翁國生與青春京劇

人們一定還記得，那出演紅江南半邊天的童話京歌劇《孔雀翎》。《孔雀翎》雖冠名為京歌劇，內容卻大膽、前衛、巧妙地運用了現代舞、霹靂舞、流行音樂等現代藝術的一些表演元素，使沉悶的京劇舞臺首次出現了勁歌狂舞的場面。

《孔雀翎》在全國各地連演500場，獲得了上海全國優秀兒童劇展演“最佳劇目獎”、文化部優秀兒童劇匯演“優秀劇目銀獎”、“導演一等獎”等。這無疑是一臺充滿藝術性、市場性的雙贏創新劇目，它呈現在有200多年歷史傳統的京劇舞臺上，不能不令人刮目相看。該劇的導演、主演便是當時的浙江京劇團副團長翁國生。

在這之后翁國生又推出了一部大型現代青春京劇《網絡戀曲》，這部戲在處理古老京劇表演體系與現代舞臺呈現手段的嫁接上更趨成熟。這兩部戲的上演，一改浙江京劇團原先萎靡不振的演出市場，特別是青年學生蜂擁而至，連聲叫好。可以說這兩部戲的出現，是翁國生面對傳統京劇、演出市場和觀眾做出的深思熟慮的選擇，他將自己對古老京劇與現代人的審美關系的思考做了一次完美的顯示。

翁國生其實不是演京劇出身，他自11歲從藝以來一直與昆劇結緣，早先是浙江昆劇團的武生演員、浙江昆劇團的業務副團長，后來改變他命運的是一出《尋太陽》的兒童神話劇的上演。

這出取材于杭州西湖民間傳說的故事，是翁國生作為業務副團長向當時任浙江京昆藝術劇院院長的汪世瑜提出的。當時，浙江昆劇團演出市場比較萎縮，演員登臺演出的機會非常稀少。翁國生認為，要從困境中突圍出來，就得拓寬劇目路子，爭取青年學生甚至兒童進入劇場。汪世瑜支持翁國生的設想，于是由翁國生主演并一起參與導演的《尋太陽》，經過艱苦排練終于如愿上演。

《尋太陽》使昆劇團的演出市場一下子打開了，一連熱演了400多場。觀眾發現，古老的昆劇也可以演兒童劇，也可以變得那么青春、靚麗。此時，翁國生作為主演有時一天要演三四場，最多時要演五場，體力透支已到了極限，終于他病倒了。醫生向他發出了警告：即使病愈出院今后也不能從事武生行當，不能當演員了。

世事異中有變。翁國生想既然當不成演員，那就改行當導演，于是他考進了上海戲劇學院導演系。也同在那一年，由杭州藝術創作中心和杭州越劇院聯合創排的童話音樂劇《寒號鳥》向他發出了邀請，請他擔任劇中一號主角“寒號鳥”，并請他一起參加導演組工作。

這是一出融進了杭州地域文化的具有現代品格的音樂劇，同樣，也是一出閃爍著青春、具有強烈時代氣息的音樂劇。他主演的《寒號鳥》在全國一炮走紅，此劇榮獲了當年的“文華表演獎”和“白玉蘭主角獎”，2002年他順利完成了上海戲劇學院近三年的學業后，被調入浙江京劇團當業務副團長。

進入浙江京劇團，翁國生將創新劇目作為浙江京劇的奮斗目標，推出了《告別迷茫》《紅拂》《寶蓮燈》三臺大戲。這三臺大戲創新力度大，表現手法多樣化，它將古老的京劇與當代的時尚、青春結合得更緊。《告別迷茫》采用了傳統京劇的“四功五法”嫁接現代時尚與歌舞，形成一套嶄新的現代京劇的表演程式；《紅拂》大膽地采用了小劇場藝術，舞臺既無天幕又無欄桿，演員與觀眾近距離地交流、互動，把這出古代青年男女之間的恩情、愛情、親情演繹得出神入化、淋漓盡致，催人淚下；《寶蓮燈》作為一部賀歲京劇，定位在“熱鬧、團圓、開心”上，全劇可謂五彩繽紛、美輪美奐，高難度的現代武術技巧與傳統京劇的精彩武打交相輝映，華麗典雅的京劇唱段配上交響型的音樂配器，盡顯雍容華貴的現代氣派，特別是翁國生主演的沉香，英姿勃勃，唱做俱佳，大有蓋派武生的風范。

《紅拂》從2006年6月30日至2007年7月22日已完成百場演出，收入1147979元；《寶蓮燈》從2006年12月至2007年6月演出140場，收入1146185元。這一數字后面，折射出浙江京劇團青春京劇的特色品牌，證實了浙江京劇團完成了脫胎換骨的改造，已從計劃經濟轉到了市場經濟。

翁國生是浙江京劇團的法人代表，是導演又是主要演員。他管理著全團藝術生產、市場開拓、人才培養，忙得團團轉，因而有“拼命三郎”之稱：論演員他是“梅花獎”、“文華獎”“白玉蘭主角獎”的獲得者、國務院特殊津貼享受者；論導演他不僅一手策劃了浙京近五年來的所有青春京劇，導演了20多臺不同劇種的新創舞臺劇目，其中紅遍全國、享譽海外的白先勇版《牡丹亭》就是汪世瑜和他共同執導的，他參與策劃、導演的第七屆中國藝術節開幕式晚會上的戲曲篇章，也以古典、熱烈的演出效果受到文化部領導的好評。

