Introduction of Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera Troupe

After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Party and the government attached great importance to the artistic development of Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera, and established professional troupes in Shaodong, Xinshao, Dongkou, Suining and other counties, with some famous and old performers with influence in the province, such as Wang Yousheng, Li Hongjun, Chen Mingsheng, etc., and cultivated a group of young and medium-sized performers with a certain degree of artistic attainments. In 1956 and 1958, Wang Yousheng, together with the Hunan Provincial Opera Troupe, performed "Beating Birds" for the leaders of the Central Committee and the State Council of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in Huairen Hall and Wuchang, Beijing, where he was warmly received and appreciated by the masters of the theater, such as Mei Lanfang, Tian Han, Zhou Xinfang, Ouyang Yuqian, etc. He also performed "Beating Birds" for the CPC Central Committee and the State Council. At the end of 70's, Shaoyang City Flower Drum Opera Troupe performed plays such as "Playing Zao Wang", "Touching the Loach" and "Pair of Footsteps", which were videotaped by CCTV. In the same year, "Footsteps" and "Touching the Loach" were made into color films by Changchun Film Studio. The creation of modern opera has also achieved brilliant results, "Zhang Qian enlisted in the army", "Han Mei Mei", "the fire is more vigorous", "the melody of youth", "Le Chaotian as a matchmaker" and a number of other plays, participated in the successive Hunan Provincial Opera Festival, were awarded and praised. Through reform and innovation, the stage art of Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera has developed greatly. In terms of performance, it has strengthened the training of martial arts, and developed and enriched the physical and water-sleeve feats. Musically, the opera borrows from the board cavity, develops the board style, improves the musical instruments, and strengthens the expressive power of the music.　A formal directing and rehearsal system was established, and the quality of performances continued to improve.

The Shaoyang City Flower Drum Opera Troupe is the only existing representative professional troupe of Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera, founded in 1950. When walking into the Shaoyang City Flower Drum Opera Troupe, the actors were preparing for the 4th Hunan Young Opera Performers TV Competition. Even though it was just a rehearsal, it attracted many theatergoers to come and watch.

The troupe's leaders have worked tirelessly to retain talent, and the veteran artists are also doing their best for the troupe's development. Tang Weihong is a national second-grade actor of the Shaoyang City Flower Drum Opera Troupe. She studied Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera since she was a child, and joined the troupe at the age of 13. More than 60 years of career in the field of art has made her have an extremely deep affection for the flower drum opera. Nowadays, Tang Weihong, who is past her prime, has taken the initiative to take up the burden of lecturing for the students of flower-drum opera classes. She said, "My greatest wish is to train a few students for the troupe. I have been engaged in theater work for decades, and now I'm old, but I still want to dedicate some of my remaining energy to the cause I love."

Since 1980, Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera has seen the emergence of a large number of folk actors and actresses, injecting fresh blood into Shaoyang Flower Drum Opera, which has been passed down and developed, and Shaodong and Shaoyang have seen the emergence of a number of outstanding actors and actresses, with Shaodong represented by famous Flower Drum Opera performers such as Jiang Yiming and Sun Jinhua and Shaoyang represented by famous Flower Drum Opera performers such as Shi Liangxin and Zeng Meihua. They also create classic flower-drum operas such as "Three Generations of Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law", "Five Sons of the Map" and "Rolling Mat", which are highly appreciated by the old artists and the public.