Research on Wu's Quyi

Wu's research on Quyi began with his participation in compiling China Quyi Zhi. China Quyi Zhi records the history and present situation of China Quyi, which can be divided into four categories: abstract, chart, outline and biography, as well as genre, characters, repertoire (bibliography), music, performance, stage art, institutions, performance venues, performance customs, cultural relics, newspapers and periodicals, anecdotes and legends, proverbs, etc. Such comprehensive and systematic writing requirements and extremely broad and profound academic vision make this country's major scientific research project a big classroom for Wu. The extensive participation of many first-class folk art experts in China has made its compilation work an academic lecture hall for gathering talents and brainstorming. Up to now, the compilation of China Quyi Zhi has lasted 18 years, and 15 local chronicles have been published, and other 14 local chronicles will be completed one after another. He himself was able to travel all over the country because of the compilation of China Quyi Zhi, and became one of the few domestic scholars who fully understood all kinds of Quyi in China and were familiar with its literature. As the saying goes, it takes ten years to sharpen a sword. It is in this academic environment that Wu has gradually grown into a generation of Quyi experts and well-known scholars after nearly 20 years of study, study and tempering. He was commended by People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Ministry of Culture in 1997 and 2004 for his special contribution to the compilation of China Quyi Zhi, and was awarded the "second prize for editing achievement" and "individual award for special contribution".

Crosstalk-a dialogue between academics and art

Interlocutor:

Wu: Doctor, Director of Quyi Institute, China Academy of Art.

Jiang Kun: Vice Chairman of Chinese Quyi Artists Association, crosstalk performer.

The development of cross talk has indeed experienced a continuous downturn. We should dare to face up to the existing problems and rationally explore the realistic breakthrough of prosperity and development.

Wu: For quite some time, at the end of the year and the beginning of the year, with the holding of various gala parties, people paid more attention to the art of crosstalk than ever before. This, of course, is related to the aesthetic characteristics and humorous character that cross talk can bring joy and laughter to people in festivals. It is also related to the unsatisfactory creation and performance of cross talk, and the huge contrast between the audience's appreciation enthusiasm and eager demand. In fact, due to various reasons, there are indeed many problems in the contemporary development of cross talk art, which requires us to think calmly and find out the reasons. As an insider and a famous crosstalk artist, I wonder how you feel? You know, you are not only an ordinary insider and crosstalk performer, but also the person in charge of the work of the Chinese Quyi Artists Association. And your opinion, to a great extent, is related to the concept and work orientation of cross talk development in the industry!

Jiang Kun: Thank you for reminding me. The topic of crosstalk development makes me feel heavy, and I deeply feel the great responsibility I shoulder.

First of all, from the audience, I think cross talk, even our whole folk art, is actually quite valued in the cultural life of ordinary people. Therefore, it is a phenomenon that if a person is elected or out of the "Spring Festival Evening" crosstalk, it will become big news. Even the return of crosstalk to theater and TV has become the topic and object of discussion. Because of the specific atmosphere requirements of a TV evening, a cross talk was either modified or "shot" and described as an incompetent actor, unreasonable TV director and censor, media hype, online Hu Kan, watching the wind and catching shadows, listening to the wind and rain, which made people very helpless. But the outstanding feeling is that the masses love cross talk.

Wu: We can't simply look at cross talk "returning to the theater" without being on TV. It is necessary to distinguish between the physical concept and the psychological concept of "theater". Television should be said that modern technology has created an incomparably broad performance "stage" for cross talk! I once said that it is a wishful "pastoral dream" to stay away from TV and the Internet and blindly "return to the theater" in the high-tech era. We can't complain about the original good media just because the directors of some variety shows simply cut cross talk programs for specific requirements.

Jiang Kun: That's right. But one thing I want to say is that our cross talk creation is not as close to life, reality and the masses as before, and the level of most works is not high enough. For example, at a TV party, some cross talks and sketches show that they are afraid that their wives will go with others and two people will sleep in the same bed. And too much awareness of "sex" makes people very uncomfortable. Therefore, we should seriously examine and attach importance to the cultural quality of folk arts such as cross talk and the cultural taste of programs. You've written a lot about it over the years, and I want to hear what you think now.

Wu: My judgment on the current situation of cross talk is no different from my previous views in related articles. I think, historically, the development environment and conditions of crosstalk art are better than ever. The status has improved and the environment has been relaxed. The importance attached by all parties to cross talk and the audience's discussion and concern about "insufficient iron" constitute an important condition and soil for cross talk to achieve great development and prosperity. Therefore, it is similar to Li Jindou's persistence and understanding in the face of the media's denial of "cross talk depression".

