80
HELGA WERLE
Ching p'eng "cleaning the matshed" has to take place before the performance. The puppeteers take a live cock and make an incision in his throat and then carry him over the stage, dropping his blood into every corner, over the backstage and even over the musical instruments. This is done in order to protect themselves against the evil spirits or hungry ghosts, which performing puppets attract. That human actors perform at the Hungry Ghosts Festival is a development of the past 20 years for Ch'aochowese. Originally only puppets were used. The human likeness of the moving puppet fools the ghost, who takes possession of the puppet. Thus humans are protected from their assault and the whole area gets cleared of their evil influence. Puppet-shows are mainly performed as an exorcising ceremony and it therefore does not matter whether there is a public to watch the performance or not.
The actual performance starts mostly with the 'Birthday of the Eight Immortals', which is a series of good wishes. This introductory piece starts with the Peach Banquet, implying the wish for longevity. The next part is called 'To bestow Rank and Riches'; then comes the fairy who sends sons. The next short play is a ceremony to "cleanse the matshed" and the last is called "the banquet at the capital", which is to congratulate the troupe for its performance. The main play starts after this introduction.
The repertory of the two Hong Kong Ch'aochow puppet-groups comprises the following operas, which are part of the Ch'aochow Opera tradition:
Hu-li Luan Chou Wang 狐狸亂周王
Tuan-Chiao Hui
Li Te-wu 李德武
Kuan Wang Miao 闊王廟
Yang Tsung-pao
I Chih Mei 一枝梅
The script/stories of these operas are spoken and sung by the puppeteers. If the opera is a wen-chü or literary play, the text which is in rhymes is fixed and a script is used; but when a wu-chü or military play is performed the puppeteers use their own imagination to enrich the familiar plot.
One further point should be mentioned. Shadow-puppet theatre was very early a most important part of entertainment and when finally drama became organised, the public eye was so trained on the shadow-puppet movements that they were taken over into the
80
HELGA WERLE
Ching p'eng "cleaning the matshed" has to take place before the performance. The puppeteers take a live cock and make an incision in his throat and then carry him over the stage, dropping his blood into every corner, over the backstage and even over the musical instruments. This is done in order to protect themselves against the evil spirits or hungry ghosts, which performing puppets attract. That human actors perform at the Hungry Ghosts Festival is a development of the past 20 years for Ch'aochowese. Originally only puppets were used. The human likeness of the moving puppet fools the ghost, who takes possession of the puppet. Thus humans are protected from their assault and the whole area gets cleared of their evil influence. Puppet-shows are mainly performed as an exorcising ceremony and it therefore does not matter whether there is a public to watch the performance or not.
The actual performance starts mostly with the 'Birthday of the Eight Immortals', which is a series of good wishes. This introduc- tory piece starts with the Peach Banquet, implying the wish for longevity. The next part is called 'To bestow Rank and Riches;' then comes the fairy who sends sons. The next short play is a cere- mony to "cleanse the matshed" and the last is called "the banquet at the capital", which is to congratulate the troupe for its perfor- mance. The main play starts after this introduction.
The repertory of the two Hong Kong Ch'aochow puppet-groups comprises the following operas, which are part of the Ch'aochow Opera tradition :
Hu-li Luan Chou Wang
狐狸亂周王
Tuan-Chiao Hui
Li Te-wu 李德武
Kuan Wang Miao 闊王廟
Yang Tsung-pao
I Chih Mei 一枝梅
The script/stories of these operas are spoken and sung by the puppeteers. If the opera is a wen-chü or literary play, the text which is in rhymes is fixed and a script is used: but when a wu chủ or military play is performed the puppeteers use their own imagination to enrich the familiar plot.
One further point should be mentioned. Shadow-puppet theatre was very early a most important part of entertainment and when finally drama became organised, the public eye was so trained on the shadow-puppet movements that they were taken over into the
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