RED BOAT TROUPES AND CANTONESE ... - University of Georgia

on a hill, or at the river-bank early in the morning. Depending on personal features, talent, and
the ability of the apprentice, s/he was assigned one, two or sometimes three role types. A more
senior performer of similar role type served as a si fu (teacher). The si fu, either a sheng, a dan, a
chou, or a jing passed his own singing, recitative, movement, acrobatic or kungfu techniques to
the younger performers. In return, the apprentice helped take care of his si fu’s errands such as
costumes, props, serving tea and sometimes buying special food and cooking for the teacher.
For the red boat troupes, the official starting date of the performing year was customarily
the 18 th day of the sixth month on the lunar calendar (usually around July in Western calendar)—
this is one day before the birthday of Gun Yum, a deity. 71 The season lasted until the first day of
the sixth month of the following year. On the opening day of the season, performers of all the
troupes, led by the managers, gathered at the baat wok wui gun (Eight Harmony Guild for the
Performers) at Wong Saa for a ceremonial ritual. The wu sheng (lead-male kungfu character of
the troupe) held the name plaque of the troupe (called “water plate”) 72 and paid tribute to the
deity Waa Gwong, while loud instruments and fireworks escorted everyone back to the boats and
the plague was hung. Naturally, no ceremony was complete without the generous burning of
incense to the deities. It was believed that deity worship was absolutely essential for blessing all
activities in a performing season such as travel safety, cooperative weather conditions, smooth
human relations, and good health of the troupe members. Some taboos associated with the
ceremony, such as women walking on the ship-board, were strictly prohibited. Also, appearance
of a carp onboard was considered a bad omen for the upcoming opera season. Since the carp
was believed to be the reincarnation of the dragon without the bones, eating carps was prohibited
71 Wong, Toa. Hung sun tam bai, 17.
72 The name of the troupe was written in gold color with black in the background
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