ChildrenlovethepuppetshowandshakehandswiththeMonkeyKing.THISMay,theBeijingTianqiaoPerformingArtsCenterandtheChinaPuppetThea-terwerefullofspectators,whoenjoyedTheFlamingMountainoftheQuanzhouPuppetryTroupe.Amongtheaudience,adozenofforeigndiplomatsattendingwiththeirfamiliesheapedpraiseontheChinesetraditionalperformanceartanditsgloriousachievements.
2,000-YearDramaticArt
Quanzhoumarionetteart,originatedintheQin(221-206BC)andHan(206BC-AD220)dynastiesandbecamepopularinQuanzhouareainthelateTangDynasty(618-907)andFiveDynasties(907-960).
Establishedin1952,QuanzhouMarionetteArtInheritanceandProtectionCenter,ortheQuanzhouPuppetryTroupe,iscommissionedtocarryonthisnationalintangibleculturalheritage.Thetroupenowmaintainsmorethan700traditionalpuppetshowsandauniquetypeofoperaticmusicnamed“PuppetTune”consistingofover300compositions.Ithasalsoformulatedaseriesofmarionettestringpullingskillsanduniquetechniquesforpuppetsculptinganddesign.
TheFlamingMountainisadaptedfromtheclassicChinesefantasynovelJourneytotheWest.MonkTangSengandhisdisciplesarestoppedbyaflamingmountainontheirwaytothewest.ThestoryisabouthowtheMonkeyKingfoughtwiththePrincessofIronFanandeventuallyborrowedthePlantainFantoputouttheflame.Performedonthe“Over-bridgeStage”inventedbythetroupe,thisshowcombinesmarionettes,rodpuppets,handpuppetsandhumanperformancealltogether,whichrequireshighskills.
Marionetteperformancerequiresmultipletechniques,forexample,whentheMonkeyKingdisguiseshimselfasaflyinteacupandisdumpedintothePrincessofIronFan’sstomach,performersneedtoattracttheaudience’sattentiontotheteadrinkingprocess;whentheMonkeyKingisfightingwiththeKingBull,hishandsshouldwardoffthecounterpart’sweapon,performershavetocontrolthebodyandarmsofthecharactertokeepthisgesturethroughlongstringsfromtheover-bridgestageabove;whentheMonkeyKingiswalking,hisfeetneedtobeparallelwiththeground;andwhenrodpuppetsareperformingonthestage,actorsshouldavoidanyexposureoftheirbodiesbehindthecurtains.
Asadramaticartwithahistoryofover2,000years,marionetteperformancehadbeenpopularinChinesepeople’slifebeforethebirthofhumanperformedopera.Nowadays,children’sdramahasbecomedominantformarionetteshows,which,tosomeextent,dilutestheexpressivenessofthisart.Therefore,theinnovativeattemptoftheQuanzhouPuppetryTroupehasgiventhisancientperformingartachancetodisplayitsartisticvitalityandcreativityinapluralisticway.
WangKui,directoroftheTheaterResearchInstituteofChineseNationalAcademyofArts,remarkedafterwatchingtheshowthatQuanzhouPuppetryTroupenotonlypreservesthe700-plustraditionaltheatricalpiecessungin“PuppetTune,”butalsocreatessomeexcellentnewprograms.OutstandingartistslikeHuangYiquehaveraisedthistraditionaloperatonewheights,fullyrepresentingitsvitalityinthenewera.
TheFlamingMountainreceivedtheOutstandingRepertoireAwardandhasbeenperformedfor4,000times.InheritanceandInnovation
Createdin1978,TheFlamingMountainwasawardedtheFirstPrizeforPerformanceintheCelebrationofthe30thNationalDayofthePeople’sRepublicofChinain1979.In2009,itgottheOutstandingRepertoireAward.Ithasnowbeenperformedfor4,000times.
“Inheritanceisnoteverything;wealsomadesomeinnovationsinit.”DeputydirectorofQuanzhouPuppetryTroupeXiaRongfengtoldthereporter,“Therearethreegenerationsofperformersinthetroupe.Onthebasisofmaintainingmarionette’sartisticexpressionwecombinemarionettes,rodpuppets,handpuppetsandhumanperformancealltogether,whichexpandsthewaysofstageperformingartsandpresentstheartisticachievementofcontemporarymarionetteshows.”
