Contemporary China - Yavanika

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l-- awareness. In 1931 the League of Left Wing Dlamatists was fomred. Tian Han and Hong Shen bccane active mcmbers. Plays wlitten and produced to portray current political social problems were vigorously promoted in schools and factories. The Japancse attack on Shanghai in 1932 intensificd theatrical protest, to which the Nationalist government responded with a campaign ofrepression, forcing leftist theatre underglound. Tian Han and other League nembers were arrested as a deterrent. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) began organizing theatre for political action soon after the party's establishment in 1921. In 1931 the Chinese Soviet Republic was declared with its capital at Ruijin. Perfolners werc recruited locally and provided with dramatic training, political education, their food, clothing and a subsistence pittance. Troupes trained at the CCP school in Rr,rijin were then attached to army units fbr service in rural terlitory and the front line. This work culminated in the organization of a Workcrs and Peasants Dramatic Society. Song, dance and mime were indispensable to appeal to audiences whose solc concept of theatre was provided by traditional opera. An extensive dranatic network firnctioned on this basis and contributed to establishing a pcrnanent theatre-training school at the CCP wartine base in Yan'an. Advocacy of drama as a factol in social educatlon was also manifest on the National side. In 1932, Xiong Foxi (1900-65), a plapvright-tcacher'- producer who had studied theatre in Aurerica, was invited by the National Association for Advancement of Mass Education to initiate a theatre project in the lural district of Dingxian, Hebei Province. Living among the peasant conlnunity provided him with authentic material fbr writing and producing plays with local people as actors. Within three years the troupe was staging self-supporting productions which attracted considerable notice. The Japancse invasion fbrced Xiong to lead his group to unoccupied west China. There, as the Farmers Resistance Dramatic Corps, they performed to mass audiences. Political tensions notwithstandiltg, thc 1930s witnessed the rise of a socially conscions theatre given credibility by the con-rn-ritrnent of its plactitroners. New drarnatists were at work to capitalize on this advauce, at tines workrng in filln with its emotive capacity fol evoking human values and national sel)timent. Tian Han, Ouyang Yuqian and Hong Shcn all turned to filn as advisers, directors and scenario writers. A complernentary and continuing relationship was cstablished between the modcm stage movement and the film studios. Xia Yan (1900-95), Japan-returned dramatist and scenario writer, was representative of this trend. His nvo early stage plays Under a Shanghar RooJ (Shanghai n,r,yon xia) and SaiJtnhua were considered major contributions to the nodern repertoire. The first portrayed the alienation and suffering oftenenent dwellers in a grcat city. The second concerned a celebrated Chinese courtesan, one of whose alliances was with Count Alfiecl von Waldersee, the German commander of the allied forccs which occupied Beijing to relieve the Boxer siege in 1900. Arguably the most important playrv[ight of this period was Cno Yu, a graduate in Western literaturc froln a Beijing universiry. His hrst play, Thuntlerstorm (i.ciyl), directed by Hong Shen and Ouyang Yuqian in 1935 for the Fr.rdan University Dramatic Clnb, Shanghai, was an immediate success. Cao Yu had studied Greek drana and admired Eugene O'Neill and Anton Chekhov, influences discernible in this play with its dark commentary on thc Chinese farnily systen and the social degrada. tion it cansed. Cledibility of characterization and rcalistic dialoguc, allied to an intuitive sense of theatre, stanped this play as a breakthrough for indigcnous dialogue drana. Cao Yr.r's second play Srndse (Richa) portrayed the corruptive power of naterialisn and won him a literary prize. W lrierness ( Yaanye), M eto m orpho si s lShuibi an), P eking, Mon ltseijint ren) and forniiy (/ia) followed, establishing him as a dramatist ofsocial conscience. Tnunderstornt was taken throughout the country by Thc China Travelling Dr-arnatic Troupe, founded in Shanghai in 1934 by Tang Huaiqiu. His goal was a modern repertory theatre on a financially viable basis. A co-operative unit, they achieved a homogeneous quality in their acting. Thtnderstorm broke all box-office records for modern theatre and this was followed by Hong Shen's equally successful Lady Wind.ermere's lan. The troupe's aim seemed close to realization when in 1937 waf intervened. Thcy moved their basc to Hong Kong fbr a brief period, but that too fell to the Japanese at the end of 1941. In Decernber 1937 rheau Tian Han, mer in Hankou to t Dramatic Associrtion to R umbrella fol all warrime th February 1938 Tian Han be governtrrent's Cultural Work of the Propaganda Section, a ship was rpplied to all Henceforward nrodern lheat to national propaganda need united theatre people as neve vocation. they responded wi to take propagandist theatre Nationalists and Communis concept ifwith divergent idec The rapid advrnce of rhe it the Nationalisr governmenrt at Chongqing. Sichuan Prov major cducarional organiza together with those prominen arts. Thc emorional cilmale manifesro ot Xiong Foxi for hi west China: 'Cultivate mod artisl's passion and a soldi China's spiritual regeneratio Students of the co-educati Acadenry of Dramatic fur, fr evacuated to chongqing, ma debut staging streer plays and A favoured technique entailed entering teahouses and drat seemingly spontaneous dia affairs. Lack of pernranents equlpment in wartime territc hundreds of itinerant troupe erary nren frequenrly joined sionals. Urban intellectuals a tion shared a new direct relat of dramatic activities. Tian Han, official spokes wartime, encouraged these tre tenl for lhe future. He adap Beijing-opera favourites as Th zhuan) for nodern productio time, his version becanre sla Ouyang Yuqian worhed clos during those years, leading a patriotic plays. Hong Shen rar and taught film lnd drama ir was a time of shared skills and 3B ;'
