Crosstalk, a traditional form of comic storytelling, is making a
comeback in China's teahouses and theaters.
Audiences can laugh the night away every Saturday at the
Qianxiangyi Teahouse in Tianjin,
entertained by the apprentices of Hou Baolin, Ma Sanli or Yin
Shoushan -- all leading crosstalk artists of years past -- for only
20 yuan (US$2.40).
The success in Tianjin has also given impetus to the
rejuvenation of crosstalk in Beijing and other places.
Although the art form originated in
Beijing in the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911), Tianjin became a sort of
off-Broadway performance venue where rising stars honed their
styles and new pieces were tried out. The city was renowned
nationwide for the quality of its crosstalk performances.
“We only want to bring the traditional pieces back to the
audiences, helping them to learn their charms and connotations,”
said Yin Xiaosheng, head of the Zhongyou Arts Troupe.
Known in Chinese as xiangsheng (literally, "face and
voice"), crosstalk was the predominant form of comedy throughout
most of the 20th century. In the old days in Tianjin and elsewhere,
temple fairs and markets were the main places for crosstalkers to
perform, although they occasionally also appeared in teahouses or
theaters.
Usually presented by a duo, crosstalk pieces draw on every
aspect of Chinese culture, from history and folk tales to
contemporary social issues. Although there are hundreds of pieces
in the traditional repertoire, they are constantly edited to suit
the times and the audience, while new works are written as well.
This is one of the features that has made crosstalk a populist art
form throughout its history.
“Crosstalk is a face-to-face art form,” said Liu Bin, a
crosstalk fan who is a regular at Qianxiangyi. “It's worth paying
for the performance to enjoy it in such a personal setting. It's
totally different from seeing it on TV.”
“Crosstalk was in the doldrums with competition from other art
forms, especially TV,” said Wang Xiaochun, headmaster of the
Northern Storytelling Arts School of China (NSAS). “But it has
regained its status with crosstalk fans, especially young people,
growing aware of its rare qualities.”
The reawakening of interest in the traditional art is going
beyond merely watching and listening for many. “More and more
students are coming to NSAS to study crosstalk, including some girl
students,” said Wang, “They are sure that crosstalk will have a
strong market.”
Zhang Haitao, dean of academics at NSAS, believes that marketing
is an important component of crosstalk's continued development.
“The old masters performed several times a day,” Zhang said. “Some
of them even performed at a place for a month or more, but they
never repeated a piece. Otherwise, nobody would come to watch.”
Tian Lihe, one of China's leading crosstalk artists today,
agrees. “The old masters would be afraid to go on stage without
dozens of pieces memorized. Market competition offers some
advantages to the development of crosstalk.”
(China.org.cn by Unisumoon January 6, 2005)