Silang tanmu

Silang tanmu (Chinese: 四郎探母; pinyin: Sìláng Tànmǔ) is a Peking opera play inspired by The Generals of the Yang Family. It has been repeatedly banned in mainland China.

Plot

Inspired by episodes from the Ming dynasty historical novel The Generals of the Yang Family, the play is set in the Song dynasty under the rule of Emperor Taizong and contains thirteen distinct scenes.

The titular protagonist of the play, Yang Yanhui, also known as Yang Silang (杨四郎), is a Song general who is captured by Liao troops. He keeps his true identity a secret and marries the daughter of the empress of the Liao dynasty, Princess Iron Mask (铁镜公主). The two dynasties come into conflict again fifteen years later; Yang briefly visits his family with his wife's help, but eventually returns to enemy territory. He is initially condemned to death by his mother-in-law, but is let off with a warning after the princess intercedes on his behalf.

Sources

The earliest guide to Peking opera began to circulate in 1845. It featured various actors and the plays that they were known for performing in; Silang tanmu is listed seven times, more than any other play.

The authorship of the play is unknown. The earliest surviving script for the play dates back to 1880 and is found in the Liyuan jicheng (梨園集成) or Compendium of Plays by Li Shizhong (李世忠). An English translation of Silang tanmu by A. C. Scott, titled Ