APPEX Fellows from China

Fan Xing
Fan Xing is currently a graduate student at the Academy of Chinese Traditional Opera in Beijing, where she is completing her thesis on Comparative Drama. Ms. Fan earned a B.A. in linguistics, Chinese, and English literature at the Beijing Language Institute. She is currently working on two publications about Chinese Opera, Chinese Traditional Opera in the Modern Age, and Drama Comparison between Chinese Traditional Opera and Western Drama. Ms. Fan has often served as interpreter for foreign professors, and in 1996, served as interpreter on The Bacchae, co-produced by the National Beijing Opera Theater and the New York Greek Drama Company. She recently assisted Victoria Marks and Xu Ying as interpreter and translator on their collaborative project, Ah Q.

Liu Ziwei
Liu Ziwei is a Chinese Opera actor who has specializes in wu shen (heroic male) and monkey characters. He is especially adept in acrobatic fighting and male dance movements. Trained at the China Traditional Opera Academy, Mr. Liu joined the National Opera Company in 1982, upon graduation, and became an award-winning lead actor. In 1987, he received the First Prize for the best performance in the competition of the National Beijing Opera for younger performers. Since 1988 Mr. Liu has worked independently as an Opera actor for the National Theater and in film and television in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan, including playing the title role of Mei Lan Fang, the great master of Beijing Opera.

Xu Ying
(APPEX I) From the Hunan region of China, where he began his training in traditional Hunan Opera of Huaguxi, Mr. Xu is a director, writer and actor. Having received his B.A. from the Hunan Art School with a focus on Huaguxi, he continues his studies at the China Traditional Opera Institute where he received a second B.A. in writing and opera theory. A leading actor with the Hunan Drama Institute specializing in clown characters, he also taught Hunan opera performance at the Hunan Art School for several years. Currently a playwright with the China Opera and Dance-Drama theatre, Mr. Ying is a published author of several articles on Chinese opera, and a soon-to-be published book Beijing Opera Shock. He recently worked with the Youth Drama Theatre, collaborating with other young playwrights on a new production which won several awards for writing, directing and acting.