Source: Pomegranate Cloud Xinjiang Daily
Author: Cheng Yueyue
"Sir, I want to go to the battlefield, I want to resist Japan!"
"Young Master Li, wait a minute, wait a minute."
On the stage, Young Master Li, played by Zhao Dan, had thick eyebrows, big eyes, and an uplifting spirit, which was in stark contrast to the Kuomintang officials who had a beard and passive resistance, satirizing those who were unwilling to contribute to the War of Resistance. This is a scene when Zhao Dan performed the drama "War of Resistance" in Dihua (present-day Urumqi, Xinjiang).
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chinese Communists and patriotic progressives brought the art of drama to Xinjiang, using drama to carry out patriotic education and anti-Japanese progressive ideology propaganda, and encouraged the people of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang to unite as one and support the War of Resistance.
As early as May 1938, Communists from Yan'an performed dramas such as "Put Down Your Whip" and "Siren" in the "New Barracks" to publicize the War of Resistance. In order to carry out revolutionary propaganda, Communist Party members Lin Jilu, Li Yunyang, Zhu Danhua, and others organized teachers and students to rehearse dramas in colleges and middle schools. In November of the same year, under the leadership of the Xinjiang People's Anti-Imperialist Federation, the Dihua Students' Federation held a drama competition, and Xinjiang Daily published special issues for the competition. Zhao Dan, who was in Chongqing at the time, saw the newspaper at a newspaper exhibition.
In August 1939, zhao dan, who was only 24 years old, came to Xinjiang with his wife Ye Luxi, communist Party members Xu Tao and Wang Weiyi and other artists to promote the drama art in Xinjiang to an unprecedented climax.
Zhao Dan was invited to Xinjiang on the 8th anniversary of the 9/18 Incident. He starred in the drama "Battle" that caused a sensation when it was performed in Chongqing, and in Dihua, in addition to Zhao Dan and his party, the Communist Party members Yu Cun, Bai Dafang and many people from Xinjiang College also participated in the performance.
After three weeks of intense rehearsals, the play was staged. On the stage, the actors were sincerely engaged, and their determination to defend the country and resist aggression was vividly displayed. Offstage, the audience was shocked and shouted slogans.
This drama sensationalized the whole city, the field was full, and it was staged for half a month, and there were hardcore drama fans who saw the last one from the first one. Mao Dun wrote an article in Xinjiang Daily to recommend the play. "Xinjiang Daily" published an editorial saying that Xinjiang's drama has reached a new level, which is a major help to Xinjiang's cultural development.
In 1939, the anti-war drama "Battle", directed and starring Zhao Dan, was staged in Dihua, which caused a sensation throughout the city. (Photo: Jiang Haolin)
"Adam, show off your talents here." Mao Dun encouraged Zhao Dan in this way. They support each other in their theater careers. Previously, Mao Dun organized students to set up a "Drama Research Association" at Xinjiang College to create a report drama "New Xinjiang March", which cultivated a group of drama creation and performance talents.
Founded in November 1938, the Xinjiang Cultural Association Experimental Theater Troupe was the first professional troupe in Xinjiang, and Communist Party members Xu Tao, Yu Cun and Bai Dafang participated in the leadership of the troupe. For the first time, the troupe recruited 20 students and opened courses on new cultural contents such as social sciences and modern literature, which Mao Dun and others personally taught. After 5 months of study, these 20 students were like seeds sown to the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains.
At the same time, mass amateur drama groups have emerged in Xinjiang. "The War of Resistance" was translated into Uyghur and staged, and every time the audience performed, they couldn't help but take off the gold rings and earrings on their bodies to contribute to the War of Resistance.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, drama, as an integral part of xinjiang's new cultural movement, provided valuable spiritual food for the people of all ethnic groups, and played an important role in nurturing the growth of a generation of revolutionary youth and promoting the political awakening of the people in Xinjiang.