Makeup in Cantonese Opera

JB

A look into the continuity and change throughout the tradition and meaning of makeup in the history of Cantonese Opera.

Image A: Renowned Cantonese Opera star (as seen later in Image 5) helping a new generation of Cantonese Opera performers prepare. Both actresses were notable for playing men in performance.
Image B: Chan Po Chu without makeup on.

Introduction

Cantonese Opera, also known as Guangdong Drama, dates back to the reign of Emperor Jiajing (1522-1566) of the Ming Dynasty  (Run Run Shaw Library, 2016). It is thought to have stemmed from “Southern opera” that moved to Guangdong in 1276 when people of the Song dynasty fled and later developed into what is now recognized as Cantonese Opera form, both in the Mou and Man form (Wertz, 2016). This form of “alternative” Chinese Opera flourished in Hong Kong and followed the tradition of telling stories through songs, partly by blending different Chinese operatic styles from local regions that was created as entertainment for the common people (Gao, 2016; Run Run Shaw Library, 2016; Yoon, 2010). Depending on the political atmosphere and lesson within the play, Cantonese Opera was either stifled or encouraged, often surviving purely due to the will and wits of dedicated troupes (Run Run Shaw Library, 2016; Wertz, 2016).

Cantonese Opera still follows some basic guidelines found in all Chinese opera forms. Singing, music, acting, acrobatics, and martial arts are all vital aspects of performance for displaying classic stories of Chinese history, myths, and values (Wertz, 2016; Yoon, 2010). While most roles were originally all performed by males, it is not uncommon now to have most roles played by an all female group, or to have the main actors play the opposite sex. This helps to enhance the acting ability of the performers and makes the visual aspects even more important to help distinguish roles and characters.

For more on the development of Cantonese Opera as a theatrical form, check out Lauren deTorres’s article here. Specific audio recordings and character breakdowns can also be explored more thoroughly through the Canadian Museum of History’s website.

A woman in the middle of doing her makeup. Her face is covered in the typical white foundation with the red gradiant eye and cheek details with dark eyeliner, eyebrows, and red lips. She has full headdress already on. She has a brush in her hand about to fix a part of her makeup.
Image 1: A woman completing her makeup prior to a performance.

One aspect of Cantonese Opera that helps not only distinguish it from other theatrical types, but also serves as a vital role for both the actors and audience to understand the character is that of makeup (Image 1). Makeup serves as one of the particular features of Cantonese Opera, specifically for the “four skills and five methods” that help to train performers and judge their capacity to act (Wertz, 2016). The five methods include techniques associated with the face, which is partly based on makeup technique and is much more important than in common Western theater (deTorres, 2018). Makeup itself is utilized as a tool to help the audience understand both the personality and emotions of the characters onstage (Keegan, 2019).

Looking into one of the visual components of theater is a part of performance that cannot be explicitly studied through the script alone is important to understanding actual performance. It must be looked at through director interpretation as well as change throughout time with individual productions and performances. Makeup is heavily influenced both by expectations of a piece as well as current social climate, so analyzing this can help further understand the meaning and significance of tradition. Within this rich cultural and theatrical tradition, makeup has very important meaning in performance. It is meticulous and critical (Kristoff, 1987).

Cantonese Opera has both traditional Chinese roots and alternative, unique aspects from its lesser known history. Through the study of makeup, one can find how continuity and change impacted Cantonese Opera, as well as how meaningful makeup truly is to this form of theater through character transformation and significant pattern and color choices.

Traditional Makeup

Traditional makeup stemmed from the culture of the Ming Dynasty and later adapted during the Qing rule. It was intentionally very dramatic and stunning, often attempting to stand out from Beijing Opera while also producing some copied effects (Run Run Shaw Library 2016).

Traditional makeup for Cantonese Opera has very specific beauty standards and routines. The first aspect of Cantonese Opera theatrical makeup is that the actor must be the one to apply it (Run Run Shaw Library, 2016; Yoon, 2010). It can take up to an hour to be applied in the correct way, particularly for the leading characters (Sebag-Montefiore, 2013).

Video 1: Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts
on Cantonese Opera makeup basics

As shown in Video 1 (right) from the Hong Kong Academy of the Performing Arts, for the makeup for the dan (female) character, there is a very specific order of application. White powder must first be applied loosely to the skin and as evenly as possible. Contouring is not the style here. The red foundation is then puffed around the eyes, jawbones, and cheekbones to create a natural and soft look. There should be a gradient effect where it gets lighter as it goes down the face. The bridge of the nose should also be emphasized through the color and be very straight. Next, “phoenix eyes” are created through round, upward pointing black eyeliner and black mascara. The eyebrows are straight and also pointed upward, a darker color than the natural color, but making sure to not become too thick. The lipstick is then applied fully, making careful note to round the corners and create a nice, scarlet hue. Finally, the fringe strips are applied to frame the face. Individual strips are meticulously placed one at a time through adhesives on the back. There are different patterns depending on one’s face shape, although the aim is to create a more oval face, as that is deemed as the prettiest shape.