Jiang Kun: Li Jindou loves crosstalk and has always safeguarded the interests of crosstalk and the dignity of the crosstalk world. Perception is greater than reason. I think this is also an expression of emotion and an artistic self-confidence.

Wu: Yes. But you can't be blind and confident. How many crosstalk performers and programs can be compared with Ma, Hou and Hou? How many can surpass Melting Wax Money, Drama and Dialect, Night Tour and Buying Monkeys? Although the artistic environment of cross talk is better than any period in history, the development of reality is indeed experiencing competition or even squeezing from other arts, and experiencing the growing aesthetic demand and market test of the audience. It is an indisputable fact that the overall downturn continues. Including yourself, since the cooperation with Liang Zuo was interrupted 10 years ago, it should be said that there are not many new programs that can surpass you ten years ago. With the improvement of the audience's appetite, the lack of excellent collaborators, the transformation of social roles and the increase of social activities, there is little chance for you to surpass yourself. It is hard to say that these situations do not exist in other cross-talk actors who can take on great responsibilities.

Jiang Kun: Thank you for understanding me completely. We should really jump out of our ruts and look at the problem objectively and historically with a rational eye. If we can't see the current downturn of cross talk, admit the lack of our own cultural quality, and see the hidden deep crisis under the superficial excitement, then we really lose the correct development direction and internal motivation.

There are many reasons for the continued sluggish development of cross talk. However, the cultural ecology is not perfect, which is the deep reason that affects the continuous downturn of cross talk.

Wu: By analyzing the specific reasons for the long-term depression of cross talk, we will find that various factors from both internal and external subjective and objective aspects have influenced its development today.

Internally, the long-term shortage of talents, the increasingly impetuous creative mentality, the general low cultural quality, the serious lack of professional skills and the lack of aesthetic literacy or even mistakes are important factors that lead to unsatisfactory creation and performance. Speaking of the crosstalk crisis before, there is a traditional opera line that is often borrowed by everyone, saying that there are very few screenwriters engaged in crosstalk script creation in the country. "A dozen people came with seven or eight guns." Even some mature screenwriters have changed careers because of the difficulties in cross talk creation and relatively poor economic benefits.

Why is there an extreme phenomenon of total lack of creative resources? Further, the cultural ecology is not perfect, which is the deep root of the continuous downturn of cross talk. For example, the shortage of talents is because we don't have a corresponding systematic professional incubation mechanism, and we don't belong to a high-level educational institution with high culture and high professional quality that can cultivate cross talk and even the whole folk art. All practitioners basically start from personal hobbies, learn from teachers halfway, work hard by themselves, and have appropriate opportunities to work hard bit by bit. In the old society, it took three years to learn from a teacher. Facing today's society and audience, it is not easy for us crosstalk artists to support this industry to such a situation without relatively systematic professional training. Therefore, it is unfair to blame these practitioners for the long-term downturn of a performing art form with a history of at least 150 years.

Jiang Kun: It is these fundamental reasons that have influenced the development of contemporary cross talk art. In order to create a joke, we have to go on and experience life. Sometimes it takes months or even six months to leave. It's hard to see your calm and rigorous creative attitude now. For example, a few years ago, people said that I was "exhausted in Lang Jiang". Do I feel distressed? When I feel that I can't surpass myself, will I feel distressed? Honestly, there is! Now I have to write about buses, not about me and passengers. If you want to write cross talk, you can't write poetry and songs, and you can't write love. Crosstalk in prose can't be written by Beihai Joeri; You can't write an absurd cross talk, but you can't write a dream in the jaws of death. Sixty or seventy works I have written have blocked my creative path, and there is no room for horizontal expansion. Vertical promotion requires many conditions. So I thought a lot of tricks, such as "true and false Jiang Kun" and "online rap", which smashed the Spring Festival Evening. They are all thinking hard about innovation, but they have not succeeded, and it is difficult to surpass themselves. I need someone to give me guidance, help and cooperation in theory, culture and creative practice, just as Liang Zuo cooperated with me.

