Contemporary China - Yavanika

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fut:"l danced to a chant and percussion while planting the rice helds. \Vhen Communist troops entered the big cities in 1949 they were preceded by frles of dancers performing this simple work forn as a victory theme. In time yangge was applied collectively to various other types of performances that were rlpvolnrrarl frnm it During the 19th century the style of yongge prevalent in Dingxian, Hebei Province, gradually became elaborated as village perfbrnrance: 20 to 30 dancers perfbrmed with a leader, male and female characters confronted each other with a question -response narrative followed by singing and dance movements extended with representational gesture. Elemental themes from village life and ethics wele introduced. A cornic character fiequently added the necessary touch of earthy humour. Drum, gong, flute and rymbals plovided musical ,. ^ ^^ - -,. - : -.- ^ - L dLLUt r I Pdl lll llEll L, Two scholars, Li Jinghuan and Zhang Shiwen, conducted a governnent-sponsored freld project on the Dingxian style in 1932, afterwards publishing an anthology of plays. It was this genre of performance the Communists for.rnd so adaptable and were quick to develop for their needs. Yangge troupes proliferated. More than 30 ofthem staged performances at the 1944 Yan'an spring festival. Their repertoire included a play called The Wite- Haired CirI lBaimao nii l. Reputedly of ballad-recitative origin and based on some actual facts, the play had undergone collective revisions prior to the 1944 presentation. In 1945 a new five-act version was prepared with a script and lyrics by He Jingzhr 17924- ) and Ding Yi (1,921,-). Music based on authentic folk sources was composed for it by Ma Ke (1918-76) and five colleagues. Being directed against abusive social practices long familiar to village tenant farmers, it becane a theatrical symbol of the revolutionaly cause and was constantly performed in the late 1940s and 1950s. The fusion ofsong, music, chorus work and ordinary speech allied to a contemporary setting set The V\htte-HaLrcd Giri apart from either traditional Chinese or modern Western stage practices, though both had clearly offered son're inspiration. [t appealed to an audience fbr whom theatre without song and music was inconceivable and dialogue drama in the Western vcin meaningless in the context of their lifestyle.TheWtttHoired Girl was the first full-length representative ofa new 40 national genre naned cUU, song drama. Flexible in subject matter and musical form it was contenpolary but adaptable to regional traditions. lt was one solution to finding a middle way befween past and present, a long-standing problem of Chinese theatre. Re-establishrnent of the Nationalist capital at Nanjing in May 1946 followed Japan's defeat in 1945. ln 1946 full-scale civil war broke out as the CCP began its drive for ultirnate power. Crippling inflation Ied to economic chaos and social disintegration. The plight of the universities was desperate, the mood ofintellectuals despair. In 1946 Xiong Foxi became head of the Shanghai Municipal Experimental School of Dranatic Art. Sharing the premises of a local rnuseurn and pri rnary school. Xiong's faith in theatre was natched by that ofhis students and stafI. Conbining classroom study with working experience they sustained a continuing series ofperfbrmances for the public in spite of neglible government support. Tian Han, Cao Yu and Hong Shen all taught there after the war. Xia Yen had given up playrvriting for filn wolk and Ouyang Yuqian was working fbr Hong Kong film studios. Dai Ailian, the dancer, another guest of the United States during this period, returned to set up her own school in Shanghai. ln 1949 when the Nationalist governnent left for Taiwan these key artists stayed on to work under the new governnent. It was a decision which was shared by a large proportion of people prominent in both traditional and modern theatre circles. The People's Republic 1949-91: policy and theory On 1 October 1949 the Chinese Comnunist Party (CCP) established the People's Republic of China {PRC)under its Chairman Mao Zedong. In 1966 Mao Iaunched his radical Cultural Revolution in an attempt to preserve revolutionary purify. With his death in September 1976 and the fall ofthe radical 'gang olfour' the following month, economic modernization soon assumed top priority in China's poliry, and in 1981 both the Cultural Revolution and Mao's leadership from 1958 on were largely discredited. Attitudes towards theatre reflect overall CCP policy, which means that thefe have been substantial changes from period to period. However, at no tine has rhe CCp believed it cern with theatre activities al the fact of censorship has br though the extent has varied ( Until 1981, the basic CCp I theatre (and other arts) were in his'Talks at the yan'an ton Art'. Mao declared there thar L ety but also influenced it as ganda, whether it intended t( theatre as representing the int another and advocated that i bourgeoisie and favour the peasants and soldiers. Elsewh the critical assimilation ofrra, theatres. In July 1950 the new gover Culture set up a Drama Re determine precisely how pra should be brought into line I traditional music dramas it re emphasized Chinese patriotis or heroism, equality betwee political prominence of womt drarnas on historical themes emphasize similar topics. On th items considered 'feudal'and r agalnst the poor were banned isms, costunes and other aspe actor's craft were retained, ref abolition of some 'unhealthy, r hero should be shown in a pos ated him before a feudal pers Kowtowing and the 'false foc Changsheng were banned. Ther of 1958 gave strong emphas forms on contemporary them( courage traditional themes. Th and early 1960s, although Stanislavski were donrinant in cles, those of Bertott Brecht als led by Huang Zuoling ofthe Sh Theatre. At a meeting of heads of CC held in April 1963, Mao's wifeJi cular distributed calling for ,thr performance of ghost plays', by any traditional nusic drama r historical item. ln mid 1964 a Opera on Contemporary Then ffi$#;lri 1
