Join us for an extraordinary cultural event featuring Wei Hai Min, renowned Chinese Opera performer from Taiwan. Learn how Wei has carried on the timeless legacy of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang and witness her modern interpretation of iconic figures, including Lady Macbeth from Shakespeare's Macbeth and Medea from the Greek tragedy Medea. Portraying nobility, shrewdness, and melancholy with grace and flair, Wei masterfully redefines Chinese Opera performance through her creation of unforgettable female characters East and West.

Wei Hai Min’s visit to North America is made possible with the support of the Asian Cultural Council. The event offers a unique opportunity for the participants to delve into the essence of Peking Opera. The audience will engage in a cross-cultural dialogue as Wei Hai Min shares her insights gained from a lifetime of dedication to both preserving traditions and pushing the boundaries of innovation in Peking Opera in and beyond the Sinophone world.

Speaker: Wei Hai Min

An internationally renowned performing artist, Wei Hai Min is an heir of the Mei School established by Mei Lanfang, one of the most renowned Peking opera artists of the 20th century. Ms. Wei excels in interpreting and impersonating diverse roles, both ancient and modern, in the Mei School and other performing styles. Her performance is acclaimed by global audiences and art critics. Her repertoire includes The Drunken Concubine, The White Snake, and Farewell, My Concubine. Over the last three decades, Ms. Wei has been at the forefront of mastering this ancient art form in both the traditional and modern styles, actively exploring new performative horizons.

Moderator: Liana Chen, Associate Professor of Chinese Language and Literature; Program Director, The Taiwan Education and Research Program (TERP)

Liana Chen is Associate Professor of Chinese Language and Literature. At GW, she also serves as the Director of the Taiwan Education and Research Program. Liana Chen is the author of Literati and Actors at Work: The Transformations of Peony Pavilion on Page and On Stage in the Ming and Qing Dynasties (Taipei: National Taiwan University Press, 2013). Her second book, Staging for the Emperors: A History of Qing Court Theatre, 1683-1923 (Cambria Press, 2021), examines the ideological and aesthetical roles of imperial court theater of the Qing Dynasty. Liana Chen’s areas of teaching and research focus on Chinese drama and theater, Chinese literature of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and Taiwanese theater, literature and film.

Event co-sponsored by the Taiwan Research and Education Program (TERP), the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, and the East Asia National Resource Center.