Ke Zhongping and Ma Jianling
The Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region People's Theater Troupe was transformed, deployed, and enriched on the basis of the "local opera troupe" of the former Yan'an Normal School and the former "mass amateur theater troupe" of Yan'an City. The two amateur theater troupes, the former is a student amateur theater troupe organized by Ma Jianling in 1937 while teaching at Yan'an Normal School with the content of publicizing the anti-Japanese struggle and saving the dead, mainly performing small dramas, and has performed dramas such as "Chinese Fist", "Shanghai Little Compatriots" and "RushIng Forward" created and directed by Ma Jianling; the latter is a temporary troupe specializing in traditional Qin operas by the free combination of workers and citizens in Yan'an.
After the establishment of the People's Theater Troupe, it was temporarily under the leadership of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region People's Entertainment Improvement Association. The poet Ke Zhongping served as the head of the troupe, Liu Keli served as the deputy head of the troupe (Liu Shixiao handicraft worker, a cadre of the Yan'an City Trade Union, and one of the former responsible persons of the Yan'an Mass Amateur Theater Troupe), Zhang Jichun and Ma Jianling served as the directors of the drama department, Mo Yiping served as the director of the teaching department, Li Lilian served as a music teacher, and Comrades Liu Baiyu, Yang Chao, Liu Qing, Cao Ming, and Dong Suo all served as cultural teachers successively.
"Wild Poet" Ke Zhongping
Why set up this troupe? Ke Zhongping once said: "The People's Theater Troupe was established under the personal instruction of Chairman Mao. It was in April 1938 that Chairman Mao was watching the performances of plays such as the Qin Cavity's "Wudian Po" and the Peking Opera "Picture of Promotion" at the opera evening organized by the Workers' Congress of the Border Regions, and when he saw that the masses were very welcome, he said to Comrade Mao Qihua, the head of the trade union, on the spot: "You see that the masses are very welcome to this form, and we should engage in the form that the masses like, but the content is too old, and there should be new revolutionary content." Mao Qihua pointed to Ke Zhongping, who was sitting behind Chairman Mao, and said, "This is the old Ke of the Literary Association, who specializes in cultural work..." Chairman Mao turned around and asked Ke Zhongping cordially: "Should we do it?" "Yes, yes." Ke Zhongping answered Chairman Mao's question in the affirmative and resolutely accepted Chairman Mao's instructions. The next day he began to run around and set out to build a regiment. After more than two months of hard work, this new type of revolutionary opera troupe was formed. At that time, the purpose, task and form of activities of the establishment of the People's Theater Troupe were what were stated in the second purpose of the "People's Theater Troupe Charter": "Adopt the old form and new content methods, improve the various popular arts, in order to carry forward the anti-war forces and promote normal entertainment." ”
On July 4, the People's Theater Troupe held its first public performance in Yan'an, performing a modern Qin opera "Good Boy", which tells the story of Zheng Erhu, a soldier of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army, who was captured by the Japanese and tortured to death. Later, the volunteer army invaded the county seat, eliminated the Japanese and puppet armies, and rescued Zheng Erhu. The play was written and directed by Ma Jianling, and He Yuanye, Bi Yu, Yao Ling, Zhang Yun, Mi Chengyi, Shi Lei, Wang Lan, Dang Kui, Wang Zhiyi, Wei Guangzhong, Li Zhan, etc. participated in the performance. The performance on the day was very successful, sensationalizing the urban and rural areas of Yan'an, and the masses were very touched and educated after watching the play. Later, July 4 was designated as the day of the establishment of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region People's Theater Troupe. This is the beginning of the Qin Cavity performance of the "New Revolutionary Content" repertoire, marking that the Qin Cavity art has embarked on the revolutionary road and gained a new life.
Ren Guobao/Shi Lei and Liu Keli, the first deputy head of the People's Theater Troupe (right)
Qin Cavity "Blood and Tears Vengeance" Dragon King Temple
Emperor Zhaozonghan - Wang Renhou
Wang Wanli - Wang's wife
Hu Bo - Dongcai's wife
Yang Ping - Wang Guihua
Yan Le------------------
He Xiaolin - Han Platoon Leader
Editor/Liu Jun Review/Yan Wei Final Review/He Jun