When people understand the mystery of the light and shadow, the white curtains unfold one after another in the night in rural China. Animal skin-carved actors project colorful and delicate human figures, and local bands play and sing local tunes for dubbing and scoring. Toiling people sat in front of the white screen and watched a series of historical dramas, mythological dramas and family ethics dramas produced by this open-air theater.
In the era when television was not yet popular, shadow puppet plays that could both "watch animation" and "listen to opera" were really a great spiritual enjoyment in a barren life. The number of its audience and the wide distribution can be imagined.
Ma Tangshan shadow puppet
From the Central Plains to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, from the three eastern provinces to The Yunnan-Guichuan River, its footprints spread all over the country and are closely linked to the lives of ordinary people.
During the agricultural leisure season, people use shadow puppetry to entertain the body and mind and comfort the hard work. In folk activities, people use shadow puppetry to reward gods for ancestor worship and pray for blessings.
The difference in regional culture and aesthetic habits makes shadow puppetry show different faces in different places. The materials of carved shadow puppets are cowhide, donkey skin, sheepskin, pig skin and so on, and the shadow puppet shape is simple and elegant, some are exquisite and gorgeous, and the music singing voice is also thick and bold and beautiful.
Similarly, generations of engravers have created stylized modeling language based on life experience. Facial features, headdresses, clothing, these elements are combined according to the law, you can create thousands of characters.
Top: Tangshan shadow puppet "sheng" (specifically referring to xiaosheng)
Bottom: Tangshan shadow puppet "small" (Danjiao)
Tangshan shadow puppet "big" (similar to the "net" in the opera)
Above the little shadow man, men and women, old and young, rich and poor, good and evil, loyal and adulterous, at a glance.
People uphold the simple principle of "the loyal ones carve the right appearance, and the adulterers carve the ugly shape", through the beauty and ugliness of the characters to show good and evil, only from the visual level clearly convey the attitude of yearning for justice and despising evil, and the viewer naturally understands it.
Tangshan shadow puppet "ugly"
Tangshan shadow puppet "hair" (old student)
Shadow puppet scripts everywhere are often adapted from historical interpretations, myths and legends, public case novels and fables, and each performance is actually an export and strengthening of culture and values. People have gained a certain amount of historical and cultural knowledge from it, and they have also summarized and reflected on the principles and codes of behavior for people in the world.
As farmers, they should bear hardships and stand hard work, and be diligent and thrifty in running their families.
For businessmen, we must be fair and honest, and Tong Sou is not deceived.
Those who are officials must be upright and honest, and ask for the people's lives.
……
In the Tangshan Shadow Puppet Exhibition being exhibited at the Lu Xun Museum, there are some scenes of classic repertoire from the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, from which we may be able to glimpse it.
"Li Sanniang Fetching Water"
A twist in Flying Tiger Dream. It is said that Liu Chengyou, the son of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty, was forced to separate from his birth mother from childhood, raised by Liu Zhiyuan and his second wife Yue Yuying, and then followed his father to make a meritorious career, one day out hunting, because of chasing a rabbit with a middle arrow, and met his birth mother Li Sanniang who was fetching water at the well, so he learned of his origins.
"Yue Yuying Teaches Liu Chengyou"
A twist in Flying Tiger Dream. Liu Chengyou met Li Sanniang on a hunting trip, learned of his own lineage and the suffering of his birth mother, so he went home to his adoptive mother Yue Yuying, Yue Yuying, who understood the great righteousness and taught his son to be generous, and asked to take Li Sanniang home according to the traditional etiquette, so that his husband and wife, mother and son could be reunited.
"Gambling Head Scramble"
A fold in the Five Summits. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong of Song, Xi Rong wanted to plot the Central Plains and violated the boundaries for many years. Marquis Cao Ke of Zhenxi asked the town to guard the border pass, but was strongly obstructed by Shen Hengwei, the traitorous minister of Xi Rong, and the two had a dispute on the Golden Ruan Palace, and finally "gambled on the head to fight for the seal", and the courtiers in the middle of the court guaranteed, Cao Kerang immediately raised an army and killed Xifan.
"Sending a Son to Beijing"
A fold in the Five Summits. Xi Rong wanted to get rid of Cao Kerang, the Marquis of Zhenxi, and sent assassins to assassinate Shenzong and marry Cao Kerang, and the traitor Shen Hengwei framed Cao for colluding with Xi Rong in an attempt to misbehave. Emperor Shenzong of Song listened to the rumors and beheaded the Cao family, and the eldest son, Cao Zhen, escaped and was adopted as a righteous son by the hereditary prince Zheng Shixun and renamed Zheng Zhen. This fold tells the story of Cao Zhen's daughter Zheng Chunfang, who dressed him before he went to Beijing to take the exam, and Zheng Shixun personally sent him to Beijing.
"The Chopper of the Gate"
A fold in "The Yang Family General". Yang Zongbao went out of the camp to patrol the post, and was captured in battle with Mu Guiying at Mujiazhai. Mu Guiying admired Zong Bao's character and martial arts, and privately recruited relatives. When Yang Yanzhao learned of this, he was furious and, in order to rectify military discipline, wanted to tie Zong Bao to Yuanmen and behead him for public display. She Taijun and the Eight Sages Were not allowed to intercede, and Mu Guiying, in order to save her husband, offered the dragon wood needed to break the battle, and promised to make meritorious deeds, which led to the classic plot of Mu Guiying's later command and the couple breaking the Heaven's Gate Array.