翁國生在京劇的這塊土壤里辛勤耕耘，獲得了累累成果。今年已42歲的他，已將三年的工作日程排得滿滿的，他與省文化廳又簽訂了三年的任期合同。在這三年中他要辦幾件大事：明年是蓋叫天誕辰120周年，他要策劃和創作一臺“蓋韻流長”的蓋派藝術主題晚會，并創作一部大型現代京劇《蓋叫天》，作為慶祝建國60周年的獻禮節目；他要推出浙江京劇團“五朵京花主題晚會”，用嶄新的舞臺樣式，為浙京的年輕明星包裝打造；他要重新修建一座300多座位的古典小劇場，創排第二部小劇場實驗京劇《聊齋·誘惑》，此外，把經典劇目推向海外也是他的重要任務。

Gifted Man Rejuvenates Peking Opera

By Wang Anxiang

\"Peacock Feathers\"， a modern Peking Opera play staged first by Zhejiang Peking Opera Troupe in September， 2003， was a huge success. The avant-garde performance introduced snazzy elements of dance and pop music into the age-old operatic tradition and caused a sensation across the country. The play incredibly ran for 500 performances and grabbed top honors from the Ministry of Culture.

On the strength of the success， the troupe launched \"Internet Romance\"， another landmark new Peking Opera play. Experts remark that the second hit more skillfully integrates the traditional representation of Peking Opera and the brand-new stage techniques. The two box-office successes have invigorated the market for the troupe. Young audiences respond to the plays more enthusiastically.

The success of the two plays owes much to Weng Guosheng， director and lead actor of the \"Peacock Feathers\" and now deputy chief of the Zhejiang Peking Opera Troupe.

Critics say that the success of the two plays reflects Weng's profound understanding of the tradition of Peking Opera， market trends and audiences， and that the plays are the results of his examination of the century-old tradition and the modern aesthetics.

Weng did not start his career as an actor of Peking Opera. He started at the age of 11 as an apprentice of Kunqu Opera， another Chinese theatrical glory， and later became deputy chief of the Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe. Seeing the drastic dwindling of the audiences of Kunqu Opera， Weng saw the urgent need to reform. The troupe did not have new plays to make its ends meet and actors did not have new plays to stage. Weng reasoned that the young audience should be the troupe's target.

The result was a new Kunqu Opera fairytale entitled \"Seeking the Sun\"， meant for the preteen and teenage audience. Weng introduced many modern elements into the play. He was the lead man and helped direct it. The play was a big box office success. More than 400 performances were staged. Weng was so heavily engaged in acting that the busiest day saw him appear in five performances. He fell sick. The doctor diagnosed that his acting career was over. Seeing the need to change for new breakthroughs in his career， Weng engaged himself in a course at Shanghai Theater Academy and began to study the art of stage direction.

During his college days， he helped direct a musical staged by the Hangzhou Creative Art Center and the Hangzhou Yueju Opera Troupe. As his health recovered miraculously， he acted the lead man in the musical. Again， it was a big success and won top government prizes. In 2002， upon graduation after nearly three years of studies at the academy， he was appointed executive deputy director of the Zhejiang Peking Opera Troupe.

With his innovative Midas touch， Weng was the motive power behind the three innovative Peking Opera plays: \"Goodbye to Confusion\"， \"Hongfu\" and \"Lotus Lantern\". Each of the three is a perfect combination of tradition and modernity， highlighting fashion and youth. \"Goodbye to Confusion\" combines the traditional representative formula with modern fashion and pop dancing; \"Hongfu\" defines itself in a small theater， interacting with audiences at zero distance; \"Lotus Lantern\" is a melodrama of breathtaking kongfu tricks， of luxuriant Peking opera arias accompanied by an orchestra band， and of elegant costumes in garish colors. The first 100 performances of \"Hongfu\" from June 20， 2006 to July 22， 2007 grossed 1，147，979 yuan at the box office; the first 140 performances of \"Lotus Lantern\" from December， 2006 to June， 2007 raked in 1，145，185 yuan at the box office. The record-breaking numbers convincingly testify to the troupe's artistic and business renaissance and its successful breakaway from the fetters of the outmoded planned economy.

Now， Weng Guosheng is famed as an innovative director who dares to rejuvenate Chinese operas. Since his appointment as the executive chief of the Zhejiang Peking Opera Troupe， he has produced five new plays and directed about 20 plays in different folk operas.

The 42-year-old Weng has just signed a new contract with the provincial authorities for his next three-year term as the executive chief of the troupe. The schedule for the next three years is full of big ambitions: Weng will produce a grand show in 2008 in memory of the 120th anniversary of the birthday of Gai Jiaotian (1888-1971)， the biggest Peking Opera master the province has ever had in its history of theater; a new play will be produced in 2009 to celebrate the master's life and career; Weng will produce an innovative show to promote five promising stage artists of the troupe; also on the schedule is a 300-seat small theater for the troupe; finally， he will direct an experimental Peking Opera play based on a story from \"The Strange Tales from the Liao Studio\"， authored by Pu Songling， a scholar of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). In addition to all these concrete tasks， Weng looks forward to promoting his innovative Peking Opera plays in overseas markets.

(Translated by David)