介绍:
Sun Wukong, known as "The Monkey King", is a collective memory for Chinese people of all ages. For years, the story of renowned Chinese classic novel "Journey to the West" continues to inspire not only hit films and television works, but also stage performances.
"Havoc in Heaven" is one of the most popular part of the story. It depicts a mischievous stone-born monkey who acquires supernatural powers and challenges the Emperor of Heaven. With colorful dramatic elements and brilliant martial arts, it has attracted many fans.
Peking Opera star Song Yan (松岩) knows exactly why the classic character can easily connect with audiences regardless of their age and culture.
"I think the reason why people love Sun Wukong is because the show has rich movements but fewer lines. The naughty, humor figure of Monkey king conveys relatively simple thoughts without losing its culture connotation. Any audiences can enjoy the show depicting the pretty character with active performances."
52-year-old Song Yan was born in a family of opera artists. At the age of 6 years old, he began to learn Peking Opera as a "wusheng" (武生), an acrobatic role that often portrays young warrior characters. He started to play the role of Monkey King in the early 1990s. From then on, his outstanding performances captured the essence of both magnificence and grace has been highly praised among the Peking Opera circle.
Song Yan recalls his childhood as a time of getting used to countless somersaults and painful stretching, since the level of acrobatic skill required by the role high and it involves a lot of physical comedy.
"The monkey is active, therefore you must have a steady foundation of being a Wusheng. It&`&s a detailed art from makeup skills to all the body movements. As an actor playing the heroic Sun Wukong, you must have various skills in wielding different kinds of weapons, which needs more than a decade of hard work, sometime a simple movement can require months of practice."
The experienced Monkey King performer is also the head of a Beijing-based Peking Opera troupe established in the 1930s. Over the past decades, the troupe has had hundreds of performances in more than 10 different countries.
Troupe leader Song Yan says the show of Monkey King provides a wonderful gateway into the world of Chinese theater performance.
"In their eyes, the character is cute, brave, and has a strong personality with a sense of justice, similar with superhero images in the western world. Also the mystical colors made the story similar to Harry Potter or the Lord of Rings. Even if people&`&s aesthetic standard different from culture to culture, the figure of Monkey King is welcomed universally."
However, compared with its popularity overseas, the traditional art form is facing difficulties domestically. Half a century ago, there were some 2,000 troupes crisscrossing China performing traditional operas, now the figure is less than 100 nationwide. Some people just see Peking Opera as a dying art.
Veteran performer Song Yan says he believes the art can stand the test of time, and he is taking on the challenge of introducing the art form to a new generation.
"The age of multimedia has given birth to more kinds of modern arts. It also brought challenges to the traditional arts like Peking Opera. Nowadays young actors are facing higher social pressure and more choices, but still, I believe the foundation empowers a man to go further. Young people need to be more down-to-earth. To keep and protect this cultural legacy left by our ancestor is important. At the same time, we should learn how to manage it and search for new opportunities for its development, while waiting for the next golden era of Peking Opera."
Last year, the troupe has created a modern play based on the story of Peking Opera and had great market success and it is preparing for a second tour. Currently, the troupe is working on a musical of the Monkey King, which combines traditional Peking Opera flavor with modern stage performance elements.
Song Yan says traditional arts should also keep pace with the times.
"It will be hard to promote Peking Opera if you only stick to the traditional part, sometimes we can try it from another angle. I always believe that art belong to audiences, whether their interest always comes first."
Years have passed since the image of Monkey King was first shown in stage performances, the heroic Chinese legend is still attracting the younger generation. For all the people still insisting on this traditional performing arts, all they need is patience and the will to be more creative.
