Taiwan's Beijing and Kunqu Opera Troupe performed "Journey to the West: Three Fights against the White-Bone Demon" at the "Taipei Theater". Our reporter Zhang Pan took photos of
Taiwan's Beijing Kun Opera 's new Kunqu opera "Cai Wenji". (Pictures from the Internet)
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"Reviving traditional Chinese culture and carrying forward national ethics and morals." Approaching the Peking Opera Troupe building of the Taiwan Academy of Drama, you can see two wooden signs with red letters on a black background beside the door. The inscription is "Shandong Mei Lanfang " Known as Wang Zhenzu. In 1949, he led the "China National Opera Troupe" to Taiwan, and then personally founded the "Fuxing Drama School", one of the predecessors of the Taiwan Academy of Drama.
Over the past seventy years, the Taiwan Peking Opera Troupe (referred to as the Taiwan Peking Opera Troupe), as the oldest and only Peking Opera troupe affiliated with a traditional opera school in Taiwan, not only shoulders the important task of cultivating Peking Opera talents, but also changed its name in recent years. The "Taiwan Beijing-Kun Opera Troupe" also performed Kun Opera, which aroused repercussions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The only teaching institution in Taiwan
Mr. Ou Shuqiong, a teacher at the Taiwan Academy of Drama and director of the Taiwan Peking and Kunqu Opera Troupe, told reporters that the Taiwan Academy of Drama is the only higher education institution specializing in traditional culture and arts in Taiwan. It is a private revival drama school founded by Wang Zhenzu and "Guoguang Drama School" was merged and restructured. The school adopts a 12-year consistent training model. Students in the Peking Opera Department enter the school in fifth grade and undergo 2 years of primary school, 3 years of junior high school and 4 years of college education.
Including the Department of Peking Opera, the school has a total of 6 professional departments: Gezi Opera Department, Hakka Opera Department, Opera Music Department, Folk Arts and Crafts Department (Acrobatics, etc.), and Theater Arts Department to cultivate traditional The purpose is to cultivate artistic talents and promote traditional opera culture. "The teachers for our three traditional opera departments come from students who graduated from the Peking Opera Department in the early years. Now graduates from the Peking Opera Department are also invited to teach in other departments, or serve as directors of new Gezaixi operas." Ou Shuqiong said.
Taiwan Academy of Drama once established a Henan Opera Department in the early years, but now it has stopped enrolling students. The Taiwan Henan Opera Troupe is based in Kaohsiung. There are Peking Opera students who live in the south and will join the Henan Opera Troupe after graduation. In Taiwan, although there are differences among opera types, they all work together because promoting traditional opera culture is a common goal.
The Beijing and Kun Opera Troupe attached to the Department of Peking Opera was formerly the "Rejuvenation Peking Opera Troupe" founded in 1963. In its early years, it mainly performed popular old plays, such as "Silang Visits His Mother", "The Legend of the White Snake", "Dragon and Phoenix Promise" and "General of the Yang Family" Wait, there are more than a hundred in total. Since the 1990s, new dramas have been written based on tradition, including the new Kun Opera "Two Sons on a Boat" last year, the new Peking Opera "Pipa Xing", and the new Kun Opera "Cai Wenji" the year before last.
Ou Shuqiong said that the Taiwan Peking and Kunming Opera Troupe currently has 52 members, including 30 actors and 12 band members. The members of the troupe are very stable, with an average age of 30 or 40. They are all capable of acting as actors, and they can be divided into three groups to perform. Actors are managed by grade. Junior actors performed more than 160 performances last year, while the most senior actors performed about 80 performances.
If there are performances by theater troupes such as the Taiwan Kunqu Opera Troupe that lack regular actors, the Taiwan Kunqu Opera Troupe sometimes provides support. Taiwan's Contemporary Legend Theater performs performances all year round, and some new Peking Opera dramas also require actors from the "Guoguang" Theater Company to join. The mutual loan of talents between theater troupes is also the opera performance ecosystem in Taiwan.
