ABSTRACT
In the late Ming, some literati troupe owners assumed functions similar to those performed by modern directors and more. To begin with, they searched for gifted children who had acting potential to form the troupe. Then they hired suitable singing masters from all sources – including the court, public and other private troupes – to train their actors; they themselves often participated in the training process too. Finally, they conducted rehearsals and directed the productions, often with their deep understanding of the script, superior interpretation of characters and overall control of staging effects.
