介绍:
At the mention of The Water Margin, or Shui Hu Zhuan in Chinese, many people may think of the 1998 namesake TV hit. Just like Robin Hood and his Merry Men, the 108 outlaws in the story live as outcasts and assemble together to stand up against a corrupted Song Dynasty and an unjust society.
The ups and downs of various characters, the loyalty and friendship among the companions, plus the tragic dissolution of the outlaws at the end of the story have hooked many ever since. But when Taiwan multi-talented artist Wu Hsing-kuo buckled to this everlasting masterpiece, he has turned this serious classic into something musical and riotous.
"I divided The Water Margin into three parts. From each play, you could find many elements, including love story, tragedy, magic, hip-hop and rock music. Since I play Song Jiang, the lead of these outlaws, I also add many classical arias of Peking opera into the show. "
Renamed to "108 Heroes", the trilogy sheds a new light on the centuries-old Peking opera. Through dynamic musical beats, performers all wearing fanciful and exaggerative outfits step onto the stage, which may remind you about Taiwan glove puppetry and the bright-colored Japanese Ukiyo-e.
At one minute, actors chant out the old arias with fixed tunes and traditional percussion patterns; then the next moment, performers start to jump, skip, and leap with pulsating modern music. Packed with rock melodies, hip-hop rhythms, martial art movements and slow motions borrowed from the silver screen, the shows could overturn your knowledge about conventional music theatre and Peking opera.
Serving as both director and leading actor of this experimental trilogy, Wu Hsing-kuo explains that his mashup of vogue and old is designed to attract young audiences to the declining traditional art.
"I think Peking opera is a tiptop art form, but its pace is too slow and sometimes performers would sing for three hours! And I think rock and roll is not bad. It tells the pain, sorrow, happiness, and free spirit of youngsters. It expresses everything! So why not integrate rock with Chinese opera?"
Joining hands with writer Chang Ta-chuen and pop star Wakin Chau , Wu distills the intricate story of 108 heroes into hours-long joyride and Peking opera bravura. Although the majority of the plot is carried out by the conventional singing, speaking, acting, and acrobatic fighting techniques of Peking opera, light-hearted humor and certain elements of mime have been injected, which could tickle the funny bone of every spectator.
Once performed at the renowned Hong Kong Arts Festival and Shanghai International Arts Festival, "108 Heroes" has provoked strong and mixed reactions from audiences.
Facing doubts and questions, the director remains confident.
"The only thing I want to do is to create a collision of the exquisite Peking opera with all the literary, theatrical and stage arts around the world. No matter it is an integration, or drawing experience from others, they all work well for me. As long as the work applies the basic performing elements of Chinese opera, I will consider it as meritorious. "
As the founder and artistic director of Contemporary Legend Theatre, one of the most celebrated performance troupes in Taiwan, Wu Hsing-kuo has been practicing in the combination of Chinese opera and western compositions for 28 years. From Shakespeare's King Lear to Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, a number of western classics have been adapted into a shocking but pleasant blend of east and west.
Since the establishment of the troupe, Wu and his members have toured around the globe. Without compromising the technical demand or high stylization of traditional art, their awe-inspiring virtuosity and stunning western stagecraft have won much acclaim among theatre-goers and critics.
The award-wining artist states his understanding of creativity.
"When you start to go creative, sometimes you may fall flat, because it all depends on whether audiences can accept the change or not. Once they accept it, your work will survive the market. But, that is not the reason for being conservative. In this time and age, we should do something that expand the vitality of our art. Otherwise, it may step into the grave today. "
Talking about the future, 61-year-old Wu Hsing-kuo is planning to create more for the young generation, particularly those working in the field of Chinese opera. He hopes his "108 Heroes" trilogy could inspire young artists.
"I think young people should stand on our shoulders and use these experiences to move on. If we do nothing, what will be left for them? They will be too afraid to change, except for holding to the tradition. "
The third installment of "108 Heroes" will arrive in Taiwan theatres in December this year.
For Studio Plus, this is Li Ningjing.
大家还在听
