【Issue 2539】Remembering the famous playwright || Mr. Wu Zuguang

Mr. Wu Zuguang

It is the most influential and famous contemporary China

One of the most legendary cultural elders

He died on April 9, 2003

Today Xiaobian will take you to understand

The life of this famous playwright

Biography

Wu Zuguang's ancestral home is Wujin County, Jiangsu Province. Born in Beijing in April 1917. His father, Wu Ying, was an official, but he was famous for his poetry, writing, books, and paintings, and was also a connoisseur of cultural relics. The cultural atmosphere of the family gave the teenager Wu Zuguang a certain influence and influence. When he was in middle school, he not only studied literature for the first time, published some poems and prose, but also was attracted by the special charm of Peking Opera art, running opera gardens, holding "dramas", indulging in them, and unconsciously accepting the enlightenment education of drama art. This had a profound impact on his later theatrical creations. After graduating from high school, he entered the Literature Department of Sino-French University, and after only one year of study, he was invited by dramatist Yu Shangyuan to serve as the secretary of the principal's office of the Nanjing National Drama College, and later served as a teacher of Chinese language and Chinese drama history. Since then, he has become acquainted with Cao Yu, a playwright who teaches at the school. Half a year after arriving in Nanjing, the "July 7" incident began, and the school moved inland, and was stationed in Changsha, Hunan, Chongqing, Sichuan, Jiang'an and other places. In 1937, when the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression broke out, Wu Zuguang completed his drama debut" Phoenix. The play was widely performed in Hong Kong and was highly praised. This inspired the author to choose screenwriting as a lifelong career. In the decade from 1937 to 1947, Wu Zuguang created a total of eleven plays, achieving his place in the history of modern theater with his unique artistic contributions.

The development of reality and the deepening of the author's life experience will promote changes in his artistic creation in thought and art. Wu Zuguang's drama creation has gone through three different stages of development. In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he was excited by high patriotic enthusiasm and wrote "Phoenix", "Children's Army" and "Song of Righteousness", which was the first stage. At this time, whether he drew on reality or from history, his focus was on expressing the current national struggle to resist foreign enemies and defend the motherland. The four-act play "Phoenix City" is based on the deeds of the martyr Miao Kexiu of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Volunteer Army. The play praises the arduous and tenacious struggle between Miao Kexiu and the "Chinese Young Iron Blooded Army" between the White Mountains and the Black Water and the Japanese Kou, and some scenes are written fascinatingly and vividly. However, when he first tried the drama pen, he was not skilled enough in the plot structure, character description and even the refinement of language, and in some places he still rigidly applied the old drama techniques he learned from the theater garden. At this time, the audience who was in charge of the national disaster first demanded a distinct anti-Japanese theme and patriotic passion, so the play caused strong repercussions. The one-act children's drama "Children's Army" (1939) continues the theme of "Phoenix", depicting the story of primary school students in the occupied areas as anti-Japanese children's army.

1

Before the founding of the Country

The novel "Gong'e Grievances", published in 1934, was his debut novel. After the July 7 Incident, he went to Hunan and Sichuan with the drama school to teach Chinese and Chinese drama history. In 1936, he graduated from the University of China and France with liberal arts. In 1937, Wu Zuguang served as the secretary of the principal's office of the Nanjing National Drama College, and in the same year created the anti-Japanese drama "Phoenix City", which became a powerful weapon for the national theater industry to fight against the Japanese invaders. In the following years, he created plays such as "Zhengqi Song", "Wind and Snow Night Return", "Lin Chong Night Run", "Cowherd Weaver Girl" and "Youth Tour", all of which were included in "Wu Zuguang Drama Selection". In 1945, the supplement of the Xinmin Evening News, which he edited, took the lead in publishing Mao Zedong's poem "Qinyuan Chun Xue". In 1946, he founded the "Luminous Cup" supplement of the Xinmin Evening News and the magazine "Qingming" in Shanghai, and also created "The Legend of Catching Ghosts" and the new drama "Chang'e Running Moon" to denounce the reactionary rule of the Kuomintang, and later fled to Hong Kong after being persecuted by the Kuomintang reactionaries. In 1947, he directed films in Hong Kong, such as "The Soul of the Nation", "Mo Negative Youth", "Tears of Mountains and Rivers", "Spring Wind and Autumn Rain" and "Return of the Wind and Snow Night". After the founding of New China, Wu Zuguang successively created works such as the film "Red Flag Song" and the children's drama "Removing the Four Evils" that reflected the female spinning workers.