Themajoraimofperformingthisancientshowistocultivateanewgenerationofperformers.AsTheFlamingMountainwascreatedinthe1970s,seniorperformershaveallretiredorpassedaway;whentheplaywasre-performedin2016,recordingsbytheoldgenerationwerestillused.Startingfrom2017,thepost-90sperformerswererequiredtosingandactbythemselves.Pressurepushedthemtogrowupquicklyandinacomprehensiveway.
“Lettingyoungactorsspeakandsingbythemselveshelpsthemgrowrapidly.Whenwemaderecordingsforthemthisyear,theyhadalreadymadegreatimprovements.Eachperformanceisanopportunityforthenewgenerationtopracticeandgrow.WehopetheycanintroduceChinesemarionettearttotheworld.”HeadoftheQuanzhouPuppetryTroupeHongShijianexpressedhiswish.
Post-90sZhangYaohuaisathird-generationperformerofMonkeyKing.Hefeelsgreatpressuresincehischaracterneedstojumpupanddownandperformveryflexiblemovements,whichneedagreatdealofpractice.However,afteraperiodofperseveranceandlearningfromtheoldergeneration,theyoungperformer’sdevotionhasreapedfruitfuloutcomes.
LinLin,anofficialwiththeArtDepartmentoftheMinistryofCulture,heapingpraise,said,“TheretrofitofTheFlamingMountainbyQuanzhouPuppetryTroupehasaddedsomeinnovativeideaswhichmakethosecharactersmorevivid.Ifeelsoproudofouryounggenerationofperformers.”
In2012thestrategyfortrainingcominggenerationsofFujianpuppetrypractitionerswasenlistedontheregisterofgoodsafeguardingpracticesofintangibleculturalheritagebyUnitedNationsEducationalScientificandCulturalOrganization.
ForeigndiplomatsattendingwiththeirfamiliessavortheperformanceandheappraiseontheChinesetraditionalperformanceart.
Thenewgenerationofmillennial(bornaroundpost-90’s)puppeteerscontrolthebodiesofcharactersthroughlongstringsfromtheover-bridgestageabove.ArtIsaUniversalLanguage
HongShijiansharedhisfeelingsabouttheperformances,“Ourteamdispatched27memberstoBeijingthistime;mostofthemarepost-90syoungsterswho,forthefirsttime,walkedoutofQuanzhouandstoodonthestageofBeijing.Thesuccessfulperformancebearswitnesstotheachievementsofourtalentscultivation.Weareproudofreceivingaffirmationfromsomanydiplomats.”
TheAmbassadorofLithuaniatoChinaInaMarciulionytetoldthereporter,“Artisauniversallanguage.”Thisclassicrepertoirebornin1979hasbeenperfectlypresentedbyagroupofpost-90sperformers,andeveryone,fromkidstoadults,loveswatchingit.WesternandEasternartsandculturesareeasilyexchangedonthefingertipsofyoungChineseartists.
DavidBartoschisaGermanprofessorwiththeSchoolofInternationalRelationsandDiplomacyinBeijingForeignStudiesUniversity.Hecamewithhisfamily,“Allchildrenlovepuppetshows;inGermany,kidsoftenwatchthem.IfIhadnotbeeninChina,IwouldhaveneverknownthatChinesemarionettehassomanyperformanceskillsandtechniquesthatarefarbetterthanEuropeanmarionette.Thegorgeousperformance,especiallyseeingthosepuppets,largeorsmall,IhadtosaythatChinesemarionetteistopclass.Ifitispossible,wehopetopromotetheexchangesofChineseandGermanpuppetperformances,whichmustbeameaningfulandpleasingfusion!”
HongShijiantoldChinaToday,sinceitsestablishmentmorethan60yearsago,thetroupehasproducedandperformedplentyofexcellentpuppetshows.Thetroupehasmade150-plustourperformancesaroundChinaandtouredover50countriesandregionsworldwide.ItreceivedthePeople’sFriendshipAwardissuedbyChinesePeople’sAssociationforFriendshipwithForeignCountries.IthasbeeninvitedforperformancesattheUNHeadquartersandtheUNESCOheadquarters,attheopeningceremonyofBeijingOlympicGames,inCarnegieHalloftheUnitedStatesandNationalTheaterinBrussels,Belgium,aswellasintheGreatHallofthePeopleinBeijing.