From "post-30s" to "post-90s", a family of three generations jointly guarded the "Passing Dream"
The North Sichuan big puppet belongs to the category of stick puppets. Unlike other puppets, the northern Sichuan puppets are the size of real children, and the form of performance is not limited by the type of play, especially when the small actors perform on the stage with the large puppets ("Yin and Yang class"), it is really difficult to distinguish, and is quite unique .
North Sichuan puppet show on stage. Photo courtesy of Sichuan Puppet Theater
In Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, there is such a family. The three generations of them inherited the skill of puppetry in the north of Sichuan. Among them are the "post-30s" Li Siyuan who is still performing on stage at the age of 80, the "post-60s" Li Le who innovated in inheritance, and the "post-90s" girl Li Yujing who is determined to inherit ancient art from "post-30s" to " "After the 90s", they jointly guarded the big puppet "inherit the dream".
From the age of 8 to the age of 84, he insisted on the big puppet interpretation for more than 70 years
A big puppet with Cao Cao's appearance in a Sichuan opera is as flexible as a real person under Li Siyuan's tricks and steps. I saw that he used a trick, the hat on Cao Cao's head rose magically into the sky, and then the wide robes fell unbelievably off the ground, just like Cao Cao was hit by Lu Bu fire attack in Puyang City, and was beaten to death Scene of escape ...
Recently, the reporter saw Li Siyuan, a heir to the puppets in northern Sichuan, in Nanchong City, Sichuan Province. Although he was more than 80 years old, he was still full of energy. A special show called "Burning Puyang" was performed. The reporter told his story about the puppets in northern Sichuan.
Li Siyuan performed "Burning Puyang". Photo by Han Jinyu
Li Siyuan was born into a family of puppets. His grandfather Li Yuezhi was the founder of Li Jiaban. His father Li Zhangmu and his uncles Li Zhangfu, third uncle Li Zhanggeng, and uncle Li Zhangxiang were all important members of Li Jiaban. At an early age, Li Siyuan had a strong interest in puppets. At the age of 8, he learned to play with a group. At the age of 10, he officially worshipped his uncle Li Zhangxiang as a teacher. Li Siyuan showed great talent in the performance of large puppets. Perform many puppet shows independently.
Wherever he went, Li Siyuan and his elders walked all over northern Sichuan, bringing people a wonderful puppet show. In the 1950s, the Northern Sichuan Puppet entered Beijing as a representative of local art and was well received. Afterwards, Li Siyuan also led Li Jiaban to perform performances and exchanges in northern Sichuan puppets in more than ten countries, pushing this ancient Chinese folk art to the world.
Li Siyuan instructed students to train. Photo by Han Jinyu
"Living like a real person is the characteristic of big puppets." The big puppet in northern Sichuan is different from other small and medium puppets. It is not only bigger in size, but also more like a real person in appearance. "The big puppet features are vivid, and there are organs in the eyes, eyebrows, mouth and other places, which can show a variety of expressions in the performance." Li Siyuan said.
Big puppet production. Photo by Han Jinyu
In terms of performance form, the big puppet also has its uniqueness. Unlike other puppets, the head of the big puppet is inserted in the waist, and the puppet moves with others. During the performance, the performer not only needs to operate on hand, but also needs to take good steps and sing good lines at the same time. "If you want to play big puppets, you have to practice basic skills, and you must learn and master the acts in the operas such as birth, dan, net, end, and ugliness." Li Siyuan said with a smile.
The most distinctive feature of the big puppet is the "yin and yang class". Li Siyuan said that the height of the big puppet is about four feet, and it is the size of a real child. During the performance, the seven or eight-year-old actor and the big puppet are on the stage at the same time. different.
The troupe students are training. Photo by Han Jinyu
Li Siyuan has been performing arts for more than 70 years since he was 8 years old following his grandfather Li Yuezhi's performances in big puppetry. The original Li Jiaban also developed into the Sichuan Province Puppet Theater. For decades, Li Siyuan has worked hard to protect, inherit and develop the North Sichuan Puppetry. In June 2006, the North Sichuan Puppetry was included in the first batch of countries Intangible cultural heritage list, he was named the national "intangible cultural heritage" project North Sichuan puppet show inheritor.
The big puppet changed face stunt. Photo by Han Jinyu
Li Siyuan trained generations of performing art successors for the big puppet show. Tang Guoliang, Zeng Biyong and Li Le were selected as national second-level actors. Today, there are more than 80 new generation actors in the North Sichuan Puppet Theater. Despite teaching successors from generation to generation, he will still perform on stage at the age of 84. "As long as my body allows, I will continue to work hard to pass on the puppets."
