Tang Xianzu

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Tang Xianzu (Simplified Chinese: 汤显祖; Traditional Chinese: 湯顯祖; pinyin: Tāng Xiǎnzǔ) (September 24, 1550 - July 29, 1616) was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty.

Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the Provincial examinations at the age of 21 and at the imperial examinations at the age of 34. He held official positions in Nanjing, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province etc.. He retired in 1598 and returned to his hometown where he focused on writing.

His major plays are collectively called "the Four Dreams", because of the decisive role dreams play in the plot of each one. All of them are still performed (in scenes, or in adapted full versions) on the Chinese Kun opera (kunqu) stage. Generally considered his masterpiece, Mudan Ting (The Peony Pavilion) is one of two of his works available in print in English, the other being Nanke Ji.

[edit] Works

Zixiao ji (The Purple Flute)
Zichai ji (The Purple Hairpin)
Mudan Ting (The Peony Pavilion)
Handan ji (Record of Handen)
Nanke ji (Record of Southern Bough)

Works available in English: The Peony Pavilion (Cyril Birch). Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1980; Boston: Cheng & Tsui Co., 1994. A Dream Under the Southern Bough (sic) (Zhang Guangqian). Beijing: Foreign Languages Press, 2003; ISBN 7-119-03270-4.