The Jade Hairpin is More Attractive than The Peony Pavilion
The new version of Kunqu masterpiece The Jade Hairpin premiered on November 8, 2008, at Suzhou Science and Cultural Arts Centre (www.sscac.com.cn) is the second production after the amazing success of The Peony Pavilion (Youth Version) cooperated among top professional in mainland China and Taiwan.
Why The Jade Hairpin?
The Jade Hairpin has almost the same production team and cast as The Peony Pavilion, including chief artistic Director Hsien-Yung Pai, director Weng Guosheng, playwright Zhang Shuxiang, costume designer Wang Tong, leading actor Yu Jiulin, and leading actress Shen Fengying. This is the second production of the team after launching the Youth Version of The Peony Pavilion five years ago.
One of the reasons why the producers chose The Jade Hairpin from traditional Kunqu repertoires is that it continued the theme of a love story depicted in the first production but told it in a different way. "The Jade Hairpin is also a love story centering on young man and woman," introduced President Cai Shaohua of Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre of Jiangsu. "Yu Jiulin and Shen Fengying are the best candidates for the leading roles."
On the basis of four traditional scenes of Flirting in Music, Visiting the Lovesick, Stealing a Poem, and Bidding Farewell, the new version adds an introducing scene of Seeking Shelter at Temple and a new scene of Pressing for Departure to prepare for the final farewell scene, so as to tell a more integral story with dramatic conflicts and climax. According to President Cai, what makes the two plays different from each other is that "The Peony Pavilion eulogizes the love that conquers death", while "The Jade Hairpin emphasizes the glamour of life".
The top concern of any director is how to attract more audience. "A love story taking place in a closed space of a Taoist temple with strict schedule and rigid rules, that's interesting. How does a young couple break away from restrictions and pursue true love, that's something audience wants to see on the stage," said Director Weng with great confidence in the new production.
The Jade Hairpin is More Attractive
According to Director Weng, a complete show is definitely not the simple combination of several popular scenes and they have infused a lot of modern drama elements into the classical Kunqu repertoire. "The Jade Hairpin we present is a new one from content to form," claimed the director. "We want to attract more young audience and it worked for our first production."
The Jade Hairpin is concise in the sense that there are a total of 18 players in six scenes, covering most traditional role types in Kunqu opera and telling a love story by revealing the inner thoughts of characters with delicate performance. There are both tearful and funny moments.
As for the costume design and the visual effect, the producers manage to achieve an elegant style and emphasize traditional artistic concepts. The theme melody is revised from the guqin music in traditional scene of Flirting in Music.
Professor Hsien-Yung Pai Insists on Premiering his Second Production in Suzhou
Director Weng also had an interesting observation behind the scene. Since most member of the production team come from all over the country, they resort to online communications to exchange new ideas and to ensure the timely implementation of work schedule and action plans. And all would gather at Suzhou Kunqu Opera Theatre for collective practices and rehearsals.
Suzhou is the cradle of Kunqu opera and the Mecca for the fans all over the world, for whom to see a top performance in Suzhou is like a pilgrimage. The continuous improvement of stage facilities and the cultivation of local artistic atmosphere also promise more enjoyments at a show. "We plan to premiere our second production in Suzhou because we want to promote Suzhou Kunqu as an integral cultural brand," said President Cai Shaohua of the local Kunqu opera company.
Originally published on Suzhou Daily
February 20, 2009