Exploring the inheritance and innovation of Big Puppet, he is a "great brother" among the population
"Brother Master is here" "Brother Master" ... Whenever Li Le walks into the troupe, young people always like to call him "Master Brother" cordially. Li Le, who is in his 50s, is Li Siyuan ’s nephew. He has been learning the skills of big puppets for more than 40 years. Now he is a national second-level actor and a provincial “intangible cultural heritage” project heir to the Sichuan North Puppet Show.
Li Le is training. Photo by Han Jinyu
Li Le lived in a puppet family from an early age. When he was young, he was influenced by the elders of his family. In 1979, Li Le entered the Yilong County Puppet Theater and became a performer. However, after four years in the troupe, Li Le chose to leave for some reason. "Perhaps it's because of puppetry with big puppets." Li Le sighed. In 1985, when the Yilong County Puppet Troupe recruited puppet actors for the second time, he signed up again. Facing this lost opportunity, Li Le was determined to train hard and polish his skills.
Li Siyuan is instructing Li Le on the performance details. Photo by Han Jinyu
Diligent and hard-working Li Le has lived up to his father's teachings. He has been active on the stage for many years, performing many representative works such as "Jade Lotus", "Stunt Collection", "Myth of Colorful Butterfly", "Longmen Legend" and so on. He boldly innovated on the basis of inheritance. In the performance of traditional characters, he perfectly integrated drama and dance, and interpreted the role played more vividly.
North Sichuan puppets perform calligraphy performances. Photo courtesy of Sichuan Puppet Theater
"We have to inherit the traditional skills, but we must innovate in the inheritance. Only in this way can the old art have new vitality." Li Le said that he and his uncle Li Siyuan have been exploring how to reform and innovate the big puppet. "The advantage of big puppets is that they can absorb a variety of performance forms." The puppet's face-changing, fire-breathing, spitting smoke, writing, and other difficult and complex movements are all based on production innovation.
The big puppet performs the "spit smoke" stunt. Photo by Han Jinyu
In order to better inherit the art of puppetry, Li Le also gave lectures on the art of puppetry for college students at West China Normal University. The research work on the intangible cultural heritage of the puppets in northern Sichuan. "Inheriting and developing the puppets in northern Sichuan, and letting more people understand and love this ancient art, has always been my goal." Li Le said.
Let ancient art radiate new vitality. She is the youngest inheritor
With the sound of the drums and drums of the Sichuan opera, the classic repertoires of the Northern Sichuan puppets "Bullfighting Palace" and "Burning Puyang" were staged in front of the Confucian Temple in Nanchong. Li Siyuan and granddaughter Li Yujing held great puppets on the stage to show their stunts, one young and one young, and their cooperation, which caused the audience to applaud and applaud. "When I was very young, I toured with my grandparents. Since then, I have been interested in big puppets." 25-year-old Li Yujing is currently the youngest inheritor of North Sichuan big puppets.
"After I started to practice the puppets, I realized the difficulty." Li Yujing said with emotion when talking about the performance of the puppets in northern Sichuan. At the age of 15, Li Yujing went to Chengdu to study Sichuan opera, and laid the foundation for practicing puppets. After more than 2 years of learning, she officially began to learn art from the age of 17.
Li Yujing is performing "Bullfighting Palace". Photo by Han Jinyu
Li Yujing told reporters that practicing puppets requires not only Sichuan opera foundation, but also arm and leg strength. "Big puppets generally have more than ten to twenty pounds, and the heaviest can reach 40 pounds." Such a large puppet is not easy to lift, and it is necessary to hold on to move and operate. For girls, it is too much. Difficult.
Ten minutes on stage and ten years of work off stage, in order to achieve the level of performing on stage, how much hard work has been done on weekdays, only Li Yujing knows best in his heart. "It takes two and a half hours to train in the morning and afternoon, and the process is very simple and boring, and there are times when I have to practice myself." Li Yujing recalled that although it was hard, she never thought of giving up, the path she chose. Keep going.
Li Siyuan and granddaughter Li Yujing performed together. Photo by Han Jinyu
Recalling the first performance on stage, Li Yujing said with emotion: "The performance was" Golden Sea Mountain ". The first performance was both exciting and exciting. At that time, I was very cautious on the stage and was afraid of making mistakes. I still remember clearly. When I finished the performance and saw the audience applauding and cheering, I felt that all the hard work was worth it. "
"Close to grandpa, this is the goal I set for myself." Li Yujing said that although grandpa and parents did not put pressure on herself, she has always demanded herself. Promote the puppets in northern Sichuan, and strive to let this ancient art radiate new vitality.
"In the future, I will also let my children come to understand and contact the Sichuan Puppet." Li Yujing laughed.
Author: Kim Woo Han, what Hay