Some time ago, my friends and I went to Zhangxiwan, Cangbu, Xinzhou to see cherry blossoms, but we were late. After a rain, the cherry blossoms withered and the ground was full of colorful flowers. Only the residual flowers are hidden in the green leaves, and the green cherries are densely covered with branches like ants. We left Zhangxiwan, my friend said, from Tik Tok, Shenjia Dawan is not far from here, where there are patches of rape flowers. Why don't we go there and have a look? Yes, I know there is also the former residence of Shen Yungai, a master of Chu Opera. When I was working in Xinzhou, I just wanted to see it. So, I followed the navigation instructions and turned the car to the road leading to Zhou Pu Shenjia Dawan. It's a 20-minute drive to Shenjia Dawan. There are few tourists, surrounded by swaying rape flowers. After getting off the bus, we walked to the village. There is a simple stage, but I don't know if it has been completed, and there is also a theater room for performing and changing clothes. I seem to immediately feel the dense pervading Chu, and the Chu accent of "Oh-ho" is floating in my ear.
Shenjia Dawan is a natural village. The house with white walls and tiles is in good order. There is a clear pond in front of the village. The weeping willow branches have fallen into the water, and a century-old elm tree is flourishing. Behind the village, against the background of white walls and tiles, there are patches of rape blossoms. Today, spring is blooming, and rape in many places has pods, but the rape flowers here are still as golden as gold. This kind of scenery, which is common in rural areas, attracts many people to watch. In order to facilitate the city people to enjoy the flowers, more colored floor tiles were laid on the rape fields.
When you walk into Shenjia Dawan, you see mostly two or three-story buildings, uniform white exterior walls and black roofs. Each building is paved with stones or floor tiles, with lush flowers and trees. In front of the building, there is a fence or a courtyard wall, and a bauhinia flower rises from the wall. In the backyard, there is a bed of vegetables, garlic sprouts and leeks, which is quite a new rural style. On the white outer wall, there are poems written by predecessors, faces painted with operas and gorgeous costumes. I read Zhu's "Winning the Day and Finding the Fragrance of Surabaya", and the boundless scene was novel for a while. Easy to know the east wind, often spring. "Written on the wall in the village, it is very suitable for the present scenery. There are also brief introductions of drama stories such as The West Chamber, The Peony Pavilion and A Dream of Red Mansions, which make people feel that this is a "play nest", especially the Chu Opera facial makeup on the water tower, which can better reflect the difference between the hometown of Shen Yungai, a master of Chu Opera, and other villages.
We were strolling in the ordinary street and were about to ask the villagers the way to the former residence of Master Shen Yungai. Suddenly, a small bungalow appeared in front of us between two white-walled buildings. My friend is sharp-eyed and says, isn't that the former residence that Master Shen You is looking for? I saw it, and sure enough. This is an ordinary residence in eastern Hubei, standing on a platform with four steps, with blue bricks on the top, black porcelain tiles on the roof and high cornices at both ends. It is dignified and agile, and it is also like the rigorous life and romantic art of the owner. The main entrance of the bungalow is a wooden door, which is recessed. On both sides of the protruding brick wall, there is a wooden lattice window. The door is locked and the window is closed, so you can't see anything. The words "Shen Yungai's former residence" are written in official script on the lintel of the main entrance. Seen from the outside, this bungalow has only one floor. But it is obviously new, but I have to believe that it may be like this. After all, Master Shen lives not far from now.
On the two white walls in front of the former residence, there is a general introduction to the history of Chu opera with the background of Chu opera masks. When I see "Chu Opera, formerly known as Oh Oh Opera, Huang Xiao Ancient Painting Opera and West Road Ancient Painting Opera", I always remember watching Chu Opera with my mother in Huangpi in the 1970s. At that time, we lived in the rural areas of southern Hubei, and my grandmother lived in Huangpi. Every Spring Festival, my mother takes me back to Huangpi to visit my relatives.
