Shen Tiemei (center), a renowned Sichuan Opera performer, portrays the heroine in Chongqing Sichuan Opera Theater's rendition of the classic Jiang Jie.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Brave sacrifice of inspirational revolutionary icon told in classic style, Cheng Yuezhu reports.

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, Chongqing Sichuan Opera Theater's rendition of the classic opera Jiang Jie was performed in Beijing's Tsinghua University on May 6 and 7.

The performance is the only Chongqing production featured in a selection of 140 stage performances from around the country invited to perform in Beijing. It was organized by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, and the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles.

This production premiered in Chongqing in January 2018, integrating folk Sichuan Opera style prevalent in the region with the patriotic and inspiring story which took place in Chongqing.

Jiang Jie is one of the most well-known figures who sacrificed her life for the revolutionary cause prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949.

Her real name was Jiang Zhujun and she devoted herself to the work of the CPC. After her husband died in battle, she was betrayed by renegades and captured by the Kuomintang. Refusing to disclose any information, she was executed at the age of 29.

Her story was portrayed in the novel Red Rock written by Luo Guangbin and Yang Yiyan, and in 1964, playwright Yan Su adapted the story into the opera Jiang Jie integrating a wide range of Chinese folk opera styles.

Since then, opera troupes from around the country have produced their own renditions based on Yan Su's script. Since Jiang Jie performed her duties and was executed in Chongqing, the Chongqing Sichuan Opera Theater decided to stage their own production.

A scene from Chongqing Sichuan Opera Theater's Jiang Jie.[Photo provided to China Daily]

Shen Tiemei, the opera singer who plays the role of Jiang Jie, is a leading representative in Sichuan Opera, the dean of Chongqing Sichuan Opera Theater, and a deputy to the National People's Congress.

She says that when adapting the classic opera to this Sichuan Opera production in 2018, the crew felt that they were standing on the shoulders of giants, having been provided meaningful subject matter and suitable content for folk operas.

"We feel that this revolution-themed production serves to not only reflect the spirit of Chongqing, but also inherits our Sichuan Opera art which is in need of preservation and development," Shen says.

In a forum held subsequent to the performances, Xiong Yuanwei, director and professor from National Academy of Chinese Theater Arts, acknowledges that this production serves as a fine example of the inheritance of Sichuan Opera.

"The audience for Sichuan Opera is somewhat shrinking. The only thing that can save it is performances, especially good productions. Jiang Jie with its good cast can be one of these productions," Xiong says.

According to Shen, in the creation process of this production, the team thought a lot about how to construct a vivid and faithful image of a hero and combine the revolutionary spirit and traditional Sichuan Opera.

The opera was performed in Tsinghua University in Beijing.[Photo provided to China Daily]

"My personal understanding of the character of Jiang Jie is that we used to think that being a hero means that she does not possess any emotion or desire, and therefore tended to overlook her feminine characteristics," Shen says.

"I have done a lot of research, aiming to present the process of Jiang Jie growing more mature over time. Through a series of incidents and personal experiences, she became a firm Communist and a true hero. I also used some singing techniques unique to Sichuan Opera to present her emotions such as grief and despair."

Experts at the forum praised Shen's performance. Chen Yongquan, vice-president of the Henan provincial federation of literary and art circles, says that Shen's performance gave a new look to the classic story.

"In Shen's rendition, when Jiang Jie saw the remains of her husband and the song Ode to Red Plum Blossom sounded, her expressions transformed from agony to one of hope and faith, representing a perfect integration of romanticism and heroism," Chen says.

In addition to two performances at Tsinghua University, the production's Beijing tour included performances at several other universities including Renmin University of China and Communication University of China, and it will tour other cities including Shanghai and Chengdu in Sichuan province.