Shanghai Opera Between The State And Society (1949～1976)

As a native local drama in Shanghai,Shanghai Opera experienced the evolution of flower drum opera,beach reed,Shenqu and Shanghai opera from the middle of the Qing Dynasty to the period of the Republic of China.In the 1930 s and 1940 s,Shanghai Opera was famous for its performance of "suit cheongsam play",which was mostly a show reflecting the lives of small citizens,and also adapted from current affairs news and foreign films,which were popular with Shanghai residents.After the liberation of Shanghai in May 1949,Shanghai Opera,together with other local operas,began the "drama transformation".From 1949 to 1956,the state carried out the "drama reform" work,as well as the launch of a series of social movements,to rectify the ecology of the Shanghai opera,the Shanghai Opera Company responded positively to this.During the transition period,the government changed the performance market fundamentally through the transformation of theatres and cinemas,and there was a crisis in the Shanghai opera industry.In the process,folk troupes joined the state,thus establishing the state-run system of the troupe.From 1957 to early 1963,the Shanghai opera troupe and artists underwent a cross-section management and rectification,the opera team has undergone a major change.With the launch of the Great Leap Forward Movement,the troupe participated in the "six-sided" activities,to learn from workers,peasants and soldiers,to serve the workers and peasants,while the troupe carried out a large number of low-quality amateur creations,the concept of artists was reshaped.But in the adjustment period,due to the "three-in-a-half" opera policy,the performance of the play,the concept of artists have appeared a certain degree of repetition.In factories and rural areas,the masses of amateur cultural activities after the early development of the founding of the People’s Republic of China,into the "floating wind" stage.During the adjustment period,the contradiction between the performance and production of the mass amateur activities was better solved,but the whole still has the characteristics of political and unbalanced.After the issuance of the "Two Literary Approvals" in 1963,the atmosphere of struggle in the literary and artistic circles was significantly strengthened.Under the criticism of literature and art,The Shanghai Opera actively performed modern drama,and at the same time formed a small team to go to the countryside,the factory performance,Jiang Qing selected the Shanghai opera "Reed Fire" and "Red Light" launched the revolutionary model drama,and made a series of changes to it.In the early period of the Cultural Revolution,the Shanghai opera troupe,artists and performance activities were affected by the "literary and artistic black line dictatorship",the rise of the Red Guard culture.In the late Cultural Revolution,a small number of Shanghai operas were created and performed together by professional troupes and amateur creative forces,and became the main body of Shanghai opera performances in the latter part of the Cultural Revolution.