Opening tradition up to today

When the audience walked into Star Theatres one Saturday night recently, they were presented with an unusual sight. The stage had been transformed into a courtroom and the audience, who sat on three sides, were not merely observers but active participants in the exploration of themes that resonated deeply — love, betrayal and redemption.

They were attending a contemporary production of the Yuju Opera Resurrection, which had its Beijing premiere on Oct 11. The performance opened the 11th edition of Xiqu Opera Black Box Festival, which is a showcase of contemporary presentations of traditional Chinese operas. The festival runs until Dec 31.

Small theaters have become trendy venues for young people in urban areas to get a taste of traditional Chinese opera with a contemporary twist — changes to anything from the method of storytelling, to the music, stage design and costumes. With three auditoriums, each with a capacity of about 200, Star Theatres was the first venue of its kind in Beijing and since it was founded in 2007, it has become a center of attraction for drama aficionados in search of experimental productions.

For artists striving to popularize theater among the young, such venues are a platform on which to experiment with new technology, explore the psychological portrayal of characters, and enhance appreciation of Chinese operatic genres among the young.

Adapted from the last novel written by Leo Tolstoy in 1889, the Chinese stage production of Resurrection features veteran Yuju Opera actors, giving both the novel and the opera a contemporary twist.

Yuju Opera is one of the most popular Chinese regional operas and has a rich history and distinctive characteristics that set it apart from other forms. Its musical style incorporates a variety of traditional instruments, including the erhu (a two-stringed fiddle), the pipa (a four-stringed lute), and the yangqin (a hammered dulcimer), and the singing style is characterized by its clear articulation and emotional expressiveness.

Tolstoy's novel is a social panorama of Russian life in the late 19th century, from the upper to the lower classes. The plot follows Dmitry Nekhludoff, a young man from high society, who seduces Maslova, a maid in his aunt's household. When she becomes pregnant and is dismissed, she spirals downward into prostitution. Ten years later, Nekhludoff is doing jury service at a murder trial and meets up with the defendant, who turns out to be Maslova. He feels guilty, and comes to see his actions as the source of her downfall — all the more so when she is mistakenly convicted and sentenced to hard labor — and decides to devote himself to saving her.

In the Chinese adaptation, the story takes place against the backdrop of early 20th century Shanghai. The protagonists are Liu Daofu, a young man from a wealthy family, who has returned to Shanghai after studying abroad, and a young maid, Qiu Hua.

As the audience are immersed in the unfolding drama, they are invited to explore the interplay between personal salvation and societal upheaval.

The cross-shaped stage represents the crossroads of existence, on which characters face pivotal decisions that will shape their destinies. At the intersection, Liu and Qiu embark on a journey of redemption, confronting their pasts and the weight of their choices.

The very design of the stage encourages the audience to reflect on their own lives, emphasizing the universal nature of struggle and the quest for forgiveness. Surrounding the stage are stones that symbolize a mire, evoking the challenges and entanglements that often impede progress. This imagery powerfully conveys the sense of being trapped in circumstances that seem insurmountable. The presence of broken furniture serves as a poignant reminder of the turbulence and instability of the times, grounding the narrative in a historical context that resonates with viewers.

"This is our first stage production for small theaters. The three-sided seating allows spectators to be enveloped in the performance, and breaks down the barriers typically present in traditional theater," says Yuju Opera actress Zhang Yanping, who plays the role of Qiu. "As the audience sit in close proximity, they see every nuanced expression, and hear every whisper, making the emotional highs and lows of the characters more palpable. This intimacy creates an atmosphere where the audience feel they are not just observers, but integral parts of the story, sharing the characters' joy and sorrow."

Zhang, who is the director of the Center for Protection, Inheritance, and Development of Theatrical Arts of Zhengzhou, Henan province, has been performing Yuju Opera since she was 11. In 2015, the 55-year-old was awarded the China Theatre Plum Blossom Award — the country's top award for theater and opera performers.

She says that Yuju Opera encompasses a wide range of themes, including historical events, folklore, love stories, and moral tales. Its narratives often focus on human relationships, loyalty and justice, reflecting the values and traditions of Chinese culture.

"It's a challenge for us to tell a romantic story with Yuju Opera, and it's also very hard for me to play the role," says Zhang, adding that Yuju Opera performers emphasize physical expression and movement, using gestures, facial expressions, and body language to convey narrative. "I used two different singing styles to interpret the role. Huadan is a specific role reserved for lively and youthful women characters. The vocal style used for singing this role is also bright and lively and requires a clear, high-pitched voice. I used it to portray Qiu as she falls in love. When her life becomes miserable after she is abandoned, I turned to the qingyi role, which is usually used to depict mature, elegant and reserved women, and sang with a more controlled voice to express deeper emotion.

"Although we only had six performers and four band members onstage, far less compared to bigger stage productions that involve nearly 100 people, we got warm feedback from the audience, especially young people," she says.

Over the course of the next three months, the 11th edition of Xiqu Opera Black Box Festival will present 18 productions of traditional Chinese operas by 15 troupes at Star Theatres.

Highlights include the Peking Opera production by students of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Er Chou, which is adapted from The Government Inspector, the Russian comedy by Nikolay Gogol, and Cantonese Opera production The Imperial Decree, produced by the Xiqu Center at the West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.

"The most appealing thing about staging traditional Chinese operas at smaller theaters is that it breaks the routine of traditional opera, and the creative team is able to employ a different way of storytelling, including flashbacks and interposed narration," says Lyu Jia, director of the Kunqu Opera production, Jin Shengtan, which will also be staged during the festival.

It follows the story of Jin Shengtan, a prominent literary critic, essayist during the late Ming (1368-1644) and early Qing (1644-1911) dynasties.

"We used absurdist techniques to portray Jin Shengtan, weaving divergent thinking that transcends time and space through multiple layers of dreams," the director says. "Sharp, dark humor will be combined with the storytelling, immersing the audience in intense emotions."

Zhou Long, artistic director of the festival's organizing committee, says: "Traditional Chinese operas are ancient and highly stylized. We want to present traditional Chinese opera artists, who are trying to break the frame of old art forms, to present new and creative productions."