Silang tanmu
Silang tanmu[a] (Chinese: 四郎探母; pinyin: Sìláng Tànmǔ) is a Peking opera play inspired by The Generals of the Yang Family. It has been repeatedly banned in China.
Plot
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Inspired by episodes from the Ming dynasty historical novel The Generals of the Yang Family,[2] the play is set in the Song dynasty under the rule of Emperor Taizong and contains thirteen distinct scenes.[3]
The titular protagonist of the play, Yang Yanhui,[4] also known as Yang Silang (杨四郎), is a Song Chinese general who is captured by Liao troops.[5] He keeps his true identity a secret and marries the daughter of the Liao empress, Princess Iron Mask (铁镜公主, a dan role).[4] The two dynasties come into conflict again fifteen years later; Yang briefly visits his family with his wife's help but eventually returns to enemy territory.[5] He is initially condemned to death by his mother-in-law but is let off with a warning after the princess intercedes on his behalf.[4]
Sources
[edit]The earliest guide to Peking opera began to circulate in 1845. It featured various actors and the plays that they were known for performing in; Silang tanmu is listed seven times, more than any other play.[6]
The authorship of the play is unknown.[1] The earliest surviving script dates back to 1880 and is found in the Liyuan jicheng (梨園集成) or Compendium of Plays by Li Shizhong (李世忠).[6] An English translation of Silang tanmu by A. C. Scott, titled Ssu Lang Visits his Mother, was included in the first volume of his Traditional Chinese Plays (1967).[7]
Performance history
[edit]Silang tanmu was first staged in the mid-Qing dynasty, albeit in a "provincial" form of Peking opera.[8] Due to its portrayal of a general surrendering to the enemy, the play has been repeatedly banned in China; the Republic of China governmental department in charge of cultural policy in Tianjin, for instance, banned the play in 1945 because it "distorted the normal ethics and morality".[9] It was banned yet again following the Chinese Communist Revolution and the establishment of the People's Republic of China.[4][8]
The ban was briefly relaxed in 1956, as part of the Hundred Flowers Campaign, although playwrights were nonetheless obliged to amend some of the dialogue.[9] The first post-ban staging of Silang tanmu in May of the same year was watched by approximately two thousand people.[8] The play continued to be performed until 1960, following which it apparently "incurred official disapproval once more".[10]
Adaptations
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The play has been performed in various other forms of Chinese opera, including Hebei opera, Shanxi opera, Shaanxi opera, Min opera, and Sichuan opera.[11]
A Cantonese film adaptation of the play (Jyutping: sei3 long4 taam3 mou5), was released in 1959.[12] It was directed by Wong Hok-sing and stars Ma Sze-tsang, Yu Lai-jan, Lam Ka-sing, Fung Wong-nui, and Poon Yat On. In the film, Yang is coerced into marrying the Liao princess. She is subsequently visited by one of Yang's sisters-in-law, who persuades her to allow Yang to return to his home to visit his ailing mother. A sequel was released in the same year.[12]
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ a b Ye 2020, p. 289.
- ^ Idema & West 2013, p. viii.
- ^ Scott 1967, p. 20.
- ^ a b c d Rolston 2022, p. 13.
- ^ a b Chang 2007, p. 58.
- ^ a b Rolston 2022, p. 12.
- ^ Rolston 2022, p. 14.
- ^ a b c Scott 1967, p. 23.
- ^ a b Fu 2021, p. 128.
- ^ Scott 1967, p. 24.
- ^ Ye 2020, p. 290.
- ^ a b Stokes & Braaten 2020, p. 277.
Works cited
[edit]- Chang, Bi-yu (2007). "Disclaiming and Renegotiating National Memory: Taiwanese Xiqu and Identity". In Carsten Storm; Mark Harrison (eds.). The Margins of Becoming: Identity and Culture in Taiwan. Harrassowitz. pp. 51–68. ISBN 9783447054546.
- Fu, Jin (2021). A History of Chinese Theatre in the 20th Century. Vol. 4. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000435573.
- Idema, Wilt L.; West, Stephen H. (2013). The Generals of the Yang Family: Four Early Plays. World Scientific. ISBN 9789814508698.
- Rolston, David L. (2022). "How Purpose and Function Has Affected Translation and Subtitling of the Jingju Play Silang tanmu". In Lintao Qi; Shani Tobias (eds.). Encountering China's Past: New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer. pp. 11–27. ISBN 9789811906473.
- Scott, A.C. (1967). Traditional Chinese Plays. Vol. 1. University of Wisconsin Press.
- Stokes, Lisa Odham; Braaten, Rachel (2020). Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781538120620.
- Ye, Tan (2020). Historical Dictionary of Chinese Theater. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781538120644.