Wing Chung Ng China Town Theatre
31
BCSTUDIESNO7INTERb "EKIF;L:K@FE!@JKFI@:8C"EM@J@9@C@KP 8E;-I8EJE8K@FE8C&F9@C@KP ! S A TODDLER AWARDWINNING NOVELIST 7AYSON #HOY VAGUELY REMEMBERS SPENDING MANY EVENINGS WITH HIS MOTHER AND HER FRIENDS AT THE 3ING +EW 4HEATRE IN OLD 3HANGHAI !LLEY IN 6ANCOUVERS#HINATOWN4OBUILDONHISFADINGMEMORIESANDTOCAPTURE THECONTEXTOFTHELATE SANDEARLY SFORHISCHILDHOODMEMOIR #HOYSPENTTHREESUMMERSINLOCALARCHIVESANDMUSEUMSRESEARCHING THEACTIVITIESOF#ANTONESEOPERATROUPES(ISCHAPTERONWHATTRANSPIRED INSIDE#HINATOWNTHEATREnTHEMESMERIZINGPERFORMANCEONSTAGEAND THE CONVIVIALITY AMONG THE THEATREGOERS n FURNISHES BY FAR THE MOST VIVIDANDENGROSSINGACCOUNTOF#HINESEIMMIGRANTTHEATREOFTHATERA (OWEVERNEITHERTHEAUTHORSLITERARYLICENCENORHISHISTORICALIMAGINATION HASPREPAREDHIMANDHISREADERSFORTHEUNFOLDINGDRAMA!S#HOY APPROACHEDTHEENDOFHISMEMOIRHELEARNEDTHATHEHADBEENADOPTED BYHISWORKINGCLASSIMMIGRANTPARENTSANDTHATHIShREALvFATHERWASAN UNKNOWNMEMBEROFAVISITING#ANTONESEOPERATROUPE)RONICALLY#HOYS ?@E8KFNE-?<8KI< 8J-I8EJE8K@FE8CLJ@E<JJ .EW%VIDENCEFROM6ANCOUVER DURINGTHE%XCLUSION%RA 0@E>?LE>'> 4HISARTICLEISDRAWNFROMALARGERPROJECTONTHESOCIALHISTORYOFTHE#ANTONESEOPERAIN 3OUTH#HINAANDAMONGTHE#HINESEINDIASPORAINTHELATENINETEENTHANDEARLYTWENTIETH CENTURIES4HE#HIANG#HINGKUO&OUNDATIONFOR)NTERNATIONAL3CHOLARLY%XCHANGETHE53 .ATIONAL%NDOWMENTFORTHE(UMANITIESANDTHE5NIVERSITYOF4EXASAT3AN!NTONIOHAVE O,EREDTHISPROJECTGENEROUS -NANCIALSUPPORT$I,ERENTPORTIONSANDVERSIONSOFTHISARTICLE HAVEBEENPRESENTEDATTHEANNUALMEETINGSOFTHE!SSOCIATIONFOR!SIAN3TUDIESAND THE3OUTHWESTERN#ONFERENCEON!SIAN3TUDIESASWELLASATASYMPOSIUMON#HINESE THEATREPERFORMANCEHOSTEDBYTHE#HINESE5NIVERSITYOF(ONG+ONG)THANKTHE PARTICIPANTSFORTHEIRHELPFULSUGGESTIONS)NPARTICULAR)APPRECIATETHESOUNDADVICEAND ENCOURAGEMENTOF%DGAR7ICKBERG.ANCY2AO9UNG3AI3HING%LIZABETH3INN%LIZABETH *OHNSON3AU9AN#HANAND2OGER$ANIELS!MONGLIBRARIANSANDARCHIVISTS#HAK9UNG 'EORGE"RANDAKAND7EI#HI0OONHAVERENDEREDASSISTANCETHATHASBEENINDISPENSABLETO MYWORK!NYREMAININGERRORSANDSHORTCOMINGSINTHISARTICLEAREMINE!SAGENERALRULE NAMESOFACTORSOPERATROUPESANDOTHER#HINATOWNENTITIESARERENDEREDINLOCALFORMS
Transcript of Wing Chung Ng China Town Theatre
