莎士比亚戏剧在中国最早的演出(上)——基于《北华捷报》《字林西报》所做的历史考察

The First Wave of Shakespearean Productions Given by Touring Troupes in Shanghai:A Historical Survey Based on Materials Preserved in(Ⅰ)

以《北华捷报》和《字林西报》为资料平台,对莎士比亚戏剧在中国最早的演出进行考察,分别是:1878至1879年费尔克洛夫与艾尔茜娅·梅、1882年班德曼剧团、1891年米恩剧团的上海兰心剧院举行的演出。这一考察的目的,一方面自然是要确认事实,尽可能细致地还原此次演出从发生到实现的历史过程;另一方面,更重要的,则是去思考演出裹挟其中的各个面向的文化议题——从维多利亚时代的戏剧文化,到上海租界侨民的文化生活,再到中西文化的交流场域,在不同个案中都有不同层面和不同程度的展现,而"莎士比亚"就位于十九世纪后期帝国主义、民族—国家和早期全球化的历史文化议题的中心。

Based on the historical materials preserved in The North-China Herald and The North-China Daily News,this paper is attempted to investigate the first wave of Shakespearean productions given by three touring troupes in China,respectively,the star couple of Boothroyd Fairclough and Elcia May in 1878-1879,the Daniel E.Bandmann’s Combination in 1882,and the Miln’s Company in 1891,all of them were housed in Lyceum Theatre,Shanghai.The goal of the investigation is,on the one hand,to restore their performances in detail,and on the other,to explore the cultural values pertaining them such as the theatrical life in Victorian era,the amateur activities of the residents in the settlement,and the cultural communication between China and the West.