Tāng Xiǎnzǔ is perhaps among the most famous of traditional Chinese playwrights; active in the late Ming Dynasty, he was the author of plays such as The Peony Pavilion (1598) and The Dream of Handan.
He passed the civil service exams, earning a jinshi degree, but was not successful in a career as an official.
References
- Conrad Schirokauer, et al, A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations, Fourth Edition, Cengage Learning (2012), 255.