"Cross-talk warehouse" Wang Changyou chatted about learning to sing

Gao Deming, Wang Changyou and Wang Shichen performed "Pickpocketing Horse Coat"

This is a transcript of the art talk dictated by mr. Wang Changyou, a famous cross-talk artist in the early 1980s, and is now published in full to entertain cross-talk enthusiasts.　

　First, from hobbies to the road of cross-talk art　

　In 1920, when I was just eight years old, I went to the overpass every day to play. There are storytellers, entertainers, jugglers, singers, and all kinds of arts. I grew up listening to crosstalk the most. At that time, only the old cross-talk actors Jiao Dehai, Liu Dezhi (Yi Zuozhi), Zhou Deshan, Lu Bosan (Lu Dejun), and some young actors such as Zhang Shouchen, Bai Baoting, Yin Fengqi, Yu Junbo, Guo Qiru, etc., had to listen to several cross-talks every day, and they liked this art from their hearts. Later, Liu De and I lived in the neighborhood, only to get to know Teacher Liu, and then we went to Teacher Liu's home every day to study. Mr. Liu Dezhi also likes me very much. After his introduction, I visited Zhao Qiru as a teacher, who was setting up a stall in Dong'an Market at that time. I studied with Teacher Zhao Xiaru for more than three years before I became a teacher. After that, he also learned a lot of cross-talk programs from Feng Lefu.　After I left school, I was on the ground on the overpass, and at that time, I performed with Sun Baocai and Wang Fengshan. At that time, I was only nineteen years old. The daily performances include crosstalk, oboe, allegro, Taiping lyrics, etc. Later, he performed in Nanjing, Jinan, Tianjin and other places.　　

Second, study hard and practice diligently　　

The art of cross-talk is a comprehensive art, according to the four disciplines of speaking, learning, teasing, and singing, these four must all be mastered. First of all, stand-up comedy, there are many traditional programs, you must learn, some teachers have conservative ideas, you want to learn from him, it is not easy. There used to be a saying: "Stunned by a piece of gold, do not give a word of spring." So, in that old society, it was difficult to learn anything, and you had to study your own. As the saying goes: The master introduced the door, practiced in the individual, in the old society, if you do not study well, do not work hard, you will not be able to earn food. With art, you can participate in the performance anywhere you go. If there is no art, or if the art is not good, it is not long to stay in one place. Peers often say: "Money presses slave hands, and art pressures pedestrians." That's what it means. At that time, after learning a passage, I had to memorize it several times a day, that is, I was walking on the road, still chanting words, and every minute and second could not let it be wasted in vain. Decades like a day.　　

Third, my experience of speaking crosstalk　　

Crosstalk is the art of language, and this language is constantly reforming and developing. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the early years of the Republic of China, the language at that time was very different from now. The language of crosstalk, it is constantly changing with the development of the times. Because language reflects the spiritual outlook of the times, it comes from life. Therefore, the times are constantly changing, and the language is changing with it.　　In traditional cross-talk shows, there are some languages that have died with the passing of the old times. For example, in the old days, wine bottles were called "YangRazzi"; matches were called "taking lamps"; this person stood in front of the door and called "door takeaway list"; the smoke pipe of the stove was called "cupping"; cotton shoes were called "wool nests"; bagging skins were called "digging singles", and so on. These languages have changed with the changes of the times, especially the changes in material life. If we still use these languages now, it will not be easy for the audience to understand.　　

The art form of crosstalk is very popular with the audience. But in my fifty-year artistic career, I deeply feel that it is not easy to perform well.　　

For example, about the aspect of "speaking". The two sides of the cross-talk actor can reflect some things in the rambling conversation, and make the audience listen to it with relish and laugh. Why is it that at the same time, it is ridiculous that the cross-talk actor says it? Because he has an expression to cooperate, and uses the combination of delay, urgency, suddenness, frustration and inner feelings. In this way, the words spoken have the effect of laughing.　　

Crosstalk is the appearance of appearance, the sound of sound. In the performance, there must be sound, and there must be a phase. With the phase, you can match the sound. At the same time, it is also necessary to cooperate in the action.　　

Say, be steady. Word, be accurate. Speak clearly, word by word, into the eardrums of the listener.　　

It is like a string of pearls, the thread is broken, the beads are one after another, constantly falling, that is, when speaking, it should be like a broken pearl, fast and not chaotic.　　

Speak slowly and continuously. For example, if a sentence is cut open, the first sentence and the next sentence should be separated by two or three seconds, but the audience should not feel broken when they listen. Why? Because in the middle of the two sentences, it has movements in coordination, so you don't feel that there are traces of breaking.　　

In the process of performance, the performance of the action and the content of the program are combined. Therefore, the actor's expression, his hands, eyes and body steps, are all in line with the content. Expression, which is what we often call the seven emotions: joy, anger, worry, thought, sorrow, fear, and alarm. There is also a subtext, he says a word, and the audience will understand that there are still words behind it. As an actor, to understand the internal emotions of the program, and to be able to master the method of speaking, and when you perform it very skillfully, you will have a sense of reality and you can achieve the expected purpose, and this program has achieved the success of the performance.　　About the aspect of "learning". To learn what to be like, first learn the local dialects, work hard, learn which province, and learn with people from which province. For example, the cross-talk "Shandong Erhuang" uses the language of Jiaodong. In this passage, we must first learn the dialect from the Jiaodong people. In this way, the words and sounds, and the tone are completely similar, otherwise the expected purpose and effect of the performance cannot be achieved.　　All the programs that are sung belong to the "learning". For example, the traditional programs "Xue ping opera", "Xue Zi Zi", "Xue Jing opera", learning all kinds of local opera and qu art, this is "learning".　　

After liberation, programs such as "Wang Jinlong and Zhu Yingtai" and "Liu Qiao'er and Dou Erdun" all belonged to the scope of learning. But to learn well and learn to be like, it is not a day's work. If you want to achieve pure fire, you have to spend a certain amount of time and energy to practice.　　

About the "funny" aspect. A and B are performing a show, you have a word, I have a word, up and down, very close cooperation, teasing mouth, very smooth. For example, in "Anyway", both sides of A and B are hand-to-mouth corresponding, and the effects are one after another. Therefore, in normal times, the two people must often practice together to get the effect when performing.　　Most of the funny shows are mother-and-son. Programs such as "Funny Talk" and "Toad Drum" are the effects of both parties performing in the midst of teasing.　　In terms of expressions, although there is no language, the meaning of "teasing" must also emerge. For example, "Rule Set", its language is very small, but the effect is in the action. This "teasing" is also inseparable from the hand-eye-body method. In general, it must also be combined with its content, and it must be reasonable.　　

About the aspect of "singing". Singing in crosstalk is a kind of lyrics. In the 1920s, the veteran artist Wang Zhaolin changed the lyrics of Taiping from the old to the new, such as "Han Xin Suan Gua", "Persuasion fang", "Persuasion under the lamp", "Taigong Selling Noodles" and so on.　　This method of artistic performance is very simple, singing with only two bamboo boards as accompaniment, the name of these two bamboo boards is called Tamako.　　

The above four performance methods, as an actor, should be able to master. Perform cross-talk, of which "speaking" is the most difficult, "teasing" and "learning" are easier, "singing" must have a loud voice, clear rhythm, and the performance action must also be consistent with the expression.　　

I have been engaged in cross-talk art activities for more than fifty years, and although I am now nearly ancient, my body is fine and energetic, and I must continue to give full play to my strengths and contribute everything I have to the cause of culture and art.