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Reviving ancient arts of storytelling
By Xu Wenwen |
February 6, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
ONCE upon a time there was no television, cinema or KTV. Those were the days when people listened to one or two people tell stories from history that were exciting, tragic, romantic and sometimes risque. Xu Wenwen takes a listen.
Like many kinds of intangible ancient culture and dramatic art, pingtan and pingshu - dialect storytelling with and without music - are fighting for survival in modern times.
Once Hangzhou had many shuchang or special theaters devoted to storytelling in Suzhou or Hangzhou dialect; they were like tea houses with stages where people could while away the hours. Many stories lasted for hours; a series could run for two weeks. They were stories from history and legend.
Today, there is but one such venue, Dahua Shuchang on Qingnian Road, which has been around since 1952, except for the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) when it was shut because it offered frivolous entertainment from old China.
It's been through hard financial times, but it was purchased and reopened at the end of last year by Zhou Zhihua, a famous Hangzhou comedian who hosts two TV programs in Hangzhou dialect.
Pingtan, which originated around Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, is traditionally told in Suzhou dialect and used to be very popular in Jiangnan (the area south of the lower reaches of Yangtze River). Pingshu has different versions around the country. The Hangzhou dialect version is called Hangzhou pinghua, one-person storytelling without music but employing various simple props.
Zhou has been trying to make a go of it in the 190-seat theater, staging pingtan every afternoon for two hours, and selling tickets for 6 yuan (95 US cents) and 10 yuan. It can take in 1,100 yuan a day if all seats are occupied. But there are expenses - four employees and actors have to be paid, free tea must be supplied. The government pays rent for five years, since it's considered a piece of intangible cultural heritage.
"The growth of information and more entertainment drive people away from shuchang," Zhou says. "And Mandarin is so prevalent that young people in Hangzhou do not understand Suzhou dialect as well as older people, so we lose a young audience."
Lou Maolin, 68, closes his eyes and nods in time with pingtan music, usually a pipa (Chinese lute). He says he has been going to Dahua Shuchang since he was 18 and now goes every day, always taking the same seat.
Most of the audience is older than 65.
"Today I am still one of the young ones in the audience because there are too few young people who are fond of pingtan and pingshu," Lou says.
Pingtan combines storytelling by an actor and singing by an actress who plays the four-stringed pipa. The script and lyrics are written in verse, including jokes and puns from time to time. Actors depict a range of characters and emotions, and offer their own commentary and jokes.
It originated around 400 years ago in Suzhou. The Suzhou dialect is considered pleasing to the ear and is similar to Hangzhou and Shanghai dialects, understood in the Yangtze River Delta.
Pingshu is performed by a single actor without musical accompaniment. It originated in northern China in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and has spread around the country, hence, it is told in various dialects. During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) when pingshu spread to the capital Lin'an (now Hangzhou), shuchang sprang up in the city.
Hangzhou pinghua tells ancient or modern stories, like those of heroism during the Japanese invasion and Civil War.
An actor typically uses the simplest of props, such as a fan, a handkerchief or a block of wood (which is used to strike a desk to get attention).
One performance usually last for two hours; most stories are told in installments that can last two weeks or more.
In the early 20th century, Hangzhou had around 40 shuchang that were places people go to hear the latest news, gossip and socialize.
Zhou, the owner of Dahua Suchang, say the audience is shrinking and commodity prices are rising.
"But we cannot raise prices or we will lose customers," Zhou says.
Zhou says he invites good actors to attract the audience.
Actor Shen Wenjun and actress Gu Jiayin are currently performing pingtan. But the audience is overwhelmingly elderly.
Shen tells Shanghai Daily that in Suzhou, his fans include college students and expats who speak fluent Suzhou dialect, but in Hangzhou he sees only elderly people.
Why not add subtitles in Mandarin?
"Because improvisation is a feature of pingtan and pingshu, and subtitles cannot change with the acting changes," Shen says.
"And of course Suzhou pingtan can only be told in Suzhou dialect, or it will lose its best part and essence."
"This is the dilemma for many dialect art forms," Zhou says. "Dialect turns away new audience, but dialect is where its charm is."
Actress Gu Jiayin says another appeal of pingtan and pingshu is how actors address real-life problems and get the audience to reflect on them and how to cope.
"Storytelling is not simply telling people a story," Gu says. "An actor is required to analyze the story's background and the morality of the characters' actions and discuss philosophy of life. That's why actors above middle are more qualified and welcome."
Most performers began to study in their childhood and made their debuts in their 20s and 30s. They make little money but love their work and earn a living by traveling from one city to another.
"Actors are passionate and persevere in carrying on storytelling culture," Zhou says. "I took over Dahua Shuchang not to make money, but for the old actors and the audience and to maintain the culture."
Since Zhou took over the theater, most seats are filled. He plans to rent the venue to other performance troupes and to enterprises holding meetings to increase the revenues of the theater.