From 1937 to 1948, Wu Zuguang served as a lecturer at the Nanjing National Drama College, a choreographer and director of the Chongqing Central Youth Drama Society and the China Drama Art Society, a deputy editor of Xinmin Evening News, an editor-in-chief of Qingming Magazine, an editor and director of the Hong Kong GreatEr China Film Company, and a director of the Hong Kong Yonghua Film Company.

2

After the founding of the Country

After 1949, Wu Zuguang served as the director of the Central Film Bureau and the Beijing Film Studio, the choreographer and director of the Mudanjiang Cultural and Labor Troupe, the screenwriter of the China Opera School, the China Opera Research Institute, and the Beijing Opera House, the professional creator of the Arts Bureau of the Ministry of Culture, a member of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, a standing director and vice chairman of the Chinese Dramatists Association, and an honorary chairman of the Friendship Publishing Company. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wu Zuguang published the drama collection "Wind and Snow Collection", the prose collection "The Flower of Art", and also directed a number of art films, after 1954, Wu Zuguang directed the films "Mei Lanfang Stage Art", "Roselle", "DesertEd Mountain Tears", leaving extremely precious materials for Mei Lanfang and Cheng Yanqiu, two masters of Peking Opera art. In 1957, he was mistakenly classified as a rightist and sent to the northern wilderness (Heilongjiang Reclamation Area) labor.

In 1960, he returned to Beijing and successively served as a screenwriter for the Experimental Peking Opera Troupe of the Central School of Drama and the Beijing Peking Opera Troupe, writing plays such as "Wu Zetian", "Feng Qiu Huang" and "Three Dozen Tao Three Springs". He was a member of the 5th to 8th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In 1963, he and his wife Xin Fengxia co-wrote the film script of the commentary "Flowers as Media", which can be called a model of traditional drama renovation. In 1979, he was transferred to the Arts Bureau of the Ministry of Culture to engage in professional creation. After smashing the Gang of Four, he wrote the Peking Opera "Red Lady" and the drama "Breaking into the Rivers and Lakes", both of which were quite popular. On April 9, 2003, he died in Beijing at the age of 86 due to a coronary heart attack.

Major works

"Three Dozen Tao Three Springs"

Wu Zuguang's works in the 1960s were made into a color stage art feature film by Changchun Film Studio in 1983.

In the fifth generation, zheng en, a good man who was wandering in the rivers and lakes, passed through Pucheng County, and was beaten by Tao Sanchun, a melon girl, for stealing watermelons. Zhao Kuangyin saw that she was talented and outstanding, and from this match, Zheng En and Tao Sanchun betrothed a marriage.

After Emperor Chairong of Zhou ascended the throne, he made Zhao Kuangyin the King of Nanping and Zheng En the Prince of Beiping, and allowed Zheng En to marry Sanchun. Sanchun also missed Zheng En day and night after parting, and Chincha asked her to go to Beijing to complete the marriage, she did not wear a phoenix crown xia shuai, rode a small donkey, and led her brother Tao Hu to the capital. They came to the Ten Mile Fort outside the capital city and met Gao Huaide, a general sent by Zhao Kuangyin and Zheng En. Gao Huaide disguised himself as a red-bearded ringing horse and threatened to make Tao Sanchun his lady of the press. Tao Sanchun was furious and fought with him, and after a fierce battle, Tao Sanchun defeated the "Ringing Horse". Gao Huaide, in helplessness, spat out his true feelings. After Tao Sanchun heard the news, he burst into the palace in anger and wanted to settle accounts with Zheng En.

Zheng En saw Tao Sanchun break into the Golden Temple and quietly hide. Chai Rong saw that Sanchun had no direction and ordered the Yulin Army to take her down, and the Yulin Army was beaten by Sanchun, and the general Gao Huailiang was also defeated. Chai Rong had to order Zhao Kuangyin to go to Zheng En overnight and marry them.

Zheng En asked what the results of the Battle of Shili Fort were? Gao Huaide lied that he had secretly shot the eagle feathered arrow and shot Sanchun off the mount. After Zheng En listened, he thought that he had smouldered the prestige of Sanchun, and immediately returned to the house to complete the marriage. Zheng En, in order to set up the prince's shelf, even said that he was thirsty in the cave room, and asked Sanchun to pour him tea. Sanchun suppressed his anger and ignored it. When he found that there were oil sellers on the table, he thought that Sanchun intended to humiliate him, and asked Yahuan to take the family law to punish Sanchun. Sanchun couldn't bear it anymore, and moved his hands with Zheng En, knocking Zheng En to the ground in a few rounds. Zheng En, knowing that he was invincible, ran out of the cave room and even shouted high Wilder to help. Gao Huaide had run away from sight.

