Research On Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera From The Perspective Of Performance Theory

Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera is a typical folk opera popular in the Hengnan region,and is a cultural product of the geographical environment and specific historical background of southern Hunan.Due to the geographical environment dominated by hills and basins,Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera is very suitable for traditional agricultural production and life,so its early content mainly focused on depicting agricultural life;As a branch of Hunan culture,the witchcraft customs of the Chu people in Hengzhou are also one of the origins of Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera.The agricultural production method and the patriarchal system of local society have greatly affected the survival and development of Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera.This paper attempts to analyze Hengnan Flower Drum Opera Troupe and its traditional performances from the perspective of folklore performance theory,taking Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera in Hengnan County as the research object,using the methods of literature review and field research,and analyzes the social context and oral text generated by Hengnan Flower Drum Opera Troupe,specifically analyzing the local concepts such as local dialect,folk beliefs,respect for filial piety,It is believed that folk small plays,as a type of folk performance,can serve community functions such as inheriting collective memory,entertaining and educating,and maintaining local identity.Based on the performance theory of American folklore,this paper takes two Flower Drum Opera troupes in Hengnan County as the representative performers of the community,pays attention to the performance context,oral text,performance process,actors and audience and other factors,conducts participatory observation,in-depth interviews and online field research,and analyzes the generation context,historical changes,performance situation,text types and community functions of Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera.The paper believes that in the Hengnan region with a profound agricultural culture,the local tradition of Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera and its performances is a product of a comprehensive context,occurring in specific performance and ritual contexts.The oral text types include narrative themes such as female images,spiritual beliefs,daily work,family ethics,etc.,which reflect the thoughts,emotions,and wishes of the working people and reflect the unique spiritual characteristics of the people in Hengnan region,It has played a valuable and functional role in consolidating family strength,enhancing the sense of ceremony,and entertaining the public in community life.Hengzhou Flower Drum Opera is a collective memory of Hengnan people’s local knowledge of Hengnan’s history,customs,and life,which helps to enhance local social identity and promote rural revitalization construction.