Face-changing
Face-changing is a special technique for building characters in traditional Chinese opera. By changing faces in the blink of an eye, performers could express the emotional changes of their characters.
Face-changing requires dexterity and smooth and subtle movements. It achieves intended effects to appeal to the audience in a way different from other performing skills in traditional Chinese opera. The use of this technique, though widespread in many opera genres, is most prominent in Sich- uan Opera, in which face-changing takes place through plastering, powder-blowing, or facemask-switching. Plastering refers to the move by which performers smear part of their faces using cosmetic paint previously hidden in eyebrows or hair. Powder-blowing is applied to change the colors of performers’ faces. This requires performers to oil their faces in the area that needs color-change in advance, so that colored powder will stick after being blown to their faces. Aside from face coloring, mask switching allows performers to change faces instantly. They attach make-up masks to their faces in layers, neither too tight nor too loose, and when the cue comes, they pull the masks off one by one.
Face-changing is a technique unique to traditional Chinese culture and has won plaudits in countries around the world where traditional Chinese operas are performed.
變臉
變臉是中國傳統(tǒng)戲劇中塑造人物的一種特技,通過瞬間改變臉譜,表現(xiàn)人物內(nèi)心的情感變化,令人拍案叫絕。
變臉表演要求動作敏捷、不露痕跡,對演員技巧要求較高。變臉可以給觀眾一種不同于其他戲曲表演的體驗和感受,具有極強(qiáng)的感染力。中國不少劇種中都有變臉特技,其中以川劇中的變臉最為著名。川劇變臉主要有抹暴眼、吹粉、扯臉等手法。抹暴眼是演員手指抹上預(yù)存于眉頭或鬢的墨青,一抹即變;吹粉是演員吹起色粉,事先在需要變化的地方涂油,以改變臉色,抹暴眼和吹粉都屬于涂面化妝。扯臉則需要將臉譜面具一層層地貼套在臉上,且松緊有度,在劇情需要時一個個拉下來達(dá)到變臉效果。
變臉作為中華傳統(tǒng)文化的一張名片,多次在國際舞臺上展示中國傳統(tǒng)戲劇的技藝絕活和獨特風(fēng)采,獲得各國人民的廣泛贊譽。