Study On Longyao Yangko Theatre

Longyao Yangko opera is a small local opera which is popular in southern Hebei Province. This paper analyzes the performance groups of Longyao Yangko opera and the main subjects of this study are social attributes of performance groups, the actors' cultural identity, the inheritance and innovation of the repertoire, and the changes in the music characteristics. This paper argues that the changes in social attributes of Longyao Yangko opera troupes had a crucial impact on the inheritance and development of this opera in the 20 th century. During this period, Longyao Yangko opera performance groups went through three stages: folk opera troupe, state-run opera troupe, and private opera troupe.The tradition form—folk opera troupe—is the system form of the inheritance of the Chinese opera. The basis of this system form is the traditional mentoring relationship and the traditional teaching method—oral or mental instruction, which guarantees the stability of the repertoire and music in the process of inheritance. In the middle and later period of 20 th century, the state-run opera troupe greatly pushed the development of Longyao Yangko opera, because the state-run opera troupe can not only meet the basic needs of the actors but also change their social status dramatically—the actors become the state cadres with higher social status instead of folk artists with lower social status. This shift has effectively promoted the development of Longyao Yangko opera: not only had the traditional repertoire been collected and organized, but people also began to explore and create the new repertoire. The state-run opera troupe then turns into private-run opera troupe, which is the product of market economy, but this restructuring has produced some negative influences on the development of Longyao Yangko opera. In the new context, the poorly organized private-run opera troupe and the focus on the economic benefits have adverse impact on the preservation and performance of the traditional repertoire. The actors lose the identity of “the state cadres”, which make the actors reposition the social value of Longyao Yangko opera. The performance of the traditional repertoire lacks the bounds of regulation because of the non-professional musical acts, which will then influence the heritage and development of the opera. Based on many field trips, the paper analyzes the problems in the inheritance and protection of Longyao Yangko opera and proposes practical solutions from the aspect of current situation.