A woman donned in full makeup mid performance for Cantonese Opera. Her face follows the common red and white mask makeup with bright red lips and decorative gold headwear.
Image 2: A woman exemplifying the typical makeup for Cantonese Opera mid-performance.

Each character has a specific set of costumes, accessories, and makeup (China Daily, 2011; Run Run Shaw Library 2016). The makeup is indicative of the personality of each role, with the colors and design having important symbolism (Fong and Lee, 2003). Male and female characters wear significant makeup. The six main characters in any Cantonese Opera are:

mun mo sung (文武生) martial man of letters; the clean-shaven scholar-warrior

siu sung (小生) ‘young gentleman’; young scholar

fa dan (花旦) ‘flower’ of the ball; young belle

yee fa (二花) transliteration: ‘second flower’; supporting female

chou sung (丑生) clown

mo sung (武生) bearded male warrior

Wertz, 2016

The color palette for makeup generally remains with only white, black, red, blue, and yellow. Each color has a meaning that accompanies the generalized opera character and that of the individual play. “Red symbolizes bravery; black symbolizes loyalty; white symbolizes evil; blue symbolizes cruelty and outrageous arrogance; yellow symbolizes competency and valiancy,” although not all sources explicitly state the individual color meanings (Run Run Shaw Library 2016).

Image 4: A male actor mid-performance playing male warrior (mun mo song) with the clear, dramatic makeup pattern indicating his emotions.
Image 3: An example of an actor portraying a clown (nan chou) with the white nose makeup. Note that someone else is applying the makeup though, which is unusual.

There are numerous different patterns of makeup application that can be found depending on the characters in a performance. Each of the six main characters has a unique form of design. Two of the most noticeable ones are that of the clown and the male warrior. Looking at Image 3, the clown (chou sung or nan chou), which is a comical role, has a very clear “large white circular shape in the center of his face” (Canadian Museum of History, n.d.; Fong and Lee, 2003). The male warrior, or male general, are characters associated with aggression, so there is a specific design to help symbolize this emotion. A pattern called a “ying hong jee” is painted, which is described as “an arrow shape that is painted and blended starting from between the eyebrows and fading into the forehead” (Fong and Lee, 2003). This can be seen in Image 4. Designs can also be used to indicate a state of being, like through the use of a thin red line between the eyebrows that is symbolic of sickness (Fong and Lee, 2003).

In addition to makeup, there are fringe strips and ribbon applied to change the appearance of the face shape. These help lift the face to limit expressions and create an “authoritative look” (Wertz, 2016). There are also different hairstyles and facial hair for each character that go along with the choice of color, pattern, and overall personality (Fong and Lee, 2003).

Image 5: A male and female performer.

Another important aspect of makeup is the lack of discrimination between genders. As previously mentioned, since actors are not solely confined to perform one gender, makeup is also utilized as a way to help transform them and conceal their original identity. Part of this plays out through men and women having similar aspects of makeup, like bright red lipstick, which is very different from what is expected in Western culture and theater (Image 5). Colors used in makeup or clothing are also not restricted to a gendered concept and instead focus on the color’s true meaning and can be found within characters or performers of any gender.

This further emphasizes the significance of understanding the meaning behind subtle details within the visual aspects of Cantonese Opera, like makeup. The traditional artistic element of makeup has always been significant since the development of Cantonese Opera in allowing it to standout from other Chinese Opera forms and to privilege the common people that helped develop the form through needing cultural understanding to truly grasp all the messages conveyed onstage.

Modern Makeup

Image 6: Performance of The Flower Princess, premiere in 1957.

Makeup patterns slowly changed even more through the influence of Beijing Opera and later the typical western operas that we know today. Newly written Cantonese Operas written in the 20th century also helped to change the perception for newer generations of fans (Image 6). The period of 1920-1950 was a high point in the history of Cantonese Opera, but diminished in importance until recent efforts to revive it (Kristof, 1987; Keegan, 2019). The influx of media and the movies also helped to globalize some of the Cantonese Opera traditions, but created competition with other art forms (Gao, 2016; Kristof, 1987; Yoon, 2010). Sit Kok Sin was one of the known few who tried to make the makeup appear more natural (Run Run Shaw Library 2016). He further made popular the now common red and white face that is often seen since the 1920s (China Daily, 2011; Wertz, 2016). Many of the performers now only use that style (Image 7). The traditional paints can also be softened more than in traditional performances (Image 8). The influence of revitalization of traditional techniques, like with Cantonese Opera now being an advanced diploma in college, combined with more modern takes of Cantonese Opera through movies and integrated Western influence has created a revitalization for this theater (Gao, 2016; Leung, 2014; Wertz, 2016). Even modern theater sites selling tickets for Cantonese Opera recognize the importance of continued interest in the tradition:

The Cantonese Artists Association of Hong Kong are working hard alongside the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts to revive Contonese Opera and educate its people. They’ve created classes, which are also open to tourists, to teach the people the cultural background of Cantonese Opera. There are also training courses to promote active participation by the Hongkongers and Chinese themselves. The new wave of Cantonese Opera awareness brings excitement to the younger generation and they have gotten very much involved in performing. It is this current generation that will determine the fate of Cantonese Opera remaining or not.

