Kunqu veterans to stage Beijing show in honor of ancient art form

It is unlikely that Zhang Shizheng will forget the spring of 1956.

As a teenage actor of Zhe-jiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, he made his first trip from the country's east to Beijing along with the troupe's other performers, including Kunqu Opera veterans Zhou Chuanying and Wang Chuansong. They were going to debut Fifteen Strings of Coins, a classic of the local opera, in the capital.

With its roots in Suzhou, in East China's Jiangsu province, Kunqu is among the country's earliest operas. It combines singing, dancing and acting.

Fifteen Strings of Coins tells the story of a respected legal figure in ancient China, who corrects a previously misjudged murder case. The show's Beijing premiere was a success.

Staged dozens of times in the city, it was attended by top leaders Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai, and some 70,000 people during a 20-day stay.

The troupe also toured other parts of the country with nearly 100 shows viewed by another 140,000 people that year.

Zhang was an apprentice of Zhou, who, along with five other Kunqu masters, remade Fifteen Strings of Coins in 1955 and established Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe the following year.

Now, in his 70s, Zhang can clearly recall his first trip to Beijing.

"It was a life-changing experience for me. Although I performed a small role in the show then, I couldn't fall asleep on the train to Beijing because I was too excited and nervous," he says.

"After the tour, my teacher (Zhou) passed his role to me and taught me how to play it from scratch. He wanted me to carry on the legacy."

To celebrate the contemporary show's 60th year, Fifteen Strings of Coins will return to Beijing on May 12. The production will gather generations of Kunqu artists from three established troupes - Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe, Suzhou Kunqu Opera Troupe and Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe.

Artists from the three troupes have "witnessed history in the making" with the recreation of the Kunqu masterpiece, says Zhang.

He will perform once again next week.

"I am as excited as I was 60 years ago," he says.

"Many of the country's traditional art heritage has been lost. Fortunately, we can still enjoy the 600-year-old Kunqu Opera today. It's our responsibility to preserve it."

In 2001, UNESCO listed it as a major masterpiece of oral and intangible heritage of humanity.

Kunqu has also influenced other Chinese musical theaters, including its more famous cousin, Peking Opera.

According to Zhang, before the 1956 debut of Fifteen Strings of Coins in Beijing, Kunqu struggled to survive with a shrinking market and very few artists. Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe was the only known such troupe in China back then and is credited with saving the ancient art form with Fifteen Strings of Coins.

Since 1956, seven Kunqu Opera troupes have been established in the country and young performers have joined the Zhejiang troupe to learn from seasoned actors and actresses.

Liu Yilong, 73, and Ji Zhenhua, 76, both masters from Shanghai Kunqu Opera Troupe, were among those who trained at the Zhejiang troupe.

They will also perform in the upcoming show in Beijing.

According to Gu Haohao, director of the Shanghai troupe, the two artists rarely perform these days.

"They first went on stage in their early 20s. This show means a lot to them. They were willing to return because of the memories of working with the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe," says Gu.

Fifteen Strings of Coins has been performed more than 1,500 times in the past six decades by different Chinese troupes, she says.

"Nowadays, we still face the challenge of reviving the Kunqu Opera. This show with the three troupes may help with that," says Gu.

The youngest performer in the new production is 14-year-old Zhang Tangxiao, who is a fifth generation actor from the Zhejiang troupe.

Zhang Shizheng says: "She will play a minor role in the show just like I did 60 years ago. But I believe the experience will leave her with a great memory. When the show celebrates its 100th anniversary, actors of the older generations will be gone, but I hope she will be in that show then."

chennan@chinadaily.com.cn