Feb.3 marks the 105th birthday of Lao She, author of many satirical novels and short stories. To commemorate this great 20th century Chinese writer, a series of performances are being held and are expected to rekindle the fervor for his writings in the Chinese capital. The Beijing Quju Opera Troupe is the first in the line－up to remember the writer with Beneath the Red Banner. The show is an adaptation of Lao She's novel of the same name, his only autobiographic piece, his last work, left unfinished after his death.
With a portrait of Lao She hanging on the stage and a narrator's introduction, the opera takes the audience back to the last years of the Qing Dynasty. Beneath the Red Banner is a history of Lao She's family set against the backdrop of the historical events around the decline of the Qing Dynasty as well as an introduction to the lives of the Manchu nobility at that time. The title of the work refers to the group of Qing Dynasty nobles known as banner men, or flag bearers, to which Lao She's family belonged. As the opera is based on an unfinished work that it does not present a complete story.
Quju Opera is the only opera local to Beijing and was named by Lao She himself. The Beijing Quju Opera Troupe strictly follows the definition handed down by the writer, who determined that Quju be an ethnic Chinese opera that uses the Beijing dialect. In this special production of Beneath the Red Banner, which includes modern dance by Li Longyun, presents the special customs and dialect of imperial China's Manchu nobles.
Lao She dedicated his life to telling the stories on ordinary citizens in Beijing, especially those in the lower echelons of society, in a collection of humorous and often bitingly satirical novels and plays. Although the great author failed to finish his one autobiography, the adaptation of the work into a Quju Opera, an art form that he much appreciated, would no doubt have pleased him greatly. As for Lao She's modern－day fans, the show offers another chance to appreciate the wit and deep understanding.
(CCTV.com February 4, 2004)