"Smashing Luan Driving"
During the reign of Emperor Renzong of Song, Bao Zheng was ordered to go to Chen Prefecture to relieve the disaster and release grain, and to investigate the shortcomings of his uncle Pang Yuke. When Princess Pang heard the news, she was afraid that her brother would be demoted and harm herself, so she borrowed half a vice-mate from the empress, and on the day that Bao Zheng left the capital, she repeatedly blocked Bao Zheng's way with Luan Driving, and Bao Zheng avoided it several times, and when she could not avoid it, Princess Pang was trying to accuse her of committing the crime of disrespectful driving by Luan Driving. Bao Zheng saw through the truth and falsehood, angrily beat Luan Driving, Princess Pang saw that the situation was not good, and went back to the palace to lie and cry to the emperor, Bao Zheng was helpless, and had to pretend to be crazy to see the emperor.
"Pipa Words"
A fold in "Qin Xianglian". Chen Shimei and Qin Xianglian were originally a loving poor couple. After ten years of hard study, Chen Shimei entered Beijing to take the exam, and after winning the Zhongzhuangyuan, he was recruited as a donkey, "long greedy Lord Lu, do not read his wife." Qin Xianglian went to Beijing with a pair of children to find a husband, and broke into the palace and was expelled. King Yanling of the Xiang Dynasty asked her to pretend to be a singer, playing and singing pipa music at Chen Shimei's birthday banquet in order to break the mirror and regain his circle, Chen Shame's face was difficult to hide, but he refused to recognize him, and even sent someone to hunt down his wife and children, helplessly Qin Xianglian sued Bao Zheng, which triggered a "Zhenmei case".
"Di Renjie Scolding Temple"
In the first year of Tianzhi (690), Wu Zetian ascended the throne and changed the name of the country to Zhou. Because she is the only female emperor in history, she is a courtier and a hundred officials. Di Renjie was upright and unsatisfied with Wu Zetian's words and deeds, and scolded the temple. Instead of abdicating him, Wu Zetian entrusted him with a heavy responsibility. Di Renjie later became the chancellor of the government, and was called the elder of the country by Wu Zetianzun, and also left a good story of a monarch.
"Sable Cicada Worships the Moon"
Taken from the traditional play "Romance of the Three Kingdoms", "Serial Counting". At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Dong Zhuo wanted to usurp the throne, and Situ Wang Yun was worried about this all day. One day, the family singer Sable Cicada burned incense and prayed under the moon, willing to share the worries of the master, Wang Yun passed by and heard it, so he accepted the mink cicada as a righteous daughter, and set up a serial plan with the appearance of the country and the city, alienating Dong Zhuo and his righteous son Lü Bu, and borrowing Lü Bu's hand to kill Dong Zhuo.
Our Lady of the Golden Spirit
The character image in the "List of Fengshen Gods". One of the four great disciples under the master of the Tongtian Sect, he practiced in the Biyou Palace for many years, and his mana was high and strong, and he was the head of the female immortals. In the Ten Thousand Immortals Array, she was undefeated in the battle of Cihang, Puxian and Manjushri, and finally killed the sneak attack of the Lantern Daoists, and was later named the god of "Kangong Doumu".
The Trial of the Assassin
During the reign of Emperor Yingzong of Song, Taishi Pang, who wanted to usurp the throne, instructed his student Zhang Qiaozhi to bribe assassins to assassinate the emperor and marry the loyal minister Di Fuguo. Pang Mengli (pang Taixian's daughter) tried to protect Di Fuguo, and Emperor Yingzong ordered a trial of the three churches. But the reckless Di Fuguo kicked the Assassin to death, causing the matter to reach an impasse. Later, under the protection of Hu Gang, the patron king, and Niangniang of the Western Palace, Di Fuguo led the army to Pingkou, and BanShi returned to the imperial court and reinstated the official.
"Jiang Su and Yang Cuiping"
A fold in "The Journey of Xue DingShan". When Xue Dingshan's vanguard Jiang Xu moved his troops to MuyangGuan, he was stopped by Yang Cuiping, who was the king of Zhanshan. Jiang Su moved his heart to the handsome-looking Yang Cuiping and used a trick to catch her. Back in the army, Fan Lihua acted as a matchmaker, let the two marry, and after that, the husband and wife joined the same heart, followed Xue Dingshan in battle, and repeatedly built Qigong.
lose
The iron-faced selfless Bao Zheng is in line with people's expectations for qing officials; mu Guiying, a hero of the towel, represents the awakening of female consciousness; Chen Shimei, who is suspicious of the poor and loves the rich, abandons his wife and son, is a well-known typical scumbag...
Classic images of positive or negative sides, stories of justice in which evil does not suppress righteousness and karma, preach right and wrong, reaffirm traditional virtues, and build the spiritual core on which our nation depends for its survival and development. In the backward era of culture and education, it provides an ethical sample for the daily behavior of ordinary people.
Nowadays, these classic shadow puppet plays have rarely had the opportunity to perform because of their traditional themes and obscure dialect singing. Capable shadow puppet troupes have developed new characters and repertoire, which is also necessary for the development of the times. However, because it is mainly for the children's market, it is often a small folding play with simple plots and emphasis on showmanship, which is greatly discounted compared with the plastic arts and cultural connotations of traditional plays.
Maybe this is also a necessary transition stage, and soon there will be more good plays for audiences of all ages, just like before.
The premise is that there are more creative troupes and more audiences who will appreciate good plays.
Text: Contributed by Wu Yi
Photo: Wu Yi
Edit: Zhile
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