Wu: It is very valuable that you have such sobriety and feelings. Explain that if you have time and conditions, you will be able to achieve your higher ideals. Because "success always belongs to those who are prepared". But I think the most effective way to fundamentally solve the dilemma of crosstalk development is to innovate ideas, create conditions as soon as possible, and establish a high-level education mechanism that can make crosstalk, including the whole folk art, develop stably, healthily and sustainably in modern society. In this regard, including Comrade Luo Yang, honorary chairman of Chinese Quyi Association, and yourself, you have repeatedly proposed and called for the establishment of "China Quyi Academy" in CPPCC. I hope this wish can come true at an early date.

Deeply understand and understand the excellent tradition of crosstalk art, correctly handle the relationship between inheritance and innovation, and effectively reverse the decline of crosstalk.

Jiang Kun: After I worked in the Chinese Quyi Association, I worked with you to think of many ways to reverse the downturn of the whole Quyi work, including cross talk, hoping to make progress on the basis of my previous work. For example, insisting on organizing a performance team dominated by crosstalk performers to "send laughter to the grassroots" was welcomed by the people in remote industrial, mining and rural areas and affirmed by the central leadership. The "China Quyi Excellent Talents Training Project" was launched, and "Crosstalk Performance Talents Class", "Crosstalk Creation Talents Class" and "Henan Hangzi Talents Class" were successively set up. I want to gather young and middle-aged outstanding talents in Quyi, and expand the team foundation for the actual prosperity of Quyi, including cross talk.

Wu: This captures the key to a prosperous business. However, I hope that the training of "engineering" should not only teach professional creative and performance courses, but also teach professional historical theory courses and rich cultural courses, so as to improve their professional quality and cultural accomplishment in an all-round way. At the same time, special attention should be paid to guiding young actors to boldly carry out artistic reform and innovation on the basis of in-depth study and profound inheritance of excellent traditions.

Jiang Kun: Yes. The development of cross talk is actually a road of innovation and creation. Innovation is not only the theme of our times, but also the fundamental means for the continuous development of cross talk. The artistic form of cross talk is traditional, but the creative techniques, content, thought and aesthetic vision must belong to us today. Crosstalk should satisfy today's people and be beneficial to today's spiritual needs. We should not only eat the roots of our ancestors, but also cling to our shortcomings. It is necessary to increase the motivation of development and innovation by comprehensively improving the cultural quality of employees.

Wu: In essence, the cultural issue is a question of value standpoint and thoughts and feelings. Crosstalk is not a simple means of making a living and a "stepping stone" to seek fame and fortune, but an art that needs persistent pursuit and conscious creation. The prosperity of cross talk requires a large number of artists who make a living from it to pursue tirelessly and make their own achievements while developing the art of cross talk. But some talented people who become famous by cross talk often "multitask". This is a disadvantage of cross talk. In this sense, the firmness of professional thinking is equally important to the prosperity and development of cross talk.

Jiang Kun: Of course. Crosstalk should be developed, but not blindly innovated. The aesthetic paradigm of "talking about learning to sing, focusing on talking, and everything returning to spring" cannot be lost; "Burden" is a means, not just an end, and the value pursuit of giving people healthy and uplifting spiritual pleasure and ideological enlightenment cannot be lost. In the face of the "dirty", "smelly", "ethics" and "physical defects" that our predecessors have long discarded, we cannot be vague. Ugliness cannot be regarded as beauty, let alone retrogression in art as inheriting tradition. The ultimate value and truly touching aesthetic power of cross talk is not the "hard tickling" and kitsch that caters to laughter, but the aesthetic exploration and intelligent operation with lively form but serious thoughts, relaxed language and profound ideas. We practitioners must understand and adhere to these correct artistic concepts and aesthetic standards.

Now "popular" Degang Guo and her "Deyun Society" deserve our serious attention and calm thinking.

Wu: Yes. No matter how innovative it is, cross talk must be cross talk. The artistic features of cross talk cannot be lost! At present, Degang Guo, who is becoming "popular" and calls himself "an unknown crosstalk performer", has been praised by some media as a "crosstalk geek", and co-founded a folk crosstalk club "Deyun Club" to explore and publicize the artistic tradition of crosstalk, and has long performed at a low price in a tea club in Tianqiao, Beijing, and found a place among some audiences. However, some people criticize it for "returning to the file" and its style is not high. What do you think of the inheritance and development of crosstalk from the perspective of Degang Guo phenomenon? According to many media interviews with Degang Guo, it seems that the mainstream audio industry in Beijing can't tolerate him. I wonder what you think about this?

