Xiqu

Liyuan Opera originated in Quanzhou, Fujian. With a history that goes back to more than eight hundred years, it is one of the oldest theatrical genres in China that are still extant today. It is sung in the Quanzhou dialect of the Minnan (southern Fujian) system.

Liyuan Opera is categorically divided into three streams, the shanglu, xianan and the xiaoliyuan. The shanglu stream consists of a large number of traditional libretti and scores of the nanxi (Southern Opera) of the Song and Yuan period (960 – 1368), the content of which is largely inspired by stories on the themes of patriotism, filial piety, chastity and righteous spirits. The libretto of Zhu Maichen has faithfully followed the incomplete edition of the original script that was orally transmitted by actors of the older generations. In reviving the play, the troupe had made no additions or changes to it in a bid to retain as far as possible the original staging, reproduce the plotline, and re-present the folk culture through the use of ancient dialects and slangs of southern Fujian in the lines and lyrics. The play has therefore been lauded as an invaluable gem with high cultural value and is worth of research. In the xianan stream, the stories mostly come from folklore; an example is Singing the Beggar’s Ditty from Li Yaxian, which is imbued with the vivid, interesting details of everyday life. As for the xiaoliyuan stream, its stock repertoire consists of many plays from nanxi that dates back to the early Ming period (the second half of the 17th century). This stream is distinguished by the delicate, insightful acting of artists performing the sheng (male) and dan (female) roles. Lu Mengzheng belongs to the nanxi of the Song and Yuan period (circa 10th to 14th centuries). It is in the stock repertoire of the eighteen pengtou plays of the xiaoliyuan stream. Another xiaoliyuan repertory The Story of the Rabbit, with an alternative title as Liu Zhiyuan, was one of the four major nanxi plays of China. Its ancient provenance makes it a rare legacy of the traditional genre of Liyuan Opera. The upcoming shows are performed by the company cast led by Zeng Jingping, Representative Bearer of Liyuan Opera as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage and two-time winner of the Plum Blossom Award for Chinese Theatre. They will re-enact the quaint charm of the theatrical genre dating back to centuries ago.

“Zhu Maichen (Remnant Extant Version)”

Zhu Maichen is a play in the traditional repertory of the shanglu stream of Liyuan Opera. It is also one of the stories on the theme of Lanke Mountain retained in Liyuan Opera. Although out of all the episodes, only five have been retained through the oral transmission of artists of older generations, namely Forced to Write the Annulment, Dissuading Dong Cheng, Sweeping the Streets, Asking Grandpa Zhang to Speak on Her Behalf, and The Final Reunion. While these are only incomplete editions of the original script, the five episodes suffice to give the framework of the entire play. In the revival process, the troupe had made no additions or changes to it in a bid to retain the original as far as possible. The troupe has maintained the stance to ‘revive the old version as much as in its old form’. Since its premiere, Zhu Maichen has garnered a lot of attention, and has been commended as ‘a rare theatrical piece on the contemporary stage, with high cultural value and being worthy of research.’ Unlike other genres using the same theme and story, the Liyuan Opera version of Zhu Maichen offers a happy ending, where ‘spilled water can be retracted, and a split couple can reunite’. By virtue of this, instead of a tragedy, it is a comedy through and through. On its premiere evening, the audience was totally taken by surprise, and could not help laughing happily. The use of ancient dialects and slangs of southern Fujian in the lines and the lyrics also add to the vernacular cultural interest.

Zhu Maichen has fallen into hard times and the worst of luck as well. Already in his middle age, he has not been able to attain any official position. His wife, Zhao Xiaoniang, has been goaded by a matchmaker to divorce Zhu so that she can remarry, eyeing for Dong Cheng. She refuses to change her mind despite much dissuasion from Grandpa Zhang, and forces Zhu to write an annulment letter so she would be free. Dong Cheng’s uncle hears of this, and sternly forbids him in harbouring such thought. Now having left her husband and lost her chance to remarry, Zhao cannot but make a living as a weaver. One day, she is sent by the yamen (ancient administrative office) to go and sweep the streets clean. She happens to see Zhu, who had gone to the capital to sit for the civil examination with the money Grandpa Zhang gave him and finally plucked the laurels. He is now returning home as prefect of the place. Zhao goes up to him and begs to be accepted again. Zhu spills some water in front of his horse to show what a hopeless case she has. Having suffered the insult, Zhao returns home with remorse. She goes to Grandpa Zhang to tell him how poorly she has behaved and now repents. She begs Zhang to go to see Zhu in the hope that he can bring him round. By then, Zhu has already married the daughter of Minister Ni at the capital. On his official trip home, he has brought with him his wife and his mother-in-law. With Grandpa Zhang speaking on Zhao’s behalf, and his mother-in-law’s generous declaration that ‘in loving her son-in-law, she would love his former wife Zhao, too’, Zhu decides to take Zhao back.