Author: An Kui (Drama Critic)
Recently, “Iron Painting Love” performed by Wuhu Art Theater was staged in Beijing.
Wuhu Art Theater has performed many excellent traditional Huangmei Opera plays and new plays, which are deeply loved by the local people. Both are national intangible cultural heritages, Huangmei Opera and Wuhu iron painting forging techniques have distinctive artistic features. Wuhu iron painting is a kind of “painting”, but it does not use pen, ink and paint, but “uses hammer instead of pen, iron as ink, and anvil as case”. A unique handicraft, wrought iron into painting. It can be said that “iron is the muscle and bone painting is the soul”, with three-dimensional beauty and masculinity, highlighting the magnificent local characteristics and the charm of folk art.
Stills of Huangmei Opera “Iron Painting Love”
It has always been the wish of Wuhu people to show the “password” of iron painting creation on the stage of Huangmei Opera. However, it is very difficult to create this kind of theme. Unlike popular science books, opera works cannot illustrate the process of craftsmanship, but must reflect the soul of the creator of iron paintings.
On the basis of related records, the script of the play has developed rich artistic imagination and wonderful artistic conception, shaping the artistic images of Tang Tianchi who was born as a blacksmith, painter Xiao Yuncong and his father and daughter Xiao Fengying, and Huangmei opera artist Huang Fengying. It is legendary and rich in life, so that the audience can get the double enjoyment of knowing the beauty of iron paintings and tasting the charm of Huangmei Opera during viewing.
Tang Tianchi is a rough man who dares to express himself, so people call him “Tang Dazui”. The work is about the “love relationship” between him and two women. He likes Huangmei Opera, “Huangmei opera is tied to my soul”. As a Wuhu villager, it is reasonable to have a love for Huang Fengying, a local female artist of Huangmei Opera, but when he said that he would marry her, it was just a temporary joke , not seriously. When Huang Fengying gave him a high-five, he also thought that he could not do the iron painting of portraits, but after the high-five, Tang Tianchi developed an unrepentant strength, which showed his confidence in his skills and his pursuit of beauty.
Huang Fengying didn’t have any feelings for Tang Tianchi at first, but seeing Tang Tianchi’s perseverance when he was beaten by Zhao Yanwang, she developed a good impression and sympathy for him, and she generously helped Tang Tianchi, took off the jade bracelet in her hand to pay off the debt for Tang Tianchi. The subsequent scene of two people drinking shows the mutual acquaintance and sympathy between the two. Huang Fengying sighed: “Who in the world knows that I value me?” Tang Tianchi was encouraged by Huang Fengying’s righteousness: “Aspiring people should not be afraid of fame and low status!” It’s getting deeper but not close to love, so it’s regrettable that the two of them didn’t get married in the end, but it is inevitable.
According to records, the iron painting was created by Tang Tianchi and the famous painter Xiao Yuncong through mutual learning and mutual learning. From this, the creator conceived the story of the love and union between Tang Tianchi and Xiao Yuncong’s daughter Xiao Fengying. Xiao Fengying is a lady of every family and has suffered from misfortune in her marriage. Therefore, she is emotionally restrained, but she attaches great importance to her feelings when she is not publicized. She was heartbroken when she saw that the iron painting portrait created by Tang Tianchi was not her own. After Tang Tianchi recreated her portrait and sincerely expressed his feelings, the two were able to bond.
Tang Tianchi has the muscles and bones of “iron”, and Xiao Fengying has the charm of “painting”. Their combination is “a match made in heaven” just like iron painting. However, why Xiao Fengying developed feelings for Tang Tianchi in the play, and the process of Xiao Yun’s change of attitude towards her daughter’s marriage with Tang Tianchi from denying to agreeing, is not clear enough. If we can make a more detailed and vivid description of this process , while maintaining the simplicity of the work, it will be more refined, which will make the play more touching.
The stage presentation of “Iron Painting Love” has a strong sense of the times and a strong sense of life. The drama focuses on the hard work and struggle of the protagonists, and at the same time lays out the scenes of life in the city of all kinds of people around them. This avoids the monotony that may occur when expressing iron painting craftsmanship. The passage of Tang Tianchi and Huang Fengying drinking, and the passage of Tang Tianchi dreaming after drunk all express the emotions of the characters in the clever stage performance. The stage set also uses the pattern of the iron painting, which plays a role in setting off the content of the story and deepens the audience’s feeling for the beauty of the iron painting. Several leading actors sang in local accents, which made the audience feel very cordial.
Guo Moruo once wrote an inscription for Tiehua: “Create beautiful pictures with iron materials, and create a great China with iron will.” “Iron Painting Love” uses the “materials” of Tiehua to create a beautiful drama. The creation and performance of this work is also an artist The performance of their iron will, the spiritual quality of the protagonists of the drama will also become a positive force to inspire the masses to “create a great China”. It is hoped that this work will continue to be revised and improved to become an excellent repertoire, and that Wuhu Art Theater will continue to climb new artistic peaks with iron will.
“Guangming Daily” (version 16, May 24, 2023)
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责编：孙宗鹤 ]