Jiang Kun: Not long ago, the Chinese Quyi Artists Association participated in the "Li Bai Cup" Beijing Crosstalk TV Invitational Tournament. Young actors from Deyun Society not only participated, but also won prizes. Degang Guo himself also participated in the exhibition. How can we say that mainstream phonology circles exclude them? Degang Guo's popularity is a good thing for crosstalk. He and his "Deyun Society" insist on performing for ordinary people all the year round, operating at low prices to attract and cultivate their own audience and win some recognition from the society. We should be happy about it.

However, when some media reported this matter, there were also some issues that needed to be discussed. For example, a reporter asked me with a straight eyebrow: Jiang Kun, do you admit that Degang Guo's cross talk is taller than you? Why not admit that Degang Guo's cross talk is the mainstream cross talk? Why do your professional crosstalk performers keep silent about Degang Guo? He went to CCTV, Beijing TV and Phoenix TV. Why is there such an attitude? He didn't publish much of my answer, but he caught a sentence as a "pig's tail." I said, Degang Guo's cross talk also has a problem of improving the choice, so it can't be flawed at the same time. Even the "burden" of traditional cross talk still has a grade problem. I speak from the perspective of inheritance and development. Then the online question came out immediately: Who arranged the cross talk? What is his rank? What level are you in? This kind of report is pure hype, which is not good for the development of crosstalk art and Degang Guo himself.

Wu: After this period of observation, I think the phenomenon deserves our careful observation and calm thinking. Especially today, when the audience of traditional art is mainly confined to middle-aged and elderly people, many urban youths are keen on pursuing Degang Guo, which is very intriguing. To a great extent, this is not so much a "revival" phenomenon of cross talk art as a phenomenon of urban aesthetic culture that deserves our attention and consideration. Whether it is a precursor to the diversification of artistic production and management methods in the era of market economy, and whether the cultural consumption of modern urban young people tends to be "curious" and "innovative" is also unknown.

Judging from the programs broadcast on TV, Degang Guo does have some characteristics of his own: because he is "unknown", standing on the stage and talking about cross talk is relatively peaceful; Because he promised to inherit the tradition, he moved some "new and old programs" that young people are not familiar with now. Guo's dismantling, washing and renovation of the old cross talk is mainly not in his bones and thoughts, but in the modernization of the "burden", that is, the translation and transformation that modern people can easily understand, and its "* * * singing node". It has the rationality of its existence and popularity. From another perspective, it may be a kind of emotional catharsis and rebound of people's strong dissatisfaction with the present situation of creation and performance represented by TV cross talk.

Jiang Kun: There must be some factors. But what I care about is his artistic problems and trends.

Wu: This is very important. Although I am happy for Degang Guo, I am also worried about him. Because some remarks made in an interview with the media are related to his own artistic and career development trend, I think it deserves everyone's attention, including Guo himself.

For example, his understanding and expression of the functional value of cross talk art is very debatable. In an interview with a weekly magazine, he said: "I want to know what the cross talk in the late Qing Dynasty was for, not to satirize people, not to educate people, not to praise anyone, doing nothing, just to survive. People who say cross talk are for survival, and audiences are for fun. Our program pays more attention to entertainment, which is to make people happy. If you realize from my program that what is your own business has nothing to do with me, I have not imposed it on you. The audience is very tired. There are all kinds of things, such as lack of housing, lack of money, lack of morality and so on. You come here, and he spends 20 yuan on classes? Nonsense. Actors should not think of themselves as saints and teachers, but should know what they do. This is very important. I will make you happy, I will make you happy. " One meaning of this passage is correct, that is, cross talk is an art, not a textbook. Listening to cross talk is not for education. But art, as a spiritual product, should be beneficial to human life. Of course, the external form and superficial value of art are first reflected in entertainment, but the functions of cognition, education and aesthetics are the places where its value is rich and perfect. Many examples in the history of art tell us that if it is just for entertainment, it is very likely to slip into kitsch and cater to kitsch. Simple entertainment can easily be alienated into "silly fun" lacking humanistic connotation. For Degang Guo, the harm of this understanding may eventually destroy his good character of relying on tradition, taking root in the people and being close to the masses in the pursuit of "laissez-faire" of alienated Gog. Because it is good to continue the tradition, but we can't blindly "rejuvenate". This artistic concept seems reasonable, but in fact it is very chaotic. Really remind him to look at himself and take precautions. In other words, Degang Guo is a promising prospect, but it needs to grow and mature. Judging from some reports, he is ideal. As he said, they already have their own culture and art company; Plan to shoot a funny large-scale stage cross talk drama-ghost story; We will also try to make a TV series starring actors from Deyun Society. It is planned to launch the "Incomplete Crosstalk Handbook-Beijing Deyun Society University Tour" to make more young people like cross talk. At the same time, it is planned to implement the "China Quyi Database Grab Project". I don't think people with such ambitions should just regard art as a tool for making a living, should they? Guo himself has repeatedly told the media that others make money by talking about cross talk, and he makes money to raise cross talk. Isn't his love for crosstalk a pursuit of life divorced from practical utility? ! Unfortunately, judging from the current reports, Guo's statements on many issues are somewhat contradictory. I hope this is just the result of some media taking it out of context.

