Claire Oliver

Professor of costume design Alexandra Bonds brought Eastern and Western cultures together in her lecture on the aesthetics of Beijing opera costumes April 9.
Bonds, a costume designer at the University of Oregon whose works have received considerable recognition, is the author of “Beijing Opera Costumes: The Visual Communication of Character and Culture.” The book is the culmination of more than 10 years of work, including firsthand research of Jingju, the dominant form of traditional theater in China, inspired by Bonds’ time in Taiwan as the recipient of a Fulbright grant.
Along with its written portions, Bonds contributed more than 250 personal color photos to the book, the first of its kind to be written in English.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for students to be exposed to unusual material and [be taught] by an expert,” Annelie Thurin, costumer at Linfield and graduate student of Bonds, said. “It’s a luxury.”
Thurin said the lecture concentrated on the bigger picture of Chinese opera costumes, including headwear, footwear and hair and makeup design.
The lecture featured in-person as well as photographic examples of costumes fitted for characters commonly found in Chinese theater.
Conventional figures she discussed included the young maiden, the young lover, the powerful man and the evil man.
Her research concentrates on the imagery derived in the design elements of these costumes.
Thurin said that in China, colors have different connotations for audience members. In America, we would expect to see a bride character dressed in white, whereas in China she would be dressed in red because white is the color associated with death.
As this topic is one rarely discussed in American theater, Thurin said she is optimistic that the lecture encouraged curiosity in those who attended.
“Hopefully, new interest is awakened,” she said.
The lecture, co-sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Communication Arts, the International Programs Office and the Dean of Faculty, is the first of the “Bringing China to McMinnville” series.
The series, funded by a grant by the Freeman Foundation, aims to enhance Chinese studies at Linfield, Shaik Ismail, director of international programs, said in an e-mail. Along with funding Chinese language courses and airfare for students planning to study in China, the event will bring music and cultural performances throughout the 2009-2010 academic year.