24 October 2018
In the golden autumn of October, the achievements of the Shanghai Cultural and Educational Combination Project were displayed. As an achievement display of the Shanghai Culture and Education Integration Project, the innovative Peking opera "Love Story on the Wall", produced by the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Tianjin Youth Peking Opera Troupe, and co-rehearsed and co-performed by the Shanghai Theatre Academy, the Shanghai Youth Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera Troupe and the Shanghai Zhangjun Kunqu Opera Art Center, was staged successfully on the evening of 23 October at the Shanghai Oriental Art Centre as part of the 20th China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Leaders and guests of honour attending the performance included Gong Xueping, former Chairman of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People's Congress, Li Yiping, Vice Chairman of the Shanghai Municipal People's Political Consultative Conference, Lu Jing, Director-General of the Shanghai Municipal Education Committee, Lou Wei, Party Secretary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Huang Changyong, Deputy Party Secretary and President of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Hu Min, Deputy Party Secretary of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, Yang Yang and Tang Litu, Vice Presidents of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, and Zhang Jiachun,, Chief Financial Officer of the Shanghai Theatre Academy, as well as Wang Jun, President of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival Center, Li Ming, Vice President of the China Shanghai International Arts Festival , and many industry experts.
Peking opera "Love Story on the Wall ," adapted from the Yuan Dynasty variety play master Bai Pu’s work “Pei Shaojun on the Wall”, has become an art classic carried over from generation to generation. In the play, the role of Li Qianjin was played by Li Peihong, Dean of the College of Traditional Chinese Opera of the Shanghai Theatre Academy and famous performing artist of Peking Opera’s Cheng Yanqiu school.
The rehearsal and performance of "Love Story on the Wall" this time featured inheritance in innovation and innovation in inheritance, and adopted many new techniques to reinterpret the art classic on the basis of retaining the artistic characteristics of the art of Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera.
At the same time, the "youth version" of “Love Story on the Wall” featuring actors from the Shanghai Youth Beijing Kunming Opera Troupe, specially invited young teachers, outstanding graduates and current students from the College of Traditional Chinese Opera of the Shanghai Theatre Academy was presented simultaneously. The “youth version” which focuses on Inheritance and application is a new teaching mode the College of Traditional Chinese Opera of the Shanghai Theatre Academy has explored with support of the Party Committee and senior management of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. It has stimulated the self-confidence and desire to advance of the teachers and students in the present stage of Peking Opera, and strengthened their sense of responsibility and mission for the future cause of Peking Opera. Under the cultivation mechanism with the concept of "culture-education integration", the teaching and personnel training methods of the College of Traditional Chinese Opera of the Shanghai Theatre Academy are constantly innovated, attaching great importance to the connection between classroom teaching and stage practice, paying attention to the feedback, discussion and improvement after the performance practice, and working on the basis of "producing new talents, new plays and new innovative achievements".
In response to the “Notice on Further Improving the Work of Traditional Chinese Opera’s Entry t School Campuses” jointly issued by the competent authorities of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee and the Shanghai Municipal Government, Peking opera' "Love Story on the Wall" will go for a performance tour in Fudan University, Tongji University, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai University and other major universities in Shanghai through the "Fine Chinese Quintessence on Campus" series of activities.
Next year, on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 100th anniversary of the May 4th Movement, the Shanghai Theatre Academy and the Shanghai Youth Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera Troupe will join hands with the Shanghai Conservatory of Music to create “Mu Guiying” which is a classic play of the Cheng Yanqiu school of Peking Opera and a number of opera excerpts performed by the top talent of the Shanghai Youth Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera Troupe.
