A pioneer in the reform of Chinese contemporary chuanju (Sichuan opera), Tian Mansha is an acclaimed chuanju performer, xiqu director, and professor at the Shanghai Theatre Academy. She has been honoured twice with the Plum Blossom Award, as well as the top prize of the Wenhua Award and the Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards for Lead Role. Her accolades include the Outstanding Teacher Award from the Ministry of Culture, the National Teaching Achievement Award (Second Prize) from the Ministry of Education, and the First Prize for the Shanghai Municipal Teaching Achievement Award. Additionally, she received the Music Theatre NOW Special Award from the International Theatre Institute (ITI) German Centre for modern musical theatre, and has been awarded fellowships from the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) for research visits to the United States on two occasions. In 2018, she was recognised with the ACC Hong Kong 30th Anniversary IMPACT Award.
Her former posts include: Member of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC); Member of the CPC Committee at the Shanghai Theatre Academy; Vice Dean of the College of Chinese Opera at the Shanghai Theatre Academy; Executive Vice President of the Shanghai Youth Jingju and Kunqu Troupe; Vice Principal of the Sichuan Provincial School of the Art of Chuanju; Vice Chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Youth Federation; Vice Chairman of the Sichuan Provincial Theatre Association; Researcher at the International Research Centre "Interweaving Performance Cultures" at the Free University of Berlin; and council member of the China Opera Directors Association. She is currently dedicated to directing, acting, actor training, and performance research.
Performance Works:
Chuanju (Sichuan opera) productions such as Ripples on Stagnant Water, Lady Macbeth, Yin Yang River, Wu Song Kills His Sister in Law, and Mulian Saves His Mother, the new concept chuanju Sighs, experimental opera works including Memorandum - Cheng Yanqiu's Journey to the West, Thinking of the Worldly Life, and Foolish Dream, to name a few.
Directing Works:
Modern Opera Wenji - Ten Songs of the Nomad Flute; Contemporary Yue Opera Twelve Roles; Peking Opera Ripples on Stagnant Water; Youth Version of The Peony Pavilion; Huangmei Opera The Handkerchief Story; Drama and Song (A musical work by Lan Tian, Beijing opera artist); Red Boat, Red Beans, Red Plum Blossoms (Special performance by - Qiong Xia, Cantonese opera artist); Asking You Well - (Special performance by Wang Jun'an Yue, Yue opera artist); Fragrance of Winter Plum Blossoms (Special performance by Li Shuqin, Cantonese opera artist), among others.
Productions directed by Tian Mansha, have been instrumental in helping six young actors receive the Shanghai Magnolia Stage Performance Awards for Lead Role and Supporting Role Newcomer Award, and three young actors gain the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award. Tian has co-edited the book Living Memory: Chinese Opera in Contemporary Times with German scholar Dr. Johannes Odenthal, and Contemporary Chinese Directors' Perspectives with German scholar Dr. Torsten Jost, among other publications, which have been released in Germany and China.
The innovative "Performance and Bodily Training Methods" developed by Tian have been widely adopted, resulting in numerous invitations to teach at master workshops of international arts festivals, as well as at universities and theatres both domestically and internationally. Her acting and directing works have also led to invitations to perform at various national arts festivals and significant cultural events. While adhering to the aesthetic principles of traditional Chinese opera, she continuously seeks to break through conventional limitations, striving to explore diverse expressions of chuanju in contemporary contexts and the myriad possibilities of experimental theatre.