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Shijiazhuang Sixian Opera Troupe of Hebei

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16/7
Tue
7:30pm

Excerpts

Dreaming of Her Future Husband

This is a one-actor show that requires the actor to portray various characters such as the protagonist’s mother, elder brother and his wife, younger sister of her husband etc. through versatile performing techniques in singing, acting and dancing, especially the masterly acts of using the handkerchief and the fan. The libretto contains the characteristics of quyi, or ‘sung art’, in Chinese performing arts.

Xiao’er of Zhujia Town in Henan is frustrated at not having any marriage proposals. One night, she dreams of getting married and boarding a bridal sedan chair, her heart filled with sweetness amidst booming fireworks, clanking gongs and guests galore. On the way, Xiao’er cannot hold back her excitement and takes a peep at her husband. In the bridal chamber on their wedding night, the young couple cavorts…. Suddenly she awakes to find it is all but a dream.

Cast: Zhao Hongli

 

Kou Zhun with His Boots on His Back

This is an excerpt from The Story of the Golden Bell. There are routines specific to this genre such as ‘going round the stage’ to suggest covering long distances, and specially choreographed miming acts for this playlet using the boots for comedic effect.

The story takes place during the Song Dynasty. Pan Hong frames a case against the loyal and illustrious Yang clan. After Ren Tanghui dies as Yang Liulang’s double at the frontier, Liulang’s older brother Yanzhao secretly escapes back to the Capital and hides in a cellar under the back garden of the Yang Residence. At the time the Liao State is laying a siege against the Song Emperor.  Kou Zhun and the Eighth Prince visit the Yang’s in the hope that they would deploy their army to help. They detect signs that Liulang is still alive. During the night, Kou Zhun follows Liulang’s wife, Princess Chai, secretly to check and finds Liulang. The Yang clan, which has been loyal to the court for generations, takes up arms once more to protect the country from invaders.

Cast: Wang Huiying, Cai Junping

 

Chasing After the Son-in-law

This playlet, also known as The Jade Chess Set, is from the traditional repertory of Sixian Opera. It has a comprehensive cast of xiaosheng (young civil male), xiaodan (young female), laosheng (old man), laodan (old woman) and qingyi (virtuous female). The vivid characterization is enhanced by the realistic depictions of everyday life. The most compelling part of the story is when the Huang mother and son leave the Su’s Residence in a thunderstorm and the Su’s are in hot purchase. The actors need to engage in acrobatic stunts such as the ‘headlong flip’, ‘dragging the feet’, ‘crouching stance’ etc. to convey the anxiety and fear in them.

Wang Fujun, the Imperial Marshall of the Zhou Court, is framed by a villainous courtier. His son Tianshou escapes to Su Zhang’s home with his mother. Su offers them refuge and marries his daughter Ling to Tianshou. One day, the couple has an argument over chess, resulting in Tianshou and his mother running away from the Su Residence. On hearing this, Su Zhang, his wife and Ling chase after the two into the countryside. The couple make up after being lectured upon by the respective parents.

Cast: Zhang Yong, Lu Huijuan, Zhang Baoying, Cai Junping, Zhang Shugai, Fan Lijuan, Zhang Yu

 

Li Tianbao Paying His Last Respects from A Tearful Mourning

This is the prized repertoire of Bian Shusen, the famous artist and exponent of the national theatrical heritage, Sixian Opera. It is one of the few comedies in the Sixian genre, threaded through by the vernacular vocal style of singing.  In A Tearful Mourning, the core sung passage consists of over a hundred lines, which need to be delivered with varying patterns, a stylistic touch, the undulating emotions etc.

Scholar Li Tianbao was orphaned at a young age, and when his home is burnt down, he finds refuge at his maternal uncle’s home with the wish to marry Zhang Fengjie, his long-betrothed cousin. Fengjie’s parents snub him for being poor and lie to him that she has died from a sudden illness. On hearing the news, Tianbao is devastated and wants to pay his respects at the Zhang family home. But actually Zhang Zhongshi and his sister Ailian have hatched a plot to hoodwink Tianbao with a mourning altar. When Tianbao pays his respects at the altar, the plot misfires. The Zhang brother and sister quarrel over money, and the latter takes the case to court on Tianbao’s behalf. After a heated debate, half of Zhongshi’s assets go to Fengjie and Tianbao, who complete their wedding rites on the spot.

