Series commemorates Yueju Opera master's birth
During Friday's gala, well-known performing artists such as Shang Changrong, Xi Meijuan and Fang Yafen narrated Yuan's letters to friends, teacher and students over different periods of time.
Shanghai Yueju Opera Company launched a series of performances and workshops on Friday to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the birth of Yueju Opera master Yuan Xuefen.
The events will offer a retrospective of Yuan's life and artistic achievements. A gala, workshops and classic plays including "The West Chamber," "Soul of Plum Blossom" and "A Traveler's Song" will be staged through November 5.
Yuan (1922-2011) made significant contributions to the development of the art form that originated around 1906 in Shengzhou, Zhejiang Province.
Excerpts of Yuan Xuefen's representative plays are performed by the younger generation of artists.
With influences from modern drama and Kunqu Opera, Yuan launched a reform on Yueju in 1942 by introducing modern stage forms and scriptwriting, lighting and scenery to bring the art form new vitality.
She and other artists also developed the sweet, soft and delicate tunes of the opera and incorporated the acting, posture and dance moves of Kunqu Opera and modern theater into a new performing style.
Many of the plays she performed in the 1940s were adapted from novels. One of her representative works is "Sister Xianglin," based on famous writer Lu Xun's influential novel "Blessing." The Yueju Opera play was later made into a Yueju Opera film, also starring Yuan.
Acting, posture and dance moves were incorporated in a new performing style.
The opera features sweet, soft and delicate tunes.
During Friday's gala that opened the program, well-known performing artists such as Shang Changrong, Xi Meijuan and Fang Yafen narrated Yuan's letters to friends, teacher and students in different periods of time. These letters record both Yuan's devotion to art and care for the younger generation of performers.
Famous Yueju Opera performer Zhao Zhigang recalled that Yuan encouraged him to make innovations in vocal and acting.
With her encouragement, Zhao presented his representative work "He Wenxiu" in 1982 and rose to fame.
The Yueju Opera workshops will gather theater critics and scholars to look back on the reform of the opera, the development of vocal schools and the opera's successful adaptation into films.
