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

performing industry when I was young. I remember round wooden trays about 2 feet in diameter
with two long pieces of wood to station and align wood pieces together. Each tray had a hole in
the middle for stacking the trays together in the crowded boat when they are not in use. The tray
was used to carry dishes and bowls of rice. Usually one tray with two dishes was served to a
party of six apprentices, musicians or performers. The trays were placed on the floor instead of
on the ji coeng (boxes for costumes) so that the food did not make the costumes dirty. People eat
while squatting on the ground; it is not elegant for other people to see, but the practice lasted
until the 1960s.
The food was usually not much to distribute among 6 people. Besides the good quality rice,
usually two dishes and one salty dish were served. The salty dish enhances the flavour of rice so
that the young and active performers could stay full if food were not enough for these people.
Rice was ample, and is usually in good quality because those lead performers who could afford
to pay the cooks to make extra food usually wanted good rice for the meal.
Ling: I heard from Mr. Wong Toa that singers in the earlier days sang at higher register.
Yuen: After moving to indoor performance, performing at higher pitches to be heard better was
no longer necessary. Singers are singing 2 to 3 semi-tones lower. With the availability of
microphones, performers now sing with the assistance of the device. Performers no longer need
to strive to practice volume as it used to be.
Ling: Do you know when harm seu gor 132 songs become popular?
Yuen: Probably after the Republic of China was established [1911]. Before that time, opera
performances were oi gong ban [Non-Pearl Troupes].
Ling: What were some common traditional plays you learned as an apprentice?
Yuen: Plays like San Tung Huang Ma and Ping Gua Bi Yiu. At the time of being an apprentice, I
hardly think other than what si fu taught—just learned whatever was trained.
Ling: I admire your effort in arranging teaching material and preservation of the art, and I knew
that you and Dr. Sau Y. Chan had spent tremendous time to design teaching material for Hong
Kong schools.
Yuen: I had discussed with Dr. Chan that performance and research should come hand in hand.
Ling: Do you think that there were both female and male performers on Red Boats?
Yuen: I think there were just male performers, we will have to verify that. 133 Male performers
did the dan (female role).
132
Narrative songs of the fisherman, the Dan Gaa. The boats were their permanent homes.
133
I called Mr. Wong Toa after the interview, he confirmed Mr.Yuen’s statement that there were just men on the allmale
troupes.
60