Conceptual Dualities and Practical Multiplicities: A New Dramaturgical Approach to LI Yu’s Occasional Notes with Leisure Motions

LI Yu’s Occasional Notes with Leisure Motions has presented a striking duality. In terms of creative ideas, he advocated pursuing novelty and uniqueness to rectify prevalent malpractices in his time. Simultaneously, he held the classics of zaju of Yuan Dynasty in high regard and abode by traditional tonal and metrical rules. Together, these tendencies constitute a dialectical mindset in pursuit of innovation via revival. Regarding theoretical focus, he has touched upon performance elements like role types and spoken lines. However, his fundamental stance has kept rooted in the literati playwright’s perspective with an emphasis on literary quality over theatricality. This seemingly contradictory multiplicity is rooted in his diverse roles: educator, troupe manager and active playwright in the theatrical field. For this reason, contemporary scholarship should refrain from imposing modern frameworks like theatrical directing upon his ideas. Instead, researchers must interpret his thoughts against the historical backdrop of his time. Only by fully respecting the integrity and complexity of his historical practice can we accurately assess LI’s position in Chinese dramaturgy. Furthermore, this offers a valuable reference for articulating pre-modern theories via modern academic terminology.