In the history of the development of Opera in Xuchang, Henan, "People Cheering and Horses Calling" has an irreplaceable position. In the 1960s, with the popularity of the modern opera performance in the five provinces of Central and Southern China, "People And Horses Calling" was not only made into a movie, but also performed in Beijing, which was a sensation and won Xuchang the reputation of "the hometown of opera".
One is dedicated to justice, and the other is self-serving
The early 1960s was a historical stage in which rural people's communes had already taken shape. At this time, the party vigorously advocated "semi-private approval of repairs" among the masses of the people and selflessness of the grand duke. Abandoning selfish distractions and safeguarding collective interests was already a social trend at that time.
Xuchang City playwright Xuan Tongyin said: The Yu opera "People Cheering and Horses Calling" tells such a story: A production team called Xiaowuzhuang in a certain commune in our province took advantage of the grain harvest to grab seeds and set off a new production climax. When the members criticized Liu Zide for not taking advantage of the big red horse to delay the autumn planting, he relied on his own skills to feed the cattle and threatened the production team with a whip. His relative, Wu Guangxing, was born into a poor peasant and was an old Communist Party member. Upon learning of this, he took the whip and took up the burden. Two years later, the large livestock of the Xiaowuzhuang production team were already fat and strong under the meticulous rearing of Wu Guangxing. Wu Guangxing was loved by all the members, and Liu Zide also made progress.
This play not only tells the contradictions between the people, but also sings the story of the party leading the peasant masses to take the road of collective prosperity, reflecting the great changes in rural construction.
Stills from the modern Yu opera "People And Horses Calling".
The provincial labor model division Qiankun is the prototype of the breeder Wu Guangxing
The prototype character of Wu Guangxing in the modern Yu opera "People And Horses Calling" is Si Qiankun, a breeder in Sitang Village, Suqiao Town, Xuchang County.
"Si Qiankun is an advanced model that emerged during the country's difficult period!" Si Dongchen, former secretary of the party branch of Sitang Village, Suqiao Town, Jian'an District, said. In the 1960s, when the per capita ration in the village was 5 taels a day, Si Qiankun approached Si Dongchen and said that he would feed the livestock. "No one has eaten, and there is no hay for the cattle!" Si Dongchen said. But Si Qiankun told him that the village cadres did not have to worry about this, just buy him a calf. In the case of lack of food, in order to feed the livestock, Si Qiankun went outside all day to dig grass roots.
In 1961, Si Qiankun was rated as a special model worker in Henan Province and was elected as a deputy to the Third and Fifth People's Congresses of Henan Province. Later, Si Qiankun set up a livestock breeding station, with 10 yuan at a time, which increased the income of Sitang Village.
In those days, most of the production team's ploughing and milling farms relied on livestock, and people regarded them as treasures. Once, one of the black stallions in the team was seriously ill, did not eat or drink for several days, and was so distressed that Si Qiankun talked to himself in the house and kept wiping away tears. In March 1981, 73-year-old Si Qiankun was on his way home from Xuchang when he accidentally fell off the bridge, resulting in paraplegia in his lower body. On June 19 of the same year, Si Qiankun died of illness.
Si Qiankun's family, showing photos of his life.
Ren Hongen, who is in his 20s, plays Liu Zide and becomes famous in one fell swoop
Speaking of Ren Hong'en, almost all people in Henan who love opera know. The "backward character" Liu Zide in this play is played by him. Today, Ren Hong'en is over eighty years old. "I've been studying art for 10 years when I was acting in this play!" Ren Hongen recalled that at that time, he was working in the Second Yu Opera Troupe in Xuchang Area. In 1963, the play began to brew, and he played Liu Zide. Although he is only 24 years old, Ren Hong'en became famous for playing Liu Zide with his beautiful singing voice and moving performance.
