When It Is Dark Enough, You Can See the Stars

Yutangchun is a classic traditional Peking Opera. Its story first appeared in Volume 24 of Feng Menglong's JingShiTongYan during the Ming Dynasty, titled "Yutangchun Meets Her Husband in Adversity". After the Four Anhui Opera Troupes (SiDaHuiBan) entered Beijing during the Qing Dynasty, Yutangchun became a classic Peking Opera repertoire. The earliest known record of a performance of Yutangchun is from the 7th year of the Jiaqing era (1802), performed by Lu Longguan from Sanqing Troupe. This play has been refined on stage for over two hundred years. 

Shi Yihong's Yutangchun is a show I have been looking forward to for a long time, firstly because this play has many arias, including various "Xipi" and "Fan Erhuang" vocal styles, which are very enjoyable for the audience to listen to. Secondly, the character of Su San has experienced many ups and downs in her life, so when she recalls her past, her emotions are complex. Whether the actor can portray Su San as a fully fleshed-out character, rather than just singing like a radio, is a real test of their skill.

After watching the performance, I felt that Shi Yihong performed exceptionally well. From the perspective of singing and dialogue, her voice is broad and bright, her enunciation is very clear and full, and she knows how to use her voice well. When dealing with some "Jiaoban" sections that require high notes, she doesn’t forcefully sing higher (which can easily cause the voice to crack); instead, she uses a technique where she slightly lowers the note and then pushes it higher, which makes the sound even more pleasant.

Additionally, Shi Yihong's performance was very delicate. For example, when Su San sings the "Fan Erhuang" section while hiding her written statement, which is a lyrical aria, Su San’s emotions at this time are mixed with both joy and sorrow. The joy comes from the fact that she is about to be escorted to Taiyuan to have her case retried, possibly giving her a chance to turn things around. 

The sorrow comes from her being wrongfully accused and imprisoned, while Wang Jinlong never shows up. Shi Yihong conveyed these emotions through her facial expressions, her slow pacing, and even the slightly accusatory gesture when mentioning Wang Jinlong. 

When Liu Bingyi was about to use torture, she knelt on the ground and sang "Daren ah". Facing punishment and the three judges who could decide her fate, Su San was filled with fear and trembling. Shi Yihong's hands were shaking as she sang this part. Later, during the interrogation, when she mentioned her unjust suffering, her emotions were filled with grief, but when she recalled the moments with Wang Jinlong, there were occasional moments of happiness. 

Overall, Su San is a young woman wronged, so her expressions and body movements cannot be too exaggerated. However, she also cannot be too subdued; when the three judges discuss her case, she needs to have some reaction instead of just kneeling and resting. Shi Yihong's understanding of Su San’s character and the emotions in Yutangchun is very thorough, which is why her performance is so nuanced.

Unlike Western opera and musicals, the beauty of Peking Opera does not lie in how realistic or elaborate the stage sets are, but in its suggestiveness. 

On the Peking Opera stage, less is more—a table and two chairs can represent a prison or a courtroom, and walking slowly around the stage can represent crossing vast miles. The actors need to immerse themselves in the performance to play their roles well, and the audience also needs to be immersed to understand the abstract meanings behind it. I often feel that a good play requires the joint effort of both the actors and the audience. This kind of suggestive performance style may be difficult to find outside of China. It is a form of Chinese opera’s romance.

The seven days of performances ended half a month ago, but I often recall them and am frequently moved by Shi Yihong and her team. Performing for seven consecutive days is a big challenge of the physical and mental stamina of both the actors and the staff, but they did it. 

The Olympics are happening right now, but outside of the Olympic arenas, Shi Yihong, as a Peking Opera performer, has also been continuously climbing the heights of art for over forty years. Isn’t this also a kind of Olympic spirit?