(Exploring China丨opera) Hearing Shandong Lu opera tune, cakes are stuck on the door frame

China News Service, Jinan, June 2: Hearing Shandong Lu opera tune, pancakes are stuck on the door frame

China News Service reporter Zhao Xiao

Gongs and drums are sonorous, the soundtrack is loud, and the neighborhood They rush around to tell each other, and gather in the courtyard densely, standing, sitting, squatting, or leaning, just waiting for the \”banker\’s drama\” to begin.

In early summer, Shandong Province Lu Theater sends plays to the countryside one after another. A large number of Lu Opera Zhuanghu Yuan troupes spontaneously established by the people are also active in various places in Qilu.

On March 31, actors from Shandong Lu Theater performed \”Dragon and Phoenix Noodles\” for villagers in Boxing, Binzhou. (Photo courtesy of Shandong Lu Theater)

As the most representative local opera in Shandong, Lu Opera originated in the Yellow River Delta area in northern Shandong and evolved from Shandong Qinshu. It is spoken in the Jinan local dialect as the standard, and is based on benevolence, righteousness, etiquette, wisdom and trust. \”There is singing in the speaking, and speaking in the singing\”. Scenes such as rubbing sticks, picking up shoe soles, feeding chickens and ducks, and sleeping on a kang in the countryside are often put on the stage.

The older generation of Shandong people are familiar with the plot of each play and can sing the lyrics right away. In the Shandong area, \”when you hear the tune of Lu opera, pancakes are stuck on the doorframes\”, in Jiaodong area, \”when the Lu opera is sung, it explodes. Sister-in-law Zhang and Brother Li throw down their hoes and push away the cotton carts\”… Theater fans are \”addicted to Lu opera\” \”It\’s evident.

Hu Jinghua, a \”post-60s generation\”, studied under the famous Lu Opera performing artist Lang Xianfen, and sang in the village from Qingyi, Hua Dan, to Lao Dan. \”Lu Opera tells the truth about life from the shortcomings of parents, and has become the nostalgia of several generations.\” \”Memory.\”

Tracing back to its roots, Lu Opera is quite popular among rural audiences. In 1900, old folk artists made donkeys made of paper and performed \”Wang Xiaoqianjiao\” in disguise, which became very popular and got the name \”Donkey Opera\”. In 1952, the play was named \”Lu Opera\” after taking the word \”LV\” from the twelve rhythms of ancient Chinese music, which was a play on the folk sounds of \”Donkey Opera\” and \”Lu Opera\” (describing the up and down movements of fingers on the piano). Nowadays, dozens of works such as \”The Second Sister-in-law Li Remarried\”, \”Little Sister\” and \”Memory on the Wall\” have been performed for a long time, are active in rural areas, and have also ignited small theaters in cities.

Performance of the classic Lv Opera play \”Borrowing a Marriage\”. (File photo, photo provided by Shandong Lv Theater)

\”Which one is the one who works hard and fights to the death?\” How could I ruin my youth in vain! I beat my heart out of this dry well…\” With tears in her eyes and stomping her feet, \”post-90s\” actress Li Jiaxin expressed her grievances about \”Second Sister-in-law Li\”. One or two meters in front of them, the audience sat on wooden stools that resembled those from the 1950s. .

This is a scene of an immersive performance at Jinan Baihua Theater Art Space. This art space is affiliated to Shandong Province Lu Theater and will be opened in October 2023.

“After the performance, the audience turned to the stage to learn drama from us. . The theater\’s professional band accompanies them, and we act as accompaniments. \”Li Jiaxin said in an interview with a reporter from China News Service that the current normal small theater performances bring a new experience to theater fans, and also highly test the actors\’ \”hands, eyes, body, and step\” skills.

This year\’s 4 Yue, a \”post-80s\” niche student Chen Ming performed in an outdoor camping performance on the banks of the Yi River in Linyi, singing excerpts from Lu operas such as \”Both Sides of the Yi River\” and \”Hongsao\”. \”This time we did not wear makeup and wore casual clothes. The performance lasted for more than an hour, and the audience kept shouting. \’One More\’. \”It is reported that this charity performance is a new attempt of Lu Theater in response to the official invitation of Linyi City.

On April 11, actors from Shandong Province Lu Theater played three-string instruments on the banks of the Yi River in Linyi (Photo provided by Shandong Province Lu Theater)

In addition to the outdoor camping restaurant, Shandong Province Lu Theater also moved the theater into a new one. Art spaces and art museum exhibition halls can widely reach young people through online live broadcasts, campus performances, etc. Dean Sun Xianglan said that whether it is a classic work or a new creation. Small theater repertoires must strive to \”expand\” and \”exit the circle\” during regular performances.

Reporters combed through social platforms and found that Lu Theater has become a \”child walking resort\” on weekends – well-known actors tutor children\’s figures. , Tao local culture; search for \”Qilu Art Ticket Pass\” and you can enjoy an audio-visual feast at Jinan Beiyang Grand Theater for 30 yuan; go to Dongying City Lu Opera Museum,You can bring postcards of Lu opera characters for postage; young people who have seen Lu opera lyrics in Mo Yan\’s novels can use their student ID cards to attend the show for free and enjoy the fun.

At Baihua Theater Art Space, Sun Xianglan detailed the work at hand to reporters. Cultivating the pillars of the \”post-80s\” and \”post-90s\” generations, publishing textbooks for popularizing Lu Opera on campus…each of these is closely related to inheritance. In the communication room, the performance was in full swing upstairs, with white hair and blue hair crisscrossing each other. (End)