Chai Rong and Zhao Kuangyin rushed to persuade them to fight after hearing the news. In front of them, Tao Sanchun set up the sale of oil as the Zheng family law, in order to show that he never forgot ben. Zheng En knelt down to make amends and admit his mistake, and the couple reconciled. Chai Rong made Tao Sanchun a brave lady and was allowed to participate in the government.

"Flowers as a Medium"

Produced by Changchun Film Studio in 1963 and written by Wu Zuguang, this film script is hailed as a model of traditional drama renovation.

Wang Junqing and his cousin Li Yue'e, Qingmei Bamboo Horse, two little lovers, vowed to be good for a hundred years. The Queen Mother thought of Sun's heart, and asked Ruan's mother to kiss Junqing, and Ruan's mother said for him that she had joined Zhang Wuke, who was talented and outstanding, and Junqing did not comply. After several interrogations by the Queen Mother, Junqing confided her true feelings, did not marry Non-Yue'e, and never empathized with others. The Queen Mother was helpless, and asked Ruan's mother to go to Yue'e's house to say goodbye.

Li Maolin, the father of Yue'e, believes that the private affairs of men and women are generally wrong, and resolutely does not allow marriage. Junqing learned of this and became ill day by day. The Queen Mother was worried, and Ruan's mother offered a plan to encourage Junqing to go to the Zhangjia Garden for a blind date, and she thought that as long as Junqing saw Wuke, she would love Wuke, and she could do it. But Junqing was seriously ill and could not go. Ruan's mother had another plan and asked her cousin Jia Junying to be a blind date on her behalf. Junying and Wu ke meet in the garden, and Wu can see that he is a talented person, has a dashing demeanor, and gives a red rose to show his promise. Junying will give the red rose to Junqing, Junqing firmly refuses, Ruan Mama offers advice to the Queen Mother, may wish to marry Wuke first, Junqing is bound to obey, the Queen Mother bows her head, and meet regularly to marry.

Yue'e heard the news, overwhelmed with pain, Yue'e's mother was well aware of her daughter's heart, taking advantage of her father's absence, using the strategy of sending a daughter under an impostor name, preemptively sending Yue'e to the Wang family and Junqing Baitang to marry, and when the Wuke Flower Palanquin arrived, they were already married. Five can see, and the anger is unstoppable. She made a big fuss in the flower hall, and then broke into the cave room and questioned Junqing sternly, and Junqing was speechless. Ruan's mother saw this situation, did not know how to be good, and suddenly found Jia Junying standing on the side, and dragged him into the cave room. Therefore, the two pairs of lovers, smiling and smiling, each did what they wanted.

3

"Returning to the People in the Snowy Night"

Completed in 1942, the play was directed by Wu Zuguang himself in 1948 and produced by the GreatEr China Film Company in Hong Kong.

In the late 1940s, on a cold and snowy night, a man staggered through the gap in the collapsed wall into the garden of the rich family Su Hongji, holding the withered begonia tree in his hand, as if looking for the shadow he had left here.

20 years ago, there was a Peking Opera actor Wei Liansheng from a poor background in this big city, who became very popular for playing Hua Dan. Dignitaries, young men and women, and even ordinary citizens were captivated by his voice. He had a wide range of contacts, often helping poor neighbors and being admired by the people.

Su Hongji, the president of the court who started out as opium smuggling, lived a drunken and dreamy life. His fourth aunt, Taitama Haruhara, was a fireworks woman who was later redeemed as a concubine by Su Hongji. Yuchun has a fiery heart for freedom and happiness, and is not willing to live a cage-like life of wealth. She became acquainted with Wei Liansheng by studying drama, confided in him about her tragic life, and then invited liansheng to her small building before he went to Su Mansion to perform for his birthday. The two of them had similar past encounters, and they were reduced to the things of the elders to dispel their sorrows and relieve their boredom, losing their dignity as human beings, so they fell in love with pity and agreed to elope and go to freedom. At this time, Lian Sheng plucked a begonia flower from the window and gave it to Yu Chun. Unexpectedly, all this was spied on by Wang Xingui, who was recommended by Lian Sheng to be the steward of the Su family.

The villain who was good at being a good at humor was ungrateful and reported the matter to Su Hongji. When Yuchun fled as agreed, Wang Xingui led several thugs to arrest Yuchun, and Liansheng was deported. The two said goodbye according to each other, and from then on they went their separate ways. 20 years later, Lian Sheng dragged the premature aging of the sick weight back to his homeland, but it was no longer human, and Yuchun had been given to Tiannan by Su Hongji to make Xu Fu a concubine. Lian Sheng was full of emotion, and quietly died under the begonia tree on that windy and snowy night.

Salvage the breeze

The pen has a thousand jun power