The Cosmic Blade

Introduction

Reworked in 1952 into two scenes, it became the signature piece of Chen Bohua

The Cosmic Blade is a traditional play of Han opera set in the reign of the Second Emperor of Qin, when Zhao Gao has the sword called the Cosmic Blade stolen from the house of Kuang Hong and uses it in an attempt on the emperor to ruin the Kuang family. His daughter Zhao Yanrong, helped by a mute maid, turns against her father and feigns madness, tearing her clothes and spoiling her make-up in the throne hall to escape being taken into the palace. In 1952 the Central-South opera delegation chose two scenes of the Han opera version, Zhao Gao Revises the Memorial and Feigning Madness in the Golden Hall, and reworked them to show off the art of the female roles. That year Chen Bohua took the piece to the national opera festival, where it won a second prize for the play and a first prize for her acting, and it became the signature work of her Chen school. A film of the stage production was made in 1954. The Wuhan Han Opera Theatre still performs the Feigning Madness scene, passed on by the Chen school heir Hu Heyan to the younger actress Geng Liya.

A work in copyright: facts only.

Parts

1. Zhao Gao Revises the MemorialThe first of the two scenes chosen for the 1952 rework
2. Feigning Madness in the Golden HallZhao Yanrong tears her clothes and spoils her make-up to feign madness