One day, my grandmother gave my mother two tickets to the theater and asked her to take me there. At first glance, it looks like a theater ticket, which doesn't interest me at all. I have seen many model operas before, and the rhythm of singing is very slow, which really makes boys who like to watch war movies uninterested. But there was nothing to do, so I had to go to the theatre with my mother. As soon as I entered the hall, it was steaming, and it was already crowded. Familiar people greet each other and talk and laugh. When we were seated, it was time, the play began and the hall was silent. On the stage, the thick red flannel was slowly pulled open, and the warm light suddenly filled the stage. The female announcer with red cheeks and red lips like cherries made it clear that the play that night was the Chu drama Ge Ma. Then, go back to the background. When the actors appeared with lively gongs and drums, they appeared before speaking, and everyone cheered in unison. The rich flavor of life, melodious local accent, humorous dialogue and high-pitched singing fascinated my mother and many audiences. I've never been in this atmosphere before, watching, eyelid fighting, listening, sleeping soundly. Until finally, my mother woke me up. Out of the hall, I don't remember anything except the title of the play.
Walking on the Literary Little Square in front of Shen Yungai's former residence, I looked around and saw another white wall. Under the headline of Chu Feng, there are seven poems: The three armies are exhausted overnight, but the overlord sighs helplessly. From this point of view, art is invincible, and copper coins win the battle. This is the inscription of Mr. Guo Moruo after watching the performance of Master Shen Yungai during the Anti-Japanese War. Shen Yungai was born in poverty. When he was a teenager, he studied under the famous ugly Li Xiaoan and learned to sing Huang Xiao's ancient paintings, with the stage name "Ten Years Old Red". 1927, Shen Yungai joined the Chu Opera Evolution Society led by Li Zhilong, and party member graduated from the second phase of the Chu Opera Actor Training Course in 193 1. Shen Yungai is active in thought and eager for revolution. Besides rehearsing traditional plays, he is also keen on editing new ones. 1938 Participated in the wartime drama activities of the Three Museums led by Guo Moruo, and organized the "Chu Opera Anti-enemy Propaganda Team 2" to go to Sichuan to publicize the anti-Japanese and national salvation. During this period, many Hubei performance teams left Sichuan in advance by giving up halfway, and only Shen Yungai No.2 team persisted until the victory of the Anti-Japanese War. Lao Guo appreciates Mr. Shen's performance very much, especially his revolutionary enthusiasm. 1946, led a team to leave Chongqing and return to Han, wrote down the above hymns and gave them to each other. What's more commendable is that it always has the spirit of reform, sticks to the principle of "adjust measures to local conditions, let go of your hands and feet, you can take mine, but you can't take mine", and has been committed to the reform of Chu Opera for decades, gradually forming a "Shen School" art that is deeply loved by the people. Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou and other party and state leaders have all watched Master Shen's performance. Chairman Mao praised Master Shen for "acting well and singing like Cheng." Premier Zhou praised Master Shen as "Chu Opera Mei Lanfang".
If you plant a millet in spring, you will reap 10 thousand seeds in autumn. After Shen Yungai became famous, he never forgot his hometown of catalpa, and often returned to his hometown to perform and teach traditional Chinese opera. Today, Chu Opera is the first batch of local operas listed in the national intangible cultural heritage list. In Shenjia Dawan, Zhou Pu, almost everyone can sing a few words. Even in the fields, there are songs of Chu Opera from time to time. There are also the professional teams of Xinzhou Chu Opera Troupe and Wuhan Xiao Yun's hometown Chu Opera Troupe, as well as opera fans from Zhucheng, Yangluo and Cangbu, who often share skills in the "Shen Yungai's hometown small stage". The government also plans to turn Zhoujia Dawan into the hometown of Chu Opera, which will not only attract tourists to relax and increase the ways for villagers to get rich, but also enrich the spiritual life of villagers and make Chu Feng Chu rhyme spread forever.