Jiang Kun: Degang Guo's attention and reporting need to be rational and responsible. I exchanged views with Guo's teacher Hou. Hou said, do you know that this boy can do more than 600 traditional cross talks? I said I doubt it. Some people say that Degang Guo said that there are only 400 paragraphs in the complete works of China's traditional cross talk, and he knows 600 paragraphs. All this needs to be solved and clarified. It is also a kind of "returning to the theater". I think the practice of "Beijing Weekend Crosstalk Society" is more worthy of recognition and needs continuous attention and support.

Wu: Finally, I still want to turn the theme of this dialogue into a whole and create a healthy and reasonable cross talk development ecology. At present, CCTV at the national level has set up opera and music channels, which can completely create conditions to set up a Quyi channel including crosstalk. The performance form of Quyi is relatively simple, but it does not mean that the art is simple. Long-winded series, repeated appearance of drums and songs, including the festive enthusiasm of Allegro Crosstalk, and the lineup of more than 500 kinds of songs created by 56 ethnic groups across the country can completely bring joy to the audience and add luster to the TV screen.

Jiang Kun: You're right! Then take this opportunity to solemnly make a strong appeal! I hope that relevant parties will create conditions, treat them positively, take measures and take actions to realize this beautiful wish at an early date. For the prosperity and development of folk art, including crosstalk, and to meet the urgent needs of people to appreciate folk art, including crosstalk, in a broader and more far-reaching sense, we have made practical contributions.

"Everything rings up and down except the bell"; "tease you"; The famous phrase "cosmos cigarette" by Hou, Ma and Ma Ji still makes people feel relaxed and happy.

rebroadcast

Speaking of cross talk in disguised form, I think this form can be used, but this is not the general line of cross talk. You can take this, not all of it. In my opinion, once crosstalk is disguised, it is not easy to give full play to its strengths. We rely on two people or one person to talk and show all the plots, characters and so on. As soon as you dress up, you are restricted. You are just like one person, you can't learn a few people. Even if you play a person, you don't have the skill of a dramatic actor. This will hinder the development of your own specialty, and the joke itself is not applicable. The lines of cross talk are very harmonious. When you go on stage in disguise, there is a lot of space between words. You should add a lot of things. But once something is added, it becomes a farce, not a cross talk. Do you want to turn crosstalk into a farce in the future? It doesn't matter. It is no problem to have a booth like that. But this is another matter.

-Writer Lao She

Some people are serious about literature. Maybe it's too serious. They don't like cross talk very much. They equate crosstalk with loquacity. There is a respectable masterpiece master who criticized some paragraphs of my novels as "cross talk" without regret. You're right. In fact, when I was young, I was also interested in cross talk creation. I also contributed to a Quyi magazine in the 1950s, and the title of that cross talk seems to be "Making a Summary". Failed, "dead", this seed did not germinate. Garrulous still needs to be played, even though it provides convenience for brave people in Zhou Na, Shen Wen. Don't even talk, don't sulk? Isn't it boring that you can't even play "loquacious"? —— Writer Wang Meng

Master Hou talks about the relationship between comics and cross talk. He said: "Crosstalk is a three-dimensional cartoon with sound; Comics are flat cross talk and silent cross talk. " This sentence is accurate and concise. Because comics and cross talk are both language arts, with different artistic forms and the same artistic methods, humor is the main artistic method.

-cartoonist Fang Cheng

Cross talk should be performed in the theater, and artistic value should be created in communication with the audience, and cross talk should not be artificially raised blindly.

Crosstalk directly faces the people from birth. If cross talk is "elevated" to the point where it has no opposition to the people and does not reflect the voice of the people, its vitality will not work. Master Hou has long said that if the whole literary career is a feast, cross talk is just a pickle to adjust the taste.

-crosstalk actor Ma Ji.