Besides, Zhou encourages actors to tell unknown modern stories.
Like many kinds of intangible ancient culture and dramatic art, pingtan and pingshu - dialect storytelling with and without music - are fighting for survival in modern times.
Once Hangzhou had many shuchang or special theaters devoted to storytelling in Suzhou or Hangzhou dialect; they were like tea houses with stages where people could while away the hours. Many stories lasted for hours; a series could run for two weeks. They were stories from history and legend.
Today, there is but one such venue, Dahua Shuchang on Qingnian Road, which has been around since 1952, except for the "cultural revolution" (1966-76) when it was shut because it offered frivolous entertainment from old China.
It's been through hard financial times, but it was purchased and reopened at the end of last year by Zhou Zhihua, a famous Hangzhou comedian who hosts two TV programs in Hangzhou dialect.
Pingtan, which originated around Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, is traditionally told in Suzhou dialect and used to be very popular in Jiangnan (the area south of the lower reaches of Yangtze River). Pingshu has different versions around the country. The Hangzhou dialect version is called Hangzhou pinghua, one-person storytelling without music but employing various simple props.
Zhou has been trying to make a go of it in the 190-seat theater, staging pingtan every afternoon for two hours, and selling tickets for 6 yuan (95 US cents) and 10 yuan. It can take in 1,100 yuan a day if all seats are occupied. But there are expenses - four employees and actors have to be paid, free tea must be supplied. The government pays rent for five years, since it's considered a piece of intangible cultural heritage.
"The growth of information and more entertainment drive people away from shuchang," Zhou says. "And Mandarin is so prevalent that young people in Hangzhou do not understand Suzhou dialect as well as older people, so we lose a young audience."
Lou Maolin, 68, closes his eyes and nods in time with pingtan music, usually a pipa (Chinese lute). He says he has been going to Dahua Shuchang since he was 18 and now goes every day, always taking the same seat.
Most of the audience is older than 65.
"Today I am still one of the young ones in the audience because there are too few young people who are fond of pingtan and pingshu," Lou says.
Pingtan combines storytelling by an actor and singing by an actress who plays the four-stringed pipa. The script and lyrics are written in verse, including jokes and puns from time to time. Actors depict a range of characters and emotions, and offer their own commentary and jokes.
It originated around 400 years ago in Suzhou. The Suzhou dialect is considered pleasing to the ear and is similar to Hangzhou and Shanghai dialects, understood in the Yangtze River Delta.
Pingshu is performed by a single actor without musical accompaniment. It originated in northern China in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) and has spread around the country, hence, it is told in various dialects. During the Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) when pingshu spread to the capital Lin'an (now Hangzhou), shuchang sprang up in the city.
Hangzhou pinghua tells ancient or modern stories, like those of heroism during the Japanese invasion and Civil War.
An actor typically uses the simplest of props, such as a fan, a handkerchief or a block of wood (which is used to strike a desk to get attention).
One performance usually last for two hours; most stories are told in installments that can last two weeks or more.
In the early 20th century, Hangzhou had around 40 shuchang that were places people go to hear the latest news, gossip and socialize.
Zhou, the owner of Dahua Suchang, say the audience is shrinking and commodity prices are rising.
"But we cannot raise prices or we will lose customers," Zhou says.
Zhou says he invites good actors to attract the audience.
Actor Shen Wenjun and actress Gu Jiayin are currently performing pingtan. But the audience is overwhelmingly elderly.
Shen tells Shanghai Daily that in Suzhou, his fans include college students and expats who speak fluent Suzhou dialect, but in Hangzhou he sees only elderly people.
Why not add subtitles in Mandarin?
"Because improvisation is a feature of pingtan and pingshu, and subtitles cannot change with the acting changes," Shen says.
"And of course Suzhou pingtan can only be told in Suzhou dialect, or it will lose its best part and essence."
"This is the dilemma for many dialect art forms," Zhou says. "Dialect turns away new audience, but dialect is where its charm is."
Actress Gu Jiayin says another appeal of pingtan and pingshu is how actors address real-life problems and get the audience to reflect on them and how to cope.
"Storytelling is not simply telling people a story," Gu says. "An actor is required to analyze the story's background and the morality of the characters' actions and discuss philosophy of life. That's why actors above middle are more qualified and welcome."
Most performers began to study in their childhood and made their debuts in their 20s and 30s. They make little money but love their work and earn a living by traveling from one city to another.
"Actors are passionate and persevere in carrying on storytelling culture," Zhou says. "I took over Dahua Shuchang not to make money, but for the old actors and the audience and to maintain the culture."
Since Zhou took over the theater, most seats are filled. He plans to rent the venue to other performance troupes and to enterprises holding meetings to increase the revenues of the theater.
Besides, Zhou encourages actors to tell unknown modern stories.
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