Cast: Bian Shusen

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17/7
Wed
7:30pm

The Empty Seal Box

This is a classic repertoire of Wang Yongchun, a famous virtuoso in Sixian Opera. In the story, when He Wenxiu finds out he has lost the official golden seal, he thinks hard to find a way to get out of the predicament. To externalize the thinking process and the emotional turmoil, the actor needs to use the ‘headgear wings’ and make them move up and down, whether singly or doubly, rotating clockwise and anticlockwise etc. As for the actor playing Chen Jian the local magistrate, he needs to depict, at times subtle and at times exaggerated, his feelings when he has the empty seal box in his hand. The acting is likened to Chinese painting styles – sometimes in the high realism of gongbi, and at other times, the sweeping brush strokes of xieyi and conveying emotions with excellent control.

The imperial commissioner He Wenxiu and his old servant Zhou Neng head for Hangzhou to investigate the murder of Magistrate Wang, travelling in disguise. But their secret mission is leaked out to Chen Jian the local magistrate by an informant. Chen sends a pirate, Sun Long, to assassinate them at the river crossing. The duo cleverly escapes unscathed. He Wenxiu is requested by a girl Li Yueying to tell her fortune at her home. From her, He learns of the many crimes of Chen Jian and Sun Long and gets to the bottom of the case in question. In order to thwart He, Chen orders all inns not to take in guests. He and Zhou can only stay at a brothel, where they inadvertently leave behind the golden seal, which the pimp hands over to the magistrate. Chen tries to lay a charge against He for a crime punishable by death. Zhou hatches a clever plot which sees the official post set alight and the seal recouped. Chen Jian the magistrate and Sun Long the pirate are charged and sentenced to death.

Cast: Zhang Shugai, Zhang Zhanguo, Zhang Baoying, Ma Xinyi, Liu Ruduo, Fan Lijuan, Ma Baojun

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18/7
Thu
7:30pm

The White Gauze Robe

This is another classic made famous by Wang Yongchun of Sixian fame. The twists and turns in the plot make this a highly compelling piece of drama. The section in which Yao Da is tried at night is the climax of the story, and the actor playing this faithful old servant needs to perform the masterly act of ‘spinning the tea cup’.  He needs to fling the cup onto the tray and make it roll clockwise several times before turning the tray to make the cup roll in an anticlockwise direction.  Yao’s dilemma between the urge to tell the truth and the fear of retribution on leaking the old master’s treacherous secret of murder is well delineated through this.

Su Yun travels to Lanxi with his wife Zheng Shuying to take up an official post. When they pass Qiantang River, they are sacked by a pirate Xu Neng who also abducts Zheng. On the evening when she is to marry the pirate, an old servant Yao Da frees her.  Zheng escapes and reaches the riverbank where she gives birth to a baby boy. Xu chases after and forcibly takes the baby away for his own and names Xu Jizu. Eighteen years later, Jizu plucks the laurels in the imperial examination and is appointed Imperial Commissioner. Zheng sues Xu at the court of the Commissioner. Xu finds out and orders Yao Da to kill her. Jizu sets up a trial of Yao in the night and gets to know the truth. Mother and son are re-united, the pirate Xu Neng is executed, and the wrongs of an eighteen-year-old case are redressed.

Cast: Zhang Helin, Zhang Zhanguo (Also as Yao Da); Yu Junxian, Zhang Yu (Also as Xu Jizu); Zhang Baoying, Liu Ruduo, Gao Wenmao, Li Fengyun, Zhang Jie

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Bian Shusen
Bian Shusen is a National Class One Performer and a representative exponent of Sixian Opera, a genre inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of China at National Level. He trained in the susheng (bearded male role) under Feng Guangting, one of the ‘Four Great Actors in Bearded Roles’, and Wang Yongchun. His repertoire spans xiaosheng (young civil male) and laosheng (old male) roles, and his singing styles cover both the robust and the gentle. His adept use of his voice to express emotions has made him the forerunner of a stylistic school known by his surname, the Bian School.  He has a rich repertoire of well-known works to his name. His representative works include Li Tianbao Paying His Last Respects.

