Willow Tree Well

Lao She宝文堂书店 · ChinaFeb 2017

3.4

Word count: 11K words
Chapters: 5

Summary

A group of veteran artists represented by Wei Xikui adapted and performed works with dramatic elements in the form of quyi, initially calling them "quyi drama." After seeing them, Mr. Lao She found the form appealing and wrote that this quyi drama was a mixture of spoken drama, opera, Peking opera, pingju, and quyi—a bit of a "four-not-like." Later Lao She wrote the script Willow Tree Well for quyi drama and suggested dropping the character "yi" and simply calling it "quju," and offered some very pertinent advice on its development. Willow Tree Well is the founding work of Beijing quju.

Editor's review

The value of Willow Tree Well lies not only in the script itself but in its record of a key moment in the birth of a theatrical genre. Lao She wrote this play for the then-emerging quyi form with dramatic elements and suggested dropping "yi" to name it "quju," moving Beijing quju from an experimental "four-not-like" to a stage with a name and a representative work. Reading it, one sees how Lao She blended elements of spoken drama, opera, Peking opera, pingju, and quyi: the language is accessible, the structure clear, and characters and conflict serve stage presentation rather than desk-bound display. For general readers it is a concise text for understanding the founding look of Beijing quju; for researchers and opera enthusiasts it offers firsthand material on Lao She's part in building a local genre. It is short, best read with an eye to quyi's features, noting the rhythmic shifts between sung lines and dialogue.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Beijing quju and theater history
Scholars and students studying Lao She's plays and local genres
General audiences who want to see how quyi becomes stage drama
Those needing a short script for community or campus popularization of opera

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a long Beijing-flavored novel by Lao She
Readers with no interest in opera forms and sung-text structure
Readers who want pure spoken drama and no quyi fusion

Reading tips

Learn first how Beijing quju evolved from quyi drama; the script's formal features will then be easier to grasp.
Read dialogue and sung lines aloud to feel the rise and fall of Lao She's language in stage rhythm.
After reading, compare Lao She's naming advice and consider why a "four-not-like" form became the starting point of a new genre.

About the publisher

宝文堂书店 China · Founded in 1862

Baowentang Bookstore is a time-honored publishing and distribution institution in Beijing, long oriented toward popular, accessible reading matter. Its books draw on folk literature and the storytelling tradition, and also include opera and quyi works, popular editions of classical novels, and almanacs, with an emphasis on readability and practical use for ordinary readers. Its representative title in the catalog is Liu Shu Jing by Lao She, which belongs to folk literature and reflects the bookstore's focus on collecting and disseminating folk literature. Because public information is limited, a full picture of its specific series and author resources is difficult to set out; the above overview rests only on the existing catalog title and publishing orientation.

版权信息
人物
第一场
第二场
第三场

FAQ

Why is Willow Tree Well called the founding work of Beijing quju?

Sources show that Lao She wrote Willow Tree Well for the then quyi drama and suggested dropping the "yi" from "quyi drama" to name it "quju," and offered development advice. The play is therefore regarded as a founding work in the formation of Beijing quju, with landmark significance in the genre's history.

Do I need to know opera to read this script?

No specialist opera knowledge is needed. The language is accessible and the characters and conflict clear. If you know in advance that it blends spoken drama, opera, Peking opera, pingju, and quyi, watch the shifts between dialogue and sung lines to appreciate this "four-not-like" form.

How does it differ from an ordinary spoken-drama script?

It was written for quyi drama, then a new stage form, and carries elements of quyi and opera performance; it is not pure spoken drama. Lao She himself described such works as a blend of several arts, a bit "four-not-like"; watch for traces of sung lines, rhythm, and stage presentation.

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About the author

Lao She Author · China · 1899–1966

Lao She, born Shu Qingchun with the courtesy name Sheyu, lived from 1899 to 1966. A Manchu from Beijing, he is a major modern Chinese writer. His writing long centered on urban life in Beijing and on ordinary people at the lower levels of society. His works are mostly social novels and folk literature, and he also wrote essays and miscellaneous prose. His style is plain yet marked by irony and compassion, and he was skilled at using colloquial Beijing-flavored language to portray characters and their fates. His representative works include Camel Xiangzi, Four Generations Under One Roof, and Teahouse, which have had wide influence. In 1951 he received the title "People's Artist." The library holds 488 of his works, commonly classified under social fiction, classics, folk literature, essays and miscellaneous writings, and exam books, showing that his writing continues to circulate among readers and in teaching.