The technique of the dan must not only fulfill the requirements of stage practice, but also has to create the impression that it is a woman who is acting. The task of the male dan actor is to interpret feminine character and behavior for audiences to whom symbolism presents no difficulty. The dan actors play all of the women's roles, which, until recently, were played by men. Sheng are further divided into military roles (wu sheng ªZ¥Í), if the part requires stage fighting and acrobatics, and civil roles (wen sheng ¤å¥Í), if the part requires singing and acting only.
They have no painted make-up and, with the exception of the conventional young man (xiao sheng ¤p¥Í), they wear beards. The sheng are always male characters who represent scholars, statesmen, warriors and so forth. Training of opera performers begins at a very early age and is not only physically demanding, but often quite brutal, as is powerfully depicted in Chen Kaige's film, Farewell My Concubine. Each role has its own vocabulary of gesture, walking, and vocal technique.
In Beijing opera, the actor's roles are divided under four main headings, sheng, dan, jing, and zhou, or male, female, painted face, and comic. Chinese Opera Types of Roles in Beijing Operaĭepartment of Theatre and Dance, Hamilton College
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