chinese Opera in the late Qing Dynasty, which created the social atmosphere influencing the development of this reformation in the region of Greater Beijing. Based on Beijing Women's Daily, Jinghua Daily(《京話日報》), Ta Kung Pao(《大公報》) and Shuntian Times(《順天時報》), this paper will first portray the preparation of the charitable performances. Secondly, according to the discovery of the second half of the Lady Hui Xing's playtext in Beijing Women's Daily, this paper will examine its dramaturgy and conception. Third, this paper will discuss the performance history of Lady Hui Xing in Beijing and Shanghai as to reveal not only its influence upon the reformation of the northern opera, but also highlight the different meanings borne by the reformed play of the late Qing Dynasty in the northern and southern theatrical milieus.
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