Both sides of the Taiwan Strait work together to inherit the art
There is currently no public troupe of Kun Opera in Taiwan. It is mainly passed down by campus clubs and folk Kun Opera groups. The Taiwan Peking Opera Troupe changed its name to take into account Beijing and Kun Opera in the hope that public institutions can also contribute to Kun Opera. Some of the actors from the Taiwan Peking and Kunqu Opera Troupe participated in the "Kunqu Opera Learning Project" in their early years, and they usually learn classics such as "The Peony Pavilion: Dreams in the Garden". "Every actor has several Kun operas in his or her life."
Taiwan's "Academia Sinica"'s first opera academician Zeng Yongyi is committed to promoting Kun Opera. In the 1990s, he presided over the "Kun Opera Learning Project" and played a key role in promoting the inheritance of Kun Opera by the Peking Opera Troupe of the Taiwan Academy of Drama. In recent years, he has also helped the troupe create annual dramas.
's new Kunqu opera "Cai Wenji" was adapted from classics by Tsang Yongyi and the Taiwanese Peking and Kunqu Opera Troupe. It premiered in the mainland the year before last and performed there for the second time last year.With the in-depth exchanges between the opera circles on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, many mainland Beijing and Kunming masters have helped Taiwanese theater troupes teach opera, rehearse operas, and compose operas. The Peking and Kun Opera genre continues to flourish in Taiwan, and it cannot do without the support of the mainland opera community.
Taiwan Peking and Kunqu Opera Troupe actor Tang Ruilan graduated from the Fuxing Drama School, participated in the Kunqu Opera Training Program artist class, and formally studied with Kunqu opera masters from mainland China. The same is true for several other people in the troupe, who have since participated in the inheritance and performance of Kunqu opera. They told reporters that they have benefited a lot from being taught by famous teachers. "We are taking a two-pronged approach, and we are not partial to Beijing and Kunming. Last year, there were two new dramas, one from Beijing and one from Kunming. This year there should be another Kunqu opera, and traditional Peking opera will also be performed. The actors are all from the same group of people." Ou Shuqiong said .
The promotion of opera has been successful for many years
"Look at the Forbidden City for static culture, and look at the Renaissance for dynamic culture." In 1994, Fuxing Drama School launched a "tourist drama" performance. The Taiwan Academy of Drama continues this tradition, and now every Tuesday and Thursday, members of the Peking and Kunming Opera Troupe and stunt troupe perform for about 2 hours in the school theater. From 2012 to 2016, there were more than 500 performances, with more than 20,000 viewers. Because of his success in promoting opera, he won the "Artistic Contribution Award" from the Taiwan Education Department.
Ou Shuqiong said that nowadays there are not as many tourists coming to schools to watch operas as before, and some are diverted to the "Taipei Theater" located in prosperous areas. Currently, school performances are mainly for primary and secondary school students in Taipei and surrounding areas to learn about traditional operas. Teachers from those schools Students will be organized collectively to visit and watch the show. When the reporter visited,
happened to catch up with two primary schools coming to watch the play. The staff led several children to the stage to experience it. The virtual presentation of cars, boats, sedans and horses, and the interesting questions and answers on opera knowledge made the primary school students on and off the stage very excited. The Peking Opera Troupe then presented a Peking Opera performance for children, which was humorous and lively without losing the charm of Peking Opera.
"Either go to primary and secondary schools for promotion, or perform at our school. About two or three schools will come to see it at the same time." Ou Shuqiong said that if the performance is performed in our school, each performance can accommodate 600 people. Currently, it has been implemented Over two months, about thirty-four games. In addition to the 50 or 60 performances promoted in primary and secondary schools, it can account for a quarter of the total opera performances performed by the troupe.
"There are two things to do when entering campus. One is purely for promotion, and the other is to cooperate with primary and secondary school Chinese classes. Sometimes the textbooks teach relevant content, such as the story of Journey to the West, and we will perform Western games, first introducing and demonstrating opera movements. Wait, and then guide students to watch a simple play, which usually lasts about 2 hours." Ou Shuqiong said that in terms of new annual dramas, the Beijing-Kunming Opera Troupe will go to university campuses to promote it, and university teachers will arrange one or two classes to help. Students appreciate the beauty of opera and are introduced to the characteristics of new operas.
