Selected Plays of Xinyu

Name: Selected Plays of Xinyu
ISBN: 9787901066571

陈岳文Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House · ChinaSep 2026

2.6

Word count: 114K words
Chapters: 70
ISBN: 9787901066571

Report an error Find this book

Summary

Selected Plays of Xinyu gathers several fine operatic works by the playwright, spanning historical plays, modern plays, period costume plays, and short plays. These works not only demonstrate the author's deep mastery of operatic creation but also reflect the social realities and historical landscapes of different periods, combining high artistic value with intellectual depth.

The collection offers rich and varied subject matter with dramatic, unpredictable plots. Each play has a unique and complete story structure that quickly sparks the reader's curiosity. The plotting is reasonable and well ordered, with conflicts and turns that flow naturally, and characters are distinct and highly readable.

The language is carefully crafted, greatly enhancing the plays' expressiveness and emotional power. The arias rhyme harmoniously, giving the works a distinctive rhythm and musical beauty that effectively holds the reader's attention and deepens their memory of the plot. Selected Plays of Xinyu is a rare literary gem of high artistic value, offering readers a rich cultural feast.

Editor's review

The value of Selected Plays of Xinyu lies in placing historical plays, modern plays, costume plays, and short plays in one collection, letting readers see at once the playwright's ability to move among different subjects. The plays have complete story structures, well-ordered conflicts and turns, and vivid characters, so they read with real theatrical flavor; the harmonious rhyming of the arias gives the collection a rhythm and musical beauty that distinguishes it from ordinary fiction, and reminds readers that these are texts written for the stage. While reading, treat each play as a performance on paper, paying attention to scene changes, entrances and exits, and the alternation of song and speech, to appreciate how operatic narrative differs from fictional narrative. It suits readers interested in operatic texts who are willing to read slowly and savor, and also writers studying plot arrangement and the polishing of arias. Note that it requires some patience with the operatic form; readers seeking fast-paced stories or purely colloquial reading may feel a layer of distance.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in operatic literature and playwriting
Writing enthusiasts who want to study plot arrangement and aria composition
Theater audiences who enjoy diverse genres such as historical and modern plays
Teachers and students who need operatic texts for teaching or rehearsal reference

Not a good fit for

Readers used to fast-paced fiction who are unfamiliar with the operatic form
Readers who want only a single genre and are unwilling to try diverse plays
Practitioners who need accompanying performance videos or detailed stage directions

Reading tips

Read a short play first to get familiar with the form, then move on to historical and modern plays, lowering the entry barrier.
While reading, note the scene divisions and characters' entrances and exits, and reconstruct the stage blocking in your mind.
Read the arias aloud to feel the rhyme and rhythm, then review whether the plot progresses smoothly.
After finishing each play, summarize the conflict and turns in a few sentences and compare how different subjects are handled.

About the publisher

Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House China · Founded in 1958

Founded in August 1958 and restructured into Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House (Tianjin) Co., Ltd. in 2009, Baihua Literature and Art Publishing House is known for publishing essays and fiction, and it hosts the journals Fiction Monthly and Essays. Its 757 titles in the library span classic works, culture, folk literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, foreign literature, and general biography. They include Lao She's Camel Xiangzi, Zhu Ziqing's selected essays and Classic Essays, Fu Lei's Twenty Lectures on Masterpieces of World Art, and a Chinese translation of Ryūnosuke Akutagawa's Rashōmon, as well as cultural and performing-arts titles such as the illustrated Biography of Liang Qichao and A Dictionary of Crosstalk. Its authors include Lao She, Zhu Ziqing, Wu Qichang, Fu Lei, Xue Baokun, Gao Yucong, Wei Zhiqiang, and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.

版权信息
序文一真情在民间
序文二让戏剧艺术的魅力重放光彩
新编大型古装传奇剧四家亲
剧情说明
全剧人物
序幕
第一场
第二场
第三场
第四场
第五场
第六场
第七场
第八场
新编大型现代剧韩春还乡
剧情说明
出场人物
第一场
第二场
第三场
第四场
第五场
第六场
第七场
第八场
新编无场次历史剧李斯
《李斯》写作缘起
人物表
新编大型历史剧太宗求贤
剧情说明
人物表
场次
序幕
第一场粥店风波
第二场传诏纳谏
第三场粥棚起事
第四场花园议事
第五场朝堂惊变
第六场花园续诏
第七场争抢担责
第八场纳贤任能
改编历史剧桃花扇
剧情说明
人物表
第一场
第二场
第三场
第四场
第五场
第六场
第七场
第八场
改编古装戏卓文君
剧情说明
人物表
序幕
第一场
第二场
第三场
第四场
第五场
第六场
第七场
古装讽刺剧启棺鉴
小戏曲抢村长
独角戏坐卧不宁
小戏曲三鞠躬
改编古装剧醉骂财神
后记

FAQ

What type of plays does this book collect?

According to the materials, the collection spans historical plays, modern plays, costume plays, and short plays, with rich and varied subjects, and each play has an independent, complete story structure. It is not a collection of a single genre but an anthology of diverse plays, letting readers see in one book how the playwright handles different subjects.

Can someone with no opera background get into it?

You can try, but it takes a little patience. The plays have complete plots and vivid characters, so the stories themselves can draw you in; the difficulty lies in the arias and scene structure. It is advisable to start with the short plays, read the arias aloud to feel the rhythm, and then move on to the longer historical and modern plays. Readers completely unfamiliar with the operatic form may need an adjustment period.

Is this book suitable for staging?

The materials show that these plays have complete story structures and natural conflicts and turns, and are readable at the text level, so they can serve as a reference for understanding script structure and arias. However, the materials do not indicate whether performance notes, stage directions, or licensing information are included; if you have actual staging needs, it is advisable to confirm the completeness of the text and the copyright situation before deciding.

How does the rhyming of arias help with reading?

The materials mention that the arias rhyme harmoniously, giving the plays rhythm and musical beauty. Reading the arias aloud makes this rhythm more immediate and makes it easier to remember the key points where the plot advances. For writers, noticing how arias match characters' emotions and scene transitions is a practical clue for studying operatic language.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

陈岳文 Author

Public information about Chen Yuewen is currently limited, and details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and an English name have not been clearly recorded. Judging from the library's holdings, only one work appears under Chen Yuewen's name, namely Selected Plays of Xinyu, which is classified under folk literature. It can therefore be inferred that Chen Yuewen's writing is related to drama and carries a flavor of folk art, possibly involving local opera, adaptations of folk tales, or the arrangement of plays for general readers. The title Selected Plays of Xinyu indicates that the book is a selection of dramatic works rather than a novel or a collection of essays. Owing to the lack of detailed information about the author's life, the period of composition, and the content of the work, it is not yet possible to offer a more specific assessment of Chen Yuewen's writing style, artistic characteristics, or social influence. Readers who wish to learn about Chen Yuewen may begin with Selected Plays of Xinyu and, through its dramatic subjects and language, gain a sense of the author's creative orientation.