(East thing asked) Liu Lanfang: Why does Quyi "always have its vitality"?
China News Agency, Beijing, March 31st: Liu Lanfang: Why does Quyi "always have its vitality"?
"China News Weekly" reporter Huang Wei Bao Anqi
In mid-December 2021, Liu Lanfang's newly edited storytelling book "New Douluo Continent" was launched on platforms such as Himalaya.
The storytelling books she said have combined to have billions of hits in the Himalayas.
Recently, China News Agency's "East and West Questions" interviewed Liu Lanfang, a storytelling performance artist, trying to tell her artistic life and the growth opportunity of Quyi in the new era, and answer why Quyi "always has its vitality".
quyi troupe
Anyone who is familiar with Liu Lanfang knows that she stays up late every day, revising or reciting words every night.
This is a habit formed when I was studying in the Anshan Quyi Troupe.
In 1959, 15-year-old Liu Lanfang was admitted to the Anshan Quyi Troupe and became a student.
Before joining the group, Liu Lanfang learned the Northeast Drum, so he officially worshipped Sun Huiwen, who sang the Northeast Drum in the group as his teacher.
But she also has a teacher, Yan Chuntian, a blind stringer who has not officially worshipped the door.
Yan Chuntian found that she worked hard, had a good voice, and sang emotionally, so he proposed to help her "replace and relocate".
After that, she went to Yan Chuntian's house to "walk her throat" after eating breakfast every day.
There is a large mirror on the cabinet in his house, and Liu Lanfang practices his posture in front of the large mirror every day.
Afraid that the sound of the drums would disturb the neighbors, Yan Chuntian asked her to use the cabinet as a drum.
Finally one day, Yan Chuntian said, "Okay, your drums can be played well, and the chords can be closed." At that time, she had made a deep hole in the cabinet.
In 1962, Liu Lanfang became an official actor.
She went on tour with the troupe to perform in other places and listed "Jing Zhong Shuo Yue".
Books are taught by teachers, but they only teach Shuliangzi for about 40 minutes.
But one game lasted two and a half hours, and the rest was made up by myself.
Every night, she had to think hard about the words she would say the next day. If there were not enough words, she went to Yan Chuntian. Yan Chuntian always told her not to worry, and then searched her stomach to help her make up a paragraph.
But sometimes the words on the stage are not enough, and they have to be made up, and the audience loves to listen to improvised things.
Yan Chuntian was not only her teacher, but also her matchmaker. She introduced her to Wang Yinquan, who was the leader of the folk song and rap team in the Anshan Quyi Troupe at that time.
In 1965, the two got married. After marriage, they worked on storytelling together, performing one performance and creating another, and they have been with each other until now.
Liu Lanfang (right) studied Sichuan language from famous drama actor Zhao Fan.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Yang Zuohuan
Famous overnight
In 1979, Li Xiyuan, deputy director of the Literature and Art Department of Anshan People's Broadcasting Station, found Liu Lanfang.
At that time, no radio station in the country broadcasted traditional storytelling. Li Xiyuan wanted to break through this restricted area, and decided that Liu Lanfang would take the lead. It was up to her to consider which one to record.
After discussing with Wang Yinquan, she proposed to record "The Biography of Yue Fei", and Li Xiyuan simply agreed.
Recording on the radio cannot temporarily add "small concerns" (referring to small plots and stories) like storytelling in the tea house, and it must have a script.
At that time, the task of performing in the troupe was very heavy. She performed two performances in the tea house a day. In the afternoon, she talked about "Ming Ying and Martyr", and in the evening, she said "The Great Sui and Tang Dynasties", and she had time to write the script after 9 pm.
She wrote first, and Wang Yinquan continued to write in the middle of the night.
Every time I finish writing a few times, I go to the radio to record when there is no performance in the morning.
On September 1, 1979, "The Biography of Yue Fei" was first broadcast by Anshan People's Broadcasting Station.
In less than a year, it was broadcast on 66 radio stations across the country.
At that time, at 12:30 at noon or 6:30 at night, as long as someone shouted, "It's time! "Yue Fei Biography" is here!" The children rolling iron rings and playing marbles hula and ran clean. net.