In conjunction with traditional festivals and temple fairs, the troupe will also perform one or two plays for the residents. There are also theater troupes in communities and nursing homes in Taiwan, where three or five actors perform plays to entertain the public. "The theater troupe affiliated with the Academy of Chinese Opera is different from ordinary professional theater troupes. We have this responsibility." Ou Shuqiong said.
With the in-depth exchanges between the opera circles on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, many mainland Beijing and Kunming masters have helped Taiwanese theater troupes teach opera, rehearse operas, and compose operas. The Peking and Kun Opera genre continues to flourish in Taiwan, and it cannot do without the support of the mainland opera community.Taiwan Peking and Kunqu Opera Troupe actor Tang Ruilan graduated from the Fuxing Drama School, participated in the Kunqu Opera Training Program artist class, and formally studied with Kunqu opera masters from mainland China. The same is true for several other people in the troupe, who have since participated in the inheritance and performance of Kunqu opera. They told reporters that they have benefited a lot from being taught by famous teachers. "We are taking a two-pronged approach, and we are not partial to Beijing and Kunming. Last year, there were two new dramas, one from Beijing and one from Kunming. This year there should be another Kunqu opera, and traditional Peking opera will also be performed. The actors are all from the same group of people." Ou Shuqiong said .
The promotion of opera has been successful for many years
"Look at the Forbidden City for static culture, and look at the Renaissance for dynamic culture." In 1994, Fuxing Drama School launched a "tourist drama" performance. The Taiwan Academy of Drama continues this tradition, and now every Tuesday and Thursday, members of the Peking and Kunming Opera Troupe and stunt troupe perform for about 2 hours in the school theater. From 2012 to 2016, there were more than 500 performances, with more than 20,000 viewers. Because of his success in promoting opera, he won the "Artistic Contribution Award" from the Taiwan Education Department.
Ou Shuqiong said that nowadays there are not as many tourists coming to schools to watch operas as before, and some are diverted to the "Taipei Theater" located in prosperous areas. Currently, school performances are mainly for primary and secondary school students in Taipei and surrounding areas to learn about traditional operas. Teachers from those schools Students will be organized collectively to visit and watch the show. When the reporter visited,
happened to catch up with two primary schools coming to watch the play. The staff led several children to the stage to experience it. The virtual presentation of cars, boats, sedans and horses, and the interesting questions and answers on opera knowledge made the primary school students on and off the stage very excited. The Peking Opera Troupe then presented a Peking Opera performance for children, which was humorous and lively without losing the charm of Peking Opera.
"Either go to primary and secondary schools for promotion, or perform at our school. About two or three schools will come to see it at the same time." Ou Shuqiong said that if the performance is performed in our school, each performance can accommodate 600 people. Currently, it has been implemented Over two months, about thirty-four games. In addition to the 50 or 60 performances promoted in primary and secondary schools, it can account for a quarter of the total opera performances performed by the troupe.
"There are two things to do when entering campus. One is purely for promotion, and the other is to cooperate with primary and secondary school Chinese classes. Sometimes the textbooks teach relevant content, such as the story of Journey to the West, and we will perform Western games, first introducing and demonstrating opera movements. Wait, and then guide students to watch a simple play, which usually lasts about 2 hours." Ou Shuqiong said that in terms of new annual dramas, the Beijing-Kunming Opera Troupe will go to university campuses to promote it, and university teachers will arrange one or two classes to help. Students appreciate the beauty of opera and are introduced to the characteristics of new operas.
In conjunction with traditional festivals and temple fairs, the troupe will also perform one or two plays for the residents. There are also theater troupes in communities and nursing homes in Taiwan, where three or five actors perform plays to entertain the public. "The theater troupe affiliated with the Academy of Chinese Opera is different from ordinary professional theater troupes. We have this responsibility." Ou Shuqiong said.
