Drunken Concubine (Gui Fei Zui Jiu)
Overview. Drunken Concubine, also called The Hundred Flowers Pavilion, originated from a Qing-era local play Drunken Yang Guifei and was refined by the master Mei Lanfang into a Mei-school classic.
Synopsis. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang one day arranged with Consort Yang (Yang Guifei) that she should set a feast in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion for them to drink and view the flowers together. The next day Consort Yang goes early to the pavilion, prepares the imperial banquet, and awaits the emperor's carriage, but he is long delayed and, she is told at last, has gone instead to the palace of Consort Jiang (Mei Fei). Heartbroken and resentful by nature, Yang Guifei finds her myriad feelings hard to dispel; wine entering her sorrowful heart, three cups make her drunk, her spring passion flares, and her desires become uncontrollable.
Artistic Features. A Mei-school gem, the play is built on the dan (female) role's lyrical singing and the famous drunken postures, the fan, the cup, the gait, conveying a noblewoman's loneliness and repressed longing with exquisite subtlety.
Why Watch. Drunken Concubine is a showcase of Mei-school artistry: restrained, elegant, and psychologically rich, a staple of the dan repertoire worldwide.
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