Beijing, 4 Apr (ZXS) -- Taiwan youths watch the Kunming opera "Man in the Grass and Trees"
Written by Zhu He
"'If man is ruthless, tea is nothing more than grass and trees; If people have affection, grass and trees are life', this sentence that runs through the whole play makes me feel very touched by the warmth between the two sides of the strait. With love, the barriers and barriers in people's hearts can also be broken. On the evening of the 15th, the Kunqu opera "People in the Grass" was performed in Beijing, and when he walked out of the theater to be interviewed by a reporter from the China News Agency, Taiwanese youth Zhang Yuzhong was still immersed in the plot.
On the same day, the "Friends of Taiwan Youth Salon Activity", sponsored by the Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee and undertaken by the Beijing Municipal Committee of the Kuomintang Revolutionary Committee and the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, invited 16 Taiwanese youths to the Chang'an Grand Theater to watch the newly created Kunqu opera "Man in the Grass and Trees" that tells the story of the two sides of the strait, and communicate with the main creator.
On the evening of April 4, the Kunqu opera "Man in the Grass and Trees", which tells the story of the two sides of the strait, was performed at the Chang'an Grand Theater in Beijing. Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhu He
In the Qing Dynasty, Lin Fengchi from Nantou, Taiwan, raised people in the Fujian examination, and brought back Wuyi camellia saplings when he returned home, and planted them in Taiwan's frozen peak mountain and gradually became large-scale, thus achieving Taiwan frozen top oolong tea. "People in the Grass and Trees", created by the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater, tells this story.
The Kunqu opera "People in the Grass" tells the story of Lin Fengchi, a scholar in Nantou, Taiwan, who brought tea saplings from Wuyi Mountain in Fujian back to his hometown, thus achieving the story of Taiwan's frozen oolong tea. Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhu He
When the actors closed the curtain, the applause from the audience lasted for a long time. "The character design is cute, and the wonderful interpretation of the main creator is more flexible and lively", the distinctive characteristics of the characters in the play impressed Zhang Yuzhong, the male protagonist's "obsession" with love and tea and the playfulness of the female protagonist are quite close and modern, narrowing the distance between the audience and the tradition.
Zhang Yuzhong's family is in Taichung, Taiwan, adjacent to Nantou County, and his family loves tea, and he has heard the story of frozen oolong tea since he was a child. Watching Kunqu Opera for the first time, he was originally worried that he would "not be able to enter the play", but after watching it, he said that he would enter the theater in the future.
"Xiaosheng listened here for a long time, although he didn't understand it very well." In an interview outside the theater, Zheng Tingxuan, a Taiwanese student at Beijing Normal University, sang a Kunqu opera. He has been in contact with Kunqu opera for six years, from "Jade Hairpin" to "Peony Pavilion", in which he has sung classic lyrics at his fingertips.
On the evening of April 4, the Kunqu opera "Man in the Grass and Trees", which tells the story of the two sides of the strait, was performed at the Chang'an Grand Theater in Beijing. Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhu He
As a veteran ticket holder, Zheng Tingyi also praised "People in the Grass and Trees": the starring role is an excellent young actor, and the screenwriter and singing voice composer are old artists, "it is the embodiment of the traditional art 'passing on the gang'"; The play uses dance to interpret tea opera, and the singing voice and performance form are also integrated with innovative elements, indicating that opera needs to be constantly updated in order to conform to the trend of the times; Connecting the two sides of the strait with tea and Kunqu opera calls for the people's sense of belonging to traditional culture.
Dai Meijin, a young man from Beijing and Wei Tingying, a Taiwanese wife who came to watch the play, were deeply moved by the love story of the hero and heroine crossing the strait in the play, "Cross-strait marriage is very difficult, but fortunately, through ups and downs, we can also walk together like people in the play."
On the evening of April 4, the Kunqu opera "Man in the Grass and Trees", which tells the story of the two sides of the strait, was performed at the Chang'an Grand Theater in Beijing. Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhu He
Zhang Qingying, member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and director of the Liaison Department of the Central Committee of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, sent a message to young friends to feel the love between people and between people and nature through the play, and further understand and understand that the cross-strait culture has the same roots, economic solidarity, and blood ties are linked.
"Both sides of the strait have inherited traditional Chinese culture, and tea culture is indispensable." Fang Tongtong, the director of "People in the Grass and Trees", told the China News Agency reporter that the screenwriter of the play, Mr. Wang Baokan, is over 80 years old, and the experienced old artist loves tea very much, so he began to create based on the story of Taiwan's frozen oolong tea. The script arrived in the hands of Fang Tongtong, and after more than three years of polishing and preparation, it was moved to the stage in March this year.
Fang Tongtong said: Drinking tea is a common thing in the lives of people on both sides of the strait. Brewing a cup of tea to reminisce, wash the past, and precipitate the soul, "is a very comfortable state". He hoped that young friends on both sides of the strait would smile after watching this play.
Recalling that in 2009, he went to Taipei with cross-strait exchange activities to find creative inspiration, "gentle and soft" is the biggest feeling that Taiwan brought to Fang Tongtong, "The locals always speak softly, and they are also very humble in dealing with people, and this softness comes from the long-term immersion of traditional culture." This also inspired his creation of "Man in the Grass and Trees".
Fang Tongtong expects that this drama will go to more places, "so that people who care about both sides of the strait can see the cultural heritage and the deep emotional relationship between people between the two sides of the strait." (End)