EJU, song drama. Flexible rsical form it was contem- :egional traditions. It was middle way between past ding problem of Chinese he Nationalist capital at ,llowed Japan's defeat in :ivil war broke out as the rltimate power. Crippling : chaos and social disintee universities was desperuals despair. ame head ofthe Shanghai School of Dramatic Art. a local museum and pri h in theatre was matched nd stafl Combining class- Lng experience they susls of performances for the ble government support. lng Shen all taught there l given up plapvriting for Yuqian was working for . Dai Ailian, the dancer, nited States during this up her own school in I the Nationalist governse key artists stayed on to rrnment. It was a decision irge proportion of people ional and modern theatre rlic 1949-91: policy lhinese Conmunist Party rople's Republic of China L Mao Zedong. In 1966 Mao rltural Revolution in an Iutionary purity. With his and the fall of the radical ng month, economic modd top prioriry in China's r the Cultural Revolution om 1958 on were largely eatre reflect overall CCP t there have been substanto period. However, at no time has the CCP believed it should relax its concern with theatre activities altogether. As a result, the fact of censolship has been conslstent, even though the extent has varied enormously. Until 1981, the basic CCP policy and theory of theatre (and other arts) were those Mao advanced in his'Talks at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art'. Mao declared there that theatre reflected society but also influenced it as a means of propaganda, whether it intended to or not. He held all theatre as representing the interests ofone class or another and advocated that it should oppose the bourgeoisie and favour the masses of workers, peasants and soldiers. Elsewhere, Mao pushecl for the critical assimilation oftraditional and foreign theatres. In July 1950 the new governmcnt's Ministry of Culture set up a Drama Reform Committee to determine precisely how practice in the theatre should be brought into line with theory. Anong traditional music dramas it retained those which emphasized Chinese patliotisrrl, peasant rebellion or heroism, equality between the sexes, or the political prominence of women. Newly arranged dramas on historical themes were expected to emphasize similar topics. On the other hand, many items considered 'feudal' and siding with the rich againsthe poor were banned. \\hile the tnannerisms, costun-tes and other aspects ofthe traditional actor's craft were retained, reform demanded the abolition of sone'unhealthy' usages. No people's hero should be shown in a position which humiliated him before a feudal person such as a monk. Kowtowing and the 'false foot' devised by Wei Changsheng werc banned. lhe Great Leap Forward of 1958 gave strong emphasis to dranas of all forms on contemporary thernes, but did not disc0ufage traditional themes. Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, although the theolies of Stanislavski were dominant in spoken-drama circles, those of Bertolt Brecht also had a following, led by Huang Zuoling of the Shanghai People's fut Theatre. At a meeting of heads of CCP Cultural Bureaux held in April 1963, Mao's wif'e Jiang Qing had a circular distributed calling for'the suspension ofthe pertbrmance of ghost plays', by which she meant any traditional nusic drama or newly arranged historical item. ln rnid 1964 a Festival of tseijing Opera on Contemporary Themes was held, sig- nalling the near total disappearance of all such 'ghost plays' fi-on the stage for 13 years. In February 1966 Jiang Qing hcld a forum on 'Literature and Art in the Armed Forces'which laid down the line on theatre demanded dr.rring the Cultural Revolution 11966-76). It followed Mao's ideas closely in its enphasrs on class and class strugglc and the mass linc, but placcd an extrenle interpletation on thelrr.'lhus'clitical assin-rilation' of tradition meant retention oi little nlore than the name Beijing opera. All content mr.lst praise the revolr.rtion and the CCP directly, almost all the tr.aditional content, mannerisns and costumes were banncd as espousing feudal ideas and class interests. The Forun also pushed the notion ofa 'n-rodel' drama, one which encapsulated perfectly all the Cultural Revolution's theory of theatrc. Over the following ycars a small number of these 'n-rodels' was devised, and professional drama companies wele allowed to perform more or less nothing else. One of the main featurcs of the 'models' was their characterization, which portrayed the heroes as faultlcss, and the villains as without redeeming teatures. Jiang Qing was the leader of the 'gang of four' and it was not long after theil fall that thc Cultural Rcvolrition's theatre theorywas discredited. In May 1977 several scenes ofa newly arranged histolical drama were restagcd in Beijing. Early the following year the main power-holder ol the new leadelship, Deng Xiaoping, gave explicit approval for the revival of traditional music dramas and these began to trickle baclt, very quickly becoming a vcritable torrent rvhich, as of the rnid-90s, shows no signs of subsiding. Love-stories and patriotic dramas, as well as those about peasant rebels, again reccived encouragemcnt and the themc of rightcd injustice sct in the dynastic pasr becante a useful propaganda weapon on behalf of lcgal reform. Hunour again becane a don-rinant part of the Chinese legional drama, and entertainment was accepted as a nain purpose oftheatre. The main linchpin in the CCP's theatre policy is the need for variety. The range of forn and content continucd to broaden until 1989, on the whole with CCP approval. Up till 1989 attempts to hold back this trend towards liberalization, sucli as the Campaign against Spilitual Pollution in 1983, proved shortJived. In 1982 Mao's 'Talks at the Yan'an Forurn'were partly discredited. ln theory, : i & 4l
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Page 3 and 4: ith professional training. s taught
Page 5: evoking human values and an Han, Ou
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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