Classic love story gets modern twist

When it comes to classic Chinese romantic tales, Romance of the Western Chamber is high on the chart. Written by Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) playwright Wang Shifu, it tells the story of a young scholar Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying, daughter of a court minister, falling in love after meeting by chance in a temple.

Since Cui is strictly "watched" by her mother, Zhang has to express his love in a secret way by reading aloud a poem outside the wall of the temple. When a group of robbers besiege Cui and her mother, Cui's mother declares that she will allow her daughter to marry whoever can save them. With a friend's help, Zhang manages to rescue them, but the mother refuses to honor her promise because he is poor. With the help of Cui's maid, Hongniang, they eventually marry, despite the opposition.

The classic story has been adapted into various art forms, from contemporary plays to traditional Chinese operas, such as Kunqu Opera and Peking Opera.

On July 20, the China National Peking Opera Company announced its latest rendition of Romance of the Western Chamber, which will be staged at Mei Lanfang Theatre in Beijing on Friday.

Peking Opera, also known as jingju, is a 200-year-old art form that combines singing, dancing, acrobatics and martial arts.

"The story of Romance of the Western Chamber is very popular among Chinese audiences. It was a pioneering work about supporting the freedom of marriage. For the feudal society, love was not supposed to be a basis for marriage, as most marriages were arranged by the parents," says Wang Yong, president of the company. "It's full of drama, separation, reunion, heartbreak and a happy ending."

Ye Shaolan, an 80-year-old Peking Opera artist, is the director of the latest adaptation of Romance of the Western Chamber.

Back in 1959, marking the 10th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, a Peking Opera production, Romance of the Western Chamber, was adapted by Chinese dramatist Tian Han (1898-1968). Actors and actresses from the China National Peking Opera Company and the Jingju Theater Company of Beijing performed in the production.

Ye's father, Ye Shenglan, played the role of Zhang, Zhang Junqiu played the role of Cui and Du Jinfang played the role of Hongniang.

"It was an all-star cast and that 1959 version is considered a classic," says Ye Shaolan, who was trained as a Peking Opera actor. He has followed in his father's footsteps, specializing in performing xiaosheng, or young male roles. Ye Shaolan also played the role of Zhang Sheng many times in his decadeslong career. For this new version, Ye Shaolan's student, Peking Opera actor Zhang Bing, will embody the character.

The 1959 version was nearly four hours long, but this new rendition will be about two-and-a-half hours to make it more appealing to contemporary audiences.

Ye Shaolan also notes that Zhang Junqiu (1920-97), a famous Peking Opera actor known for his dan, or female, roles, expertly displayed his performing style in the 1959 version of the opera. That style developed into one of the best-known in Peking Opera performance — Zhang pai, or "the performing style of Zhang", and has been learned by generations of Peking Opera performers since.

With this new version of Romance of the Western Chamber, Peking Opera actress Zheng Fei, who was trained as a Peking Opera actress in this style, will play the role of Cui.

Zheng spent a year training, learning and performing with the Tianjin Municipal Youth Peking Opera Troupe. The head of the troupe, Zhao Xiujun, who is a Peking Opera actress specializing in this style, taught Zheng throughout her time with the troupe.

"Word by word, and one movement after another, she taught me how to perform the role of Cui. Though I have 20 years of experience as a Peking Opera actress, I grew quickly and gained more knowledge about the role and Romance of the Western Chamber during the past year," says Zheng.

Li Chen, a young Peking Opera actress, who specializes in playing huadan, or young, unmarried female characters, plays the role of Hongniang, who is a key figure in the story. She is a go-between allowing Zhang Sheng and Cui to secretly date, and persuades Cui's mother to consent to their marriage. Thanks to the popularity of the story, Hongniang has become a symbol for matchmakers in Chinese culture.