evoking human values and an Han, Ouyang Yuqian and to film as advisers, directors A complementary and con- ,tas established benveen the :nt and the hhn studios. Xia 'eturned dramatist and sceesentative of this trend. His ys Undcr a Shanghai RooJ d SaiJinhua were considered r the modern repertoire. The nation and suffering oftene- [eat city. The second con- Chinese courtesan, one of with Count Alfred von n conmander of the allied Beijing to relieve the Boxer mportant playwright of this graduate in Western literauniversify. His first play, irected by Hong Shen and |5 for the Fudan University hai, was an immediate sucd Greek drama and admired ton Chekhov, influences disith its dark connentary on tem and the social degradality of characterization and ed to an intuitive sense of play as a breakthrough for rama. Cao Yu's second play rd the corruptive power of rn him a literary prize. tamuyhosis lShuibian), Peking mily (Jia) followed, establishofsocial conscience. (en throughout the country g Dramatic Troupe, founded 'Tang Huaiqiu. His goal was eatre on a financially viable rit, they achieved a homogeacting. Ihunderstorm broke br modeln theatre and this ; Shen's eqr.rally successful The troupe's aim seemed ren in 1937 war intervened. e to Hong Kong for a brief ll to theJapanese at the end ln Decernber 1937 theatrc leaders, including Tian Han, tnet in Hankou to organize the National Dramatic Association to Resist the Eneny, an umbrella for all wartime theatrical activities. In February 1938 Tian Han became director of the government's Cultural Work Committee and head of the Propaganda Section, iind a zealous censorship was applied to all dramatic activify. Henceforward modern theatre was subordinated to national propaganda needs. A call fbr resistance united theatre people as never befbre. Itinerant by vocation, they responded with travelling troupes to take propagaDdist theatre to the lulal masses. Nationalists and Communists sharecl il conmon concepr ifwith divelgent ideological intent. The rapid advance of the invading fbrces drove the Nationalist government to set up their capital at Chongqing, Sichuan Province. Universities and major educational organizations followed then, together with those proninent in every field of the arts. The emotional climate was typified by thc manifesto ofXiong Foxi for his theatre students in west China: 'Cultivate modern drama with an artist's passion and a soldier's discipline to aid China's spiritual regeneration. Students of the co-educational Nanjing National Academy of Dramatic Art, founded in 1935 and evacuated to Chongqing, made their professional debut staging stleet plays and'living newspapers'. A favoured technique entailed actors anonymously entering teahouses and drawing an audience by seemingly spontaneous dialogues on current affairs. Lack of pennanent stages and technical equipment in wartime territory did not deter the hundreds of itinerant troupes. Academics and literary nen frequently joined forces with professionals. Urban intellectuals and the rural population shared a new direct relationship as the result of dramatic activities. Tian Han, official spokesman fbr theatre in wartime, encouraged these trends as a healthy portent for the future. He adapted such traditional Beijing-opera favourites as The \4&ite Snake (Boishc zhuan) for modern production. Criticized at the time, his version became standard after the war. Ouyang Yuqian worked closely with Tian Han during those years, leading a troupe that toured patriotic plays. Hong Shen ran a theatrical troupe and taught hlm and drama in the universities. It was a time of shared skills and commitnents. Xia Yan's plays successfully car.rghthe public's mood. Typical was City oJSorrols (Chouchengji) satirizing life in Japanese-occupicd tclritory. Put down Your Wry (lang,xia nide btanzi) denounced Japanese aggression and was outstanding among the mass of propaganda pieces being produced. Cao Yu, in contrast, wrote nothing after his adaptation in 1941 of Ba Jin's novel Fanrily. Xiong Foxi became disillusioned with governmcnt ccnsorship policy after serving as head of the Sichuan Provincial College of Dramatic Arts. He left for Guilin in the southwest where he engaged in writing and editorial work until 1945. Wartine Chongqing saw the germination of a national dance movement resulting fiom the wolk of Dai Ailian (1916 ), a Tlinidad-born Chinese danseuse. Aftcr studying ballet in lngland, patriotic motives led hcr to wartime China. While teaching in Chongqing she began studying local folk and minority nationality dances. With a team of pr.rpil assistanls she travelled to outlying areas researching and notating choreographic techniques, evcntually forming her owu conpany. Her pioneering work then prepared the way fbr organized dance educatior.r in China later. The tangential ingredients of narrative, solrg and descriptive gesture in folk dance embodied primal elemcnts of Chinesc theatrical comnunication. They appealed directly to the uncomplicated emotive responses of peasant audiences. Both Nationalists and Cor.nnunists sought to profit frorn this factor in their wartine sensitivity to fblk tradition. The Communists were the more uncompromising. The artistic criteria of folk genres were subordinated to theories ofproletarian drama created to eliminate the aesthetic 'elitisrn' of the old theatre. Following the Long March of 1934-5 the Cornmunists set up their base in the loessic caves at Yan'an in northern Shaanxi Province. Thele in May 1942 Mao Zedong gave his 'Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art'. In them he expounded his Marxist manifesto destined to become the bible of all Chinese cultural endeavour. He spoke at the Lri Xun Art lnstitute which trained troupes to adapt old folk-perfornance methods to new content. One such ancient form nuch utilized by the Comnunists was the l,angge rice-planting song. Originally-yangge referred to simple rhythmic steps 39
Page 1 and 2: a THE CnMBRIDGE GUIDE TO il,;X h &,
Page 3: ith professional training. s taught
Page 7 and 8: EJU, song drama. Flexible rsical fo
Page 9 and 10: Ince reatre in China since 1949 are
Page 11 and 12: )pen space. Street theatre is lcial
Page 13: divergent women as l contemporary C

Contemporary China - Yavanika

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