Zhang Helin
Zhang Helin is a National Class One Performer and a representative exponent of Sixian Opera, a genre inscribed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of China at National Level. He was born into a family of actors. He first received his operatic training under his father. At twelve he was already performing as lead actor in several plays. As a mentee of two maestros in Sixian Opera, Feng Guangting and Wang Yongchun, he is recognized to be the true exponent of their artistry.  He sings with rounded, rich tones that can touch the audience’s heart. As for action stunts, he is known to choreograph with creativity. His representative works include The White Gauze Robe, The Empty Seal Box, Chasing After the Son-in-law.

Yu Junxian
Yu Junxian is a National Class Two Performer. She started her career in Sixian Opera at the age of eleven. She specializes in xiaosheng (young civil male role), and was coached by the famous artist of Sixian Opera, Wang Yongchun. She was also a mentee of the Jin Opera artist, Guo Fengying.  She is endowed with a sonorous voice, sings with a broad range and clear diction, has a handsome stage persona, and performs with insight and distinct character.  Her representative works are The Empty Seal Box, The White Gauze Robe andChasing After the Son-in-law.

Zhang Baoying
Zhang Baoying is a National Class One Performer. She has won many awards, including the Best Lead Actor at the Shanghai Magnolia Awards for Chinese Theatre – Performing Arts, the ‘Red Prunus’ Prize for Chinese Traditional Theatre, an Outstanding Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival, an Excellence Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Tournament of Hebei. Her representative works are The Empty Seal Box, The White Gauze Robe and The Legend of the White Snake.

Liu Ruduo
Liu Ruduo is a National Class One Performer and is the mentee of Xi Yanhong, a famous Peking Opera artist. He won a Silver Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre, an Excellence Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre Competition – Hebei Tournament, an Outstanding Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival. The representative works are The White Gauze Robe, The Empty Seal Box and Zhong Kui.

Cai Junping
Cai Junping is a National Class One Performer and won a Performance Award at the National Young Actors’ Grand Prix in Excerpts from Gems of Regional Opera, a Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival, a Class One Award for Performance at the ‘Hundred Flowers’ Award for Theatre of Hebei. The representative works are Kou Zhun with His Boots on His Back, The Number One Scholar as the Matchmaker, Five Daughters Offer Their Birthday Greetings.

Zhang Zhanguo
Zhang Zhanguo is a National Class Two Performer and won a Gold Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre, an Outstanding Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival. His representative works include The White Gauze Robe, The Empty Seal Box and Chasing After the Son-in-law.

Zhang Yong
Zhang Yong is a National Class Two Performer and won an Excellence Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre Competition – Hebei Tournament, an Outstanding Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival. His representative works include The Crossroad.

Zhang Shugai
Zhang Shugai is a National Class Two Performer. She won a Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival, a Gold Award at the Hebei ‘Red Prunus’ Competition for Theatre and a Class One Award at the Shijiazhuang Theatre Festival. Her representative works are The Empty Seal Box, The White Gauze Robe.

Zhao Hongli
Zhao Hongli is National Class Two Performer. She won an Excellence Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre Competition – Hebei Tournament, a Class One Award at the Yan-Zhao ‘Red Prunus’ Competition of Hebei, a Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival. Her representative works include Dreaming of Her Future Husband.

Wang Huiying
Wang Huiying is the disciple of Sixian Opera artist Bian Shusen. He also received coaching from Sixian Opera artist An Luchang in the repertoire of Kou Zhun with His Boots on His Back. He is the winner of an Outstanding Performance Award at the Hebei Theatre Festival, a Gold Award at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre, a Grand Prize at the ‘Red Prunus’ Chinese Traditional Theatre Competition – Hebei Tournament. His representative works are Li Tianbao Paying His Last Respects, Kou Zhun with His Boots on His Back.

Zhang Yu
Zhang Yu trained at the Shijiazhuang Art School under the famous artist of Sixian Opera, Yu Junxian, with a specialism in xiaosheng (young civil male role). She plays important roles at The White Gauze Robe and The Empty Seal Box. She won an Outstanding Young Actor Award at the Hebei Young Actors’ Prix in Excerpts.

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16-18/7 Tue-Thu 7:30pm
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Theatre, Hong Kong City Hall

 
• With Chinese and English surtitles.
• Please refer to the ‘Extension Activities’ page for details of other extension activities.
• Each performance lasts approx. 2 hours and 30 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.

Click here to download the transcript.