StubHub, 2019
Image 7: A group of performances after a recent show in Vancouver.
Image 8: A more softened and natural look compared to the traditional makeup and boldness found in previous performances, like as seen in Image 3 earlier.

While stated as Chinese Opera, the following videos follow the makeup patterns of Cantonese Opera, instead of what is implied to be more of Beijing Opera. Video 2 shows a bit more diversity in makeup patterns and characters, such as at 3:55 when one performer is shown to have a very specific pattern of dots and lines that is unique from previously described makeup trends.

Video 2: Different performances preparing makeup based on their character.
Video 3: Modern interpretation of Chinese Opera makeup

The use of media and the globalizing world through videos and social media has also encouraged fan interpretation beyond the classic theater. A common YouTube personality interested in Cantonese Opera can now add modern spins on this important aspect of performance for play (Video 3). While he probably does not understand the full significance of certain colors and patterns, and he clearly diverts from typical application, it is still important to understand the way the rest of the world may be interpreting and adapting their own styles from Cantonese Opera influence.

Conclusion

Cantonese Opera has a long and rich history that highly values tradition and respect for its predecessors. As Keegan (2019) puts it, Cantonese Opera “enshrines Cantonese culture and language in tales of romance, war, history and myth.” Makeup is a vital part of a true performance and understanding this is a key insight for audiences. The production and meticulous nature displayed by the performers to transform into character highlights the importance of makeup in story telling for them.

For More Information

To attempt a more thorough makeup application, Video 4 can be carefully followed for typical lead actress makeup or a nearby performance can be found here by inputting a nearby address. If looking for more information about makeup within Chinese Opera, outside of purely Cantonese Opera, an RIT thesis (1997) does a wonderful job of researching and explaining those trends. An additional source of more information can be found through research into Mitche Choi, an actress dedicated to the revitalization of these theatrical form.

Video 4: A woman doing her makeup before a performance.

Works Cited

  • Canadian Museum of History. (n.d) Classical Roles and Characters, https://www.historymuseum.ca/cantoneseopera/roles-e.shtml
  • China Daily, (2011, April 19). Cantonese Opera. China Daily, http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/life/2011-04/19/content_12357878.htm
  • Danielzrotfl (2016, Oct 6). Day 6 – Chinese Opera Makeup Tutorial, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7msbVW_QSo.
  • deTorres, Lauren (23 Apr. 2018). Evolution of Cantonese Opera. Global Theater, cducomb.colgate.domains/globaltheater/asia/evolution-of-cantonese-opera/.
  • Fong, S., & Lee, E. (2003). About Cantonese Opera. Bay Area Cantonese Opera, http://www.pearlmagik.com/bayareacantoneseopera/aboutopera.htm
  • Gao, S. (2016, October 25). A History Of Traditional Cantonese Opera. Culture Trip, https://theculturetrip.com/asia/hong-kong/articles/a-history-of-traditional-cantonese-opera/
  • Keegan, Matthew (17 Apr. 2019). Cantonese Opera Needs a Saviour, and Mitche Choi Wants To Be It. Culture Trip, theculturetrip.com/asia/china/hong-kong/articles/the-modern-face-of-cantonese-opera/.
  • Kristof, N. D. (1987, June 21). HONG KONG; CAN TRADITIONAL CANTONESE OPERA COMPETE WITH WESTERN-STYLE POP MUSIC? New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/21/arts/hong-kong-can-traditional-cantonese-opera-compete-with-western-style-pop-music.html
  • Leung, Janice. (2014). Cantonese opera traditions must be protected as it modernises. South China Morning Post, scmp.com/lifestyle/arts-culture/article/1662942/cantonese-opera-traditions-must-be-protected-it-modernises
  • Run Run Shaw Library, C. (2016). The Costume Design and Make-up of Cantonese Opera, http://www.cityu.edu.hk/lib/about/event/cantonese_opera/costume.htm
  • Sebag-Montefiore, Clarissa (13 April. 2013). In Hong Kong, Cantonese Opera Takes Pride of Place. Los Angeles Times, www.latimes.com/entertainment/arts/la-xpm-2013-apr-13-la-et-cm-ca-culture-h
  • SRCE, HKAPA. (2015, Oct 28), A Dialogue: The Making-of of Cantonese Opera Makeup, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrsFmOxYrc0.
  • StubHub (2019). Cantonese Opera Tickets – Cantonese Opera Tickets Tour, https://www.stubhub.com/cantonese-opera-tickets/grouping/50004455/
  • Wertz, Richard R. (2016), Chinese Opera, The Cultural Heritage of China :: Entertainment :: Chinese Opera :: Cantonese Opera, www.ibiblio.org/chineseculture/contents/entr/p-entr-c01s03.html.
  • Yoon, E. (2010, January 07). To be a Cantonese opera star. CNN, http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/01/06/cantonese.opera.yoon/index.html