Theater troupes breathe new life into traditional operas
Theater companies in Shanghai are doing everything they can to give young actors a wide range of ways to show off their skills, and new plays and short opera films are giving the art forms a new lease on life.
Since 2011, the Shanghai Peking Opera Company has funded two seasons of "Youth Runway," a long-term opera development project that aims to find and nurture young opera talent.
With Peking Opera artists' mentoring, 118 young performers have mastered 200 plays and classical pieces. They were tested on stage to boost their confidence.
The talent programs and performance opportunities for young musicians and performers have greatly helped in resolving the talent shortage as age catches up with veterans.
From March 18, the Shanghai Yueju Opera Company and the Great Theater of China will collaborate on the 2022 season for young performance artists.
Most of them were born between 1995 and 2000, making them the company's newest generation. They will give 12 performances this year. Together, they have appeared in almost a dozen plays and more than 80 snippet shows.
They will showcase both classical and innovative plays in a variety of vocal schools and performing styles. The young performers will also demonstrate their involvement in the preservation and creativity of the theater.
The 12 performances are split into four categories: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
"He Wenxiu" and "The Peacock Flies Southeast" will kick off the spring category from March 18 to 20. The experimental shows "Ties of a Green Robe" and "Twelve Roles" are among the highlights of the summer category, which runs from June 10 to 12. From September 2 to 4, "Taming of the Princess" and the contemporary drama "The Family" will be included in the autumn category. The legendary plays "The Green Jade Hairpin" and "The Butterfly Lovers" will be performed in the winter category from December 2 to 4.
Traditional Yueju "He Wenxiu"
The youngsters will not only showcase their Yueju Opera vocal and performing skills from the classics, but also offer fresh, creative, and avant-garde works as part of their repertoire.
"The Butterfly Lovers" is often referred to as China's "Romeo and Juliet." It is a tragic love story between a young poor scholar, Liang Shanbo, and Zhu Yingtai, the daughter of a wealthy family. They return as butterflies after their death.
"Twelve Roles," which will be presented in the summer, is largely inspired by the American film "12 Angry Men."
The jury's 12 members, all from different backgrounds, must deliberate to decide the fate of a child in a murder trial laden with doubt. The diverse Yueju Opera vocalists beautifully depict the jury members' distinct traits. The contemporary play also serves as a philosophical reflection on themes such as economic imbalance and family discord.
Modern Yueju "Twelve Roles"
"The Family," a new adaptation of Ba Jin's famous novel, chronicles the narrative of the decline of a great aristocratic family in 1920s China while simultaneously celebrating the younger generation's fortitude in their battle against feudalism.
Yueju Opera, which developed around 1906 in Shengzhou, Zhejiang Province, is one of China's most popular operas because of its styles of singing and melodies.
According to director Liang Hongjun, the performing season for young performers is held in its fifth year and has become a characteristic of the troupe's image.
Modern Yueju "The Family"
Aside from that, they worked with BesTV to create a Yueju Opera short video series about the 24 solar terms of traditional Chinese calendar. The show will air on BesTV's streaming website as well as on the screens of the city's buses and subways.
"We have a responsibility to nurture the young performers and give them multiple opportunities to learn, practice, and demonstrate their abilities," Liang explained.
Every year, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival and the China Experimental Xiqu Exhibition provide opportunities for emerging traditional opera performers to perform.
Many young traditional opera performers have gained a devoted following among students and young professionals in recent years by streaming how they prepare for a concert and revealing behind-the-scenes anecdotes about make-up and costumes with mobile apps on video websites.
A variety of initiatives have been made to make traditional art forms more accessible to today's youth, including the creation of short opera films and innovative theater renditions of popular tunes.
"Xiqu (traditional theater) has a huge potential to captivate today's young people because it can be imaginatively blended with various art forms," says Chen Daming, a theater critic. "Young performers have an important role in disseminating the art."
