Qinqiang Opera Yisushe is staged at the ongoing China Art Festival in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. The production tells the story of the 100-year-old troupe. (Photo provided to China Daily)
With a history going back over a hundred years, Yisushe is China's oldest operatic society. Specializing in the regional Qinqiang style of opera, Yisushe is based in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi Province. Since its founding in 1912, the opera troupe has played a pivotal role in the development of the art form popular in China's northwest.
"Unlike other art troupes in the early 20th century, which were founded by folk artists to make ends meet, Yisushe was founded with the hope of making a difference for the country by educating the people who were poor and couldn't afford an education," says Yong Tao, the director of Yisushe.
Inspired by the Xinhai Revolution in 1911, two scriptwriters from Shaanxi Province wanted to make one art form accessible to people of all walks of life. With that vision, in 1912, Li Tongxuan and Sun Renyu founded Yisushe.
Qinqiang Opera is known for its intensive beats and high-pitched singing style. Its roots can be traced all the way back to the Qin Dynasty (221 to 206 BC). With such rich historical ties, it's no surprise Qinqiang is the most popular operatic form in northwestern China.
Since its establishment, Yisushe has created more than 800 original productions.
One of its more notable productions is "Three Drops of Blood", which was written after the May Fourth Movement in 1919. It showcases the main contradictions prevalent in a feudal society, by telling the story of a merchant's family.
"Shuangjinyi" is another opera that's full of symbolism. Centered around a love story in the Southern Song Dynasty, audiences get to see how an official dealt with family issues back in ancient times.
As it involves many characters in complicated relationships, the original show had not been performed for 23 years. But this changed in 2014, when Yisushe's actors decided to revive the show. With the efforts of the entire opera troupe, "Shuangjinyi" was back on stage in September 2014, and caused a sensation in Xi'an.
Yisushe has cultivated many respected Qinqiang Opera performers. It opened a training school when it was established in 1912, from where thousands of students have graduated and worked in Qinqiang opera troupes all over China.
Now, Yisushe has nearly 100 actors, and every year, new graduates from its training school join the troupe.
The actors are certainly kept busy. Yisushe presents around 150 shows annually in China's northwestern areas. About half of the shows are staged at universities and high schools to attract young audiences.
The opera troupe's popularity extends beyond northwest China, and it also performs in other parts of the country to much acclaim.