Li Shuxiu, one of the screenwriters of "People Cheering horses", said in an interview with the media, "This play can be said to be the crystallization of collective wisdom, which was discussed collectively by the repertoire group of the Xuchang Special District Drama Theater that year, and Liu Xinian and I jointly wrote it. At the end of 1963, the 6-scene "Two Breeders" was finally finished, and the editor of the well-known journal "Rushing Stream" decided to change the script to "People And Horses Cry" for publication. At this point, "People Cheering horses" was officially born as the first modern drama in Xuchang.
The South Central District Show became famous in one fell swoop and was also made into a movie
"This play can be said to have been constantly changing and improving, and it is still changing before the show!" Ren Hongen said that the Henan Provincial Party Committee at that time attached great importance to this play, and decided to jointly perform by the Henan Yu Theater and the Xuchang Special District Yu Opera Troupe, and also specially strengthened the cast: Wang Shanpu played Wu Guangxing, Chang Xiangyu played Wu Da Niang, Wei Yun played Wu Guangxing's daughter Aiqin, and Ren Hongen played Liu Zide.
As the first play of the modern opera performance of the five provinces of Central and Southern China, "People Cheering and Horses Calling" was solemnly staged in the auditorium of the Guangzhou Military Region. On the evening of July 2, Tao Zhu, then the first secretary of the Central and Southern Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, watched "People Cheering horses and calling" and praised "People Cheering Horses Calling" as a good play. Subsequently, the Southern Daily, Yangcheng Evening News and other media rushed to report, saying that "People Cheering horses" is a triumphant song from the Zhongzhou Plain.
In September 1965, the crew came to Xi'an Film Studio and conducted nearly 4 months of intense shooting, and the modern Yu opera "People And Horses Calling" directed by Sun Jing was put on the screen.
Ren Hong'en in the performance.
Guo Moruo, a great literary hero, was not addicted to reading it three times in a row, and wrote a letter to Chang Xiangyu
The fundamental task of the actor is to create a typical character through various artistic means. Only when a typical character is successfully created can he be called a veritable performing artist.
After entering Beijing, the troupe stayed in the guest house of the Ministry of Labor, arranged by the Ministry of Culture, and first reported the performance in the CPPCC auditorium, which was welcomed by the leaders of the Party Central Committee and patriots. Then, they reported on the performance in the auditorium of the National People's Congress, and the Ministry of Culture and the China Drama Association issued an invitation to invite relevant leaders and experts in the literary and art circles to watch the performance.
After Guo Moruo, who was the president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences at the time, saw the performance, he wrote to Chang Xiangyu: "People Cheer and Horses Cry" was watched three times, once in the CPPCC Auditorium, once in the Small Auditorium, and once in the Auspicious Theater. The play is a good play, the characters are well equipped, and the characters are all played, as if they are visiting the field, more concentrated and prominent, it should be said that it is more real than real people and real events. Congratulations on your success!
Ren Hong'en and Chang Xiangyu in the performance.
Ren Hongen recalled that during the performance in Beijing, Guo Moruo also invited the crew to his home as a guest. Elder Guo said to him: "Looking at your mature performance skills, I thought you were an old man in his fifties and sixties, but I didn't expect that it was a young man with fluff on his mouth... Ren Hong'en is a talented actor. ”
Subsequently, the People's Daily published a commentary by the drama critic Zhang Dongchuan, "A Good Drama Reflecting the Contradictions Among the People." The Beijing Evening News published Chang Xiangyu's article "Solidly "Make-up Lessons"" "Solid and Down-to-earth".
Ren Hong'en on stage (left).
On November 8, 2014, in the gymnasium of Xuchang Vocational and Technical College, Ren Hong'en was grandly staged at the 60th anniversary of the art, and against the background screen of the Yu opera movie "People And Horses Calling", "Liu Zide" walked onto the stage and sang the above wonderful singing segments again. Its lively and highly charming singing voice once again excited nearly 10,000 Henan audiences. Xuchang Morning Post reporter Huang Zengrui