Every household was standing by the radio and listening intently.
Semiconductor radios are sold out in many places.
Liu Lanfang became an instant hit, and various honors followed one after another. He was soft-hearted when he won awards, and even joined the party and became a model worker.
In 1985, she was elected as the vice-chairman of the Chinese Quyi Artists Association, and in 1993, she was appointed as the deputy director of the Anshan Municipal Bureau of Culture.
In December 2001, she was elected as the vice chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, and in 2002 she was elected as the chairman of the Chinese Music Association.
Liu Lanfang told the public about "The Biography of Yue Fei" at the Majie Book Fair in Baofeng County, Henan Province.
The Horse Street Book Fair, also known as the "Thirteen Horse Street Book Fair", has a history of more than 700 years.
Photo by Wang Zhongju issued by China News Agency
apprentices
Liu Lanfang has two disciples, one is the Northeast drum and the other is storytelling.
There are 30 disciples in the storytelling gate.
Wang Shuangfeng, the "apprentice", was Liu Lanfang's first apprentice when he toured Heilongjiang in 1980. He was only 16 years old at the time, and is now an inheritor of storytelling in Anshan City.
Wang Shuangfeng remembered that since she knew Liu Lanfang, Liu Lanfang seemed to memorize the words every night, until two or three o'clock in the night.
When she went to see Liu Lanfang, Liu Lanfang often said, "I've made a new joke, and I'll tell you about it." With this, she can go all the way from home to the restaurant.
In 2020, at the age of 76, Liu Lanfang can still memorize the new storytelling "Academician Zhong, a Mountain in the Hearts of the People".
Guankou is something that people cannot think about. You must memorize it thoroughly before you can blurt it out.
"Why is it so easy to talk? I'm all in awe. Everyone admires my master's hard work." Wang Shuangfeng said.
Liu Chao was a female disciple accepted by Liu Lanfang from the Kunming Military Region Art Troupe during his tour in 1982 (officially apprenticed in 1994).
She said that Quyi is a one-man show with one or two people, and one person is a small workshop. Many people take their own things very seriously, and there is a feeling that they cannot be passed on, lest others pay too much.
This is because the literature and art of teahouses used to be like this. Half of a cup of tea is money for books. You can listen to it every day, but you can’t steal it. When you see your peers coming, you will change the words.
But Liu Lanfang is not like this, he is "over the truth".
She remembered that Liu Lanfang once gave her a lecture on the famous episode "Bringing Your Favorites" in "The Biography of Yue Fei".
This is a very wonderful single paragraph, with unique character voices and scene descriptions with a strong sense of picture. From the beginning, people have a sense of substitution. It is called "prescribed situation" in the way of drama, and the way of storytelling. It's called "putting the last child".
Liu Lanfang gave her an analysis, how to make a body, how to make a fan, and the voice of the storytelling should be alto, that is, from the chest cavity.
Wang Fengchen started late and only met Liu Lanfang in 2005, but ranked 18th overall in Liumen.
Since 2005, more than 90% of Liu Lanfang's new short paragraphs and long book Wang Fengchen have participated in the creation.
She built a creative team consisting of Wang Yinquan, Yang Qingjiang and Wang Fengchen.
They wrote the first draft, which was then processed by Liu Lanfang.
When Wang Fengchen had not yet entered the school, Liu Lanfang asked him to help convert "Xuanyuan Yellow Emperor" into a storytelling.
After he finished writing a part, he received a phone call from Liu Lanfang, she said, "vassal, you have figured out our storytellers!" He secretly rejoiced, but he heard Liu Lanfang continue to say: "You tell us these storytellers. It's all messed up, I've learned it all!"
She said, what you wrote, ah, ah, ah, are all "words", these should not appear in your blueprint, and there are many life-saving words in it, do you understand what is a life-saving word?
Wang Fengchen said, I don't understand.
She said that when everyone comes on stage to tell a story, there will be a short circuit in their head. For example, when Zhang San came over from a distance, Li Si looked up and said, "Oops!" This gives you three seconds to think, which is "help!" word".
You can't add that word to me, I'll use it when I need it.
She also said, why did I ask you to help me create?
