Sibuxiji
Traditional Sibuxiji (Qi Dialect: 四部喜劇, Sìbùxǐjù; translit. Four Comedies) is the coined concept in Qi Entertainment. The four different comedies are dependent on the amount of people participating in the act. The amount of people can also determine the genre and type of music, as well as movement and any sort of dance that accompanies the act. Sibuxiji has been defined by the Yakeshi Great Opera during the Zhang Era (Qi Dialect: 彰時代; Zhāng shídài).
Early forms of Sibuxiji can be traced to the city of Gao'an (高安) in the 900's where it took its first from of Sanrenxiji (三人喜劇), or the Three Man Comedy. Gao'an served as Qi Emperor Yun (雲王齊) personal place for operas and comedies. What is known as the Yun Era saw the maturity of many different arts and operas. The formation of Sanrenxiji came from the comedy of The History of Zhou Yuanyi, which then spiraled out from there with a difference in story-telling and genre with the amount of people.
Sibuxiji is divided by the amount of people. Yirenxiji, Errenxiji, Sanrenxiji, and Sirenxiji. Stories between the four variations are wildly different rather than shared as it is in Qi Opera, and can also change depending on the region it is being preformed. The Gao'an Opera Association is the considered governing body in listing the separate genres of Sibuxiji.
Sibuxiji saw a sharp decline following the Great Yemugh War. A disassociation between the ethnic Qi and the Qi Culture had become prevalent with the communist government that was set in place by Ervin Malinvosky after the end of the war in 1952. However this was changed around with the Byambasüren-Yanjmaan Era. Following the Speech of Dust and the subsequent revival of Qi Identity, Sibuxiji has seen a revival in its popularity after stagnation. The revival in its performance comes from the Contemporary Qi Cultural Revolution, however sees a lack of interest from popular culture.
Genres
| Qi Name | Geographic Areas | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Yirenxiji (一人喜劇) | ||
| Bianzhi (编织一人) | Nationwide, particularly centered in Gao'an | The actor comes to the stage and sits down, telling a story of serious context. The story is usually dramatic in its execution, and the actor does little to portray the story with physical actions. Characters are normally differentiated by voice and tonal changes, as well as lingual changes. |
| Beishang (悲伤一人) | Nationwide, particularly centered in Gao'an | The actor comes to the stage, using make up to split the face in half to portray two different characters, normally a man and a woman. Beishang usually portrays people of nobility in a sorrowful light, and will normally end in betrayal or death of one of the characters. Characters outside of the main man and woman are portrayed by tonal pitches and slight body or head turns. Painting in Beishang is considered unorthodox compared to Sibuxiji and the Qi Opera. The actor normally does little to portray the story with physical actions, and normally uses a fan to differentiate when the two characters are talking. |
| Zongjiao (宗教一人) | Nationwide, particularly centered in Chaozhou | When the play starts, the actor is already on the stage. Depending on the religion, the introduction is different. Chaozhou is the center of Zongjiao. The actor is initially dressed in long sleeves, and is expected to dance around. Zongjiao normally portrays a monk, and as such make-up is non-existent while traditional clothes are used. There is usually only two main characters, one being the monk and the other being a Deity. Very rarely will another person assist in the production by playing the role of the Deity as only the voice. |
| Dongwu (动物一人) | Urban areas of Yakeshi, Gao'an, Heshan, and Kaiyang | The actor is dressed in religious animal garbs, normally only using a mask and covering a very minimal amount of the body with only a woven loincloth. The make up of the actor must match the face mask that they are wearing. The actor then uses body imagery and props on the stage to portray a story. The most popular Dongwu story is about the Mönkiin Divine Beast, Kharuul Gyeits and the Timeless. |
| Errenxiji (二人喜劇) | ||
| Tang (唐二人) | Rural Areas in Eastern Ruhuajiang | One actor plays a civilized Qi, normally in exaggerated makeup and fancy, garish costumes that is considered orthodox in Qi Opera, while another actor plays a uncivilized foreigner, typically Tangku but also Goulongese and Qyredine. The second actor is dressed with a minimal amount of make-up and with ragged, normally torn clothes. The actor playing the noble Qi will often times not speak until the actor playing the uncivilized foreigner attempts to make a joke, and speaks to make fun of the uncivilized foreigner. Plays of this magnitude are typically banned in big cities and especially in Gao'an, however are commonplace in rural areas. |