Tonight I had the honor and pleasure to watch the touring Sichuan Opera: Buddhist and Ghost Plays with Madam Chen Qiaoru.

They traveled from their performance in Seattle to grace the stage of our campus experimental black box theater. I’ve never experienced Western opera, let alone Chinese opera, so this was a completely new experience.

They played only small segments, the most climactic scenes, of three much larger operas. Each one tells a story, and the actors and musicians engage in dance, acrobatics and music to best convey each one. They also wear elaborate costumes. One of the most famous parts of Sichuan Opera is the “face changing,” when the characters change masks in the blink of an eye. This talent was showcased in the last scene performed, which was definitely my favorite one. One of the most impressive parts was Madam Chen Qiaoru (who is highly famous in China) casually doing backflips across the stage, taking the form of her character, White Snake.

It was a privilege to be able to see them perform tonight, and to be even more involved with my family’s culture. It was also a great way to practice the Mandarin I’ve been learning, by listening to the singing and reading the characters and translation that were offered for this audience. Needless to say, it’s just a taste, and I’m very excited for my upcoming study abroad trip to Taiwan and China this summer!