When talking aboutYueju(YueOpera), the famous actress Yuan Xuefen cannot be forgotten. Yuan Xuefen (1922- ), the leading reformer in the 1940s, contributed a great deal to the development and enrichment ofYueju.
In the early 20th century, a form of opera calledLuodi Changshu Diaowas popular in the area ofShengxianCountyinShaoxing,ZhejiangProvince. It was named "YueOpera" because it has its origin in part ofYueStatein the Spring and Autumn Period dating back about 2,000 years ago. As the performers sang to the accompaniment of a rhythmicdidu, didusound made by a drum and sandalwood clappers, they were also called "Didutroupes". At that time, the most outstandingDidutroupe in Shaoxing consisted of only male performers. In the late 1920s, with the emergence of a large number of female performers, aDidutroupe with only female performers appeared; it was called theWomen's Refined Opera. In the autumn of 1938, it formally adopted the name ofYueju.
In the 1950s, a reform ofYuejustarted, under the influence of Yuan Xuefen. Maintaining its soft, sweet tunes and melodies, and gentle and refined style,Yuejuadopted artistic achievements from the modern drama,Kunquand Western music, in an attempt to create a new performing style. The women artists replaced theMu Biaosystem (Each drama used to have only an outline, rather than a script; actors performed as they wished, but within the outline.) with scripts. The operas now had definite directors. A special kind of ancient costume was created, modern stage settings and lights were introduced, and some western musical instruments were incorporated in the orchestra.
Yuan Xuefen' representative works areSister-in-Law Xianglin,Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, andWang Zhaojun. In September 1944, the professional Xue FenYuejuTroupe was established, and its style is named theYuanSchool.
Sister-in-Law Xianglin, performed by leading actress Yuan Xuefen, was adapted from the storyNew Year's Sacrificeby Lu Xun (1881-1936). As Sister-in-Law Xianglin became a widow twice, people regarded her as an inauspicious woman. After her son has been eaten by a wolf, she is driven insane. On a winter night, she is driven out by her employer, and dies in the snow. However, the story has the optimistic theme of the awakening of the Chinese people.
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