If you write something like this, don't I know better than you?
What I want is the thinking of your young people, and what I want is fresh blood. I have to learn from you in this regard. Don't give me old things.
Wang Fengchen is a night owl, Liu Lanfang sleeps very late every day, often calls him at 12 o'clock in the evening, flips through the manuscript and says, "I'm looking at your manuscript, I don't understand something here, I'll talk to you about it. You discuss and discuss." If you go to her house during this time, you will find manuscripts piled up on the table and sofa, as well as pens, scissors, and glue, and she looks haggard due to lack of sleep.
Often Wang Yinquan and Wang Fengchen think it's OK, but she thinks it's not enough. She often says "I'm afraid of breaking the brand".
Liu Lanfang instructs storytelling enthusiasts in the basic skills and skills of Yuefei Primary School in Tangyin County, Henan Province.
In recent years, people's cultural life needs have become increasingly diversified. The older generation of storytelling artists may have passed away or have passed away one after another. Fewer and fewer people talk about storytelling, learn storytelling, and listen to storytelling, and there are few successors. It is urgent to cultivate inheritors.
Photo by Chang Zhongzheng issued by China News Agency
New Storytelling "New Douluo Continent"
Wang Fengchen felt that Liu Lanfang's popularity was due to the time, the right place, and the people.
Her generation happened to be in the era of the transition between old and new art.
Since he was a child, he has worked hard to make a living, and he has laid a very solid artistic foundation.
But when the artistic life was at its most mature, it caught up with the "Golden Age" of storytelling in the 1980s and 1990s.
"Many people now say that storytelling has declined, but it's not true. Storytelling has always been like this throughout history. It never became a mainstream art except in that 'golden age', but its vitality has continued."
He said that the emergence of new media has just given storytelling an opportunity to grow, but now he can support himself with storytelling.
Liu Lanfang loves to read online novels and has watched thousands of episodes.
She regards reading online novels as an opportunity to learn a new language. After reading it, she found that online novels, like the art of storytelling, create suspense and make people addicted.
In mid-December 2021, platforms such as Himalaya launched her new storytelling book "New Douluo Continent".
This is based on the classic time travel fantasy novel, and Wang Fengchen also participated in the adaptation.
He said that it was the first time he and Master had contacted to adapt the novel of fantasy time travel into storytelling, which was an attempt to win over a new generation of young audiences.
It is very difficult for Master to broadcast this storytelling, because it needs to be memorized completely. It is better if there are plots. It is especially difficult for those strange and mysterious things such as soul skills, moves, weapon names, etc., which are very challenging. Big, but at the age of 78, her condition has not decreased. After the show was broadcast, she liked it.
Liu Lanfang believes that no matter when, Quyi will always have its vitality, because it comes from the grassroots and the people like it.
The number of storytelling books she mentioned had a combined hit rate of several billions in the Himalayas, and she was shocked when she saw it.
Shao Qiushi, who served as her business assistant, held grievances for her. She felt that she did not make a lot of money like other storytellers, but she said that she "made a name".
She said that storytelling has a history of thousands of years. Since ancient times, storytellers have been eating, drinking, and hugging when they are popular, but the night scene is bleak. Get a thin-skin coffin.
In today's society, artists are called literary and art workers and artists (of course, they are now called "artists", she said), and their political benefits are not low. They also have pensions.
(over)
Interviewee Profile:
Liu Lanfang in the performance.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Yun
Liu Lanfang, a famous storytelling artist, a national first-class actor, enjoys special allowances from the State Council.
The tenth honorary member of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.
Honorary Chairman of China Quyi Artists Association.
Since 1979, more than 100 radio stations have broadcast her long storytelling "Yue Fei Biography", which has caused a sensation in the whole country and influenced overseas.
Later, he wrote and broadcasted more than 30 storytelling books such as "Yang Jia Jiang" and "Dream of Red Mansions", and won many national literary and art awards and the national "May 1st Labor Medal" and "March 8th Red Banner Bearer".
On September 25, 2020, he won the title of "Lifetime Achievement Quyi Artist of China Federation of Literary and Art Circles" in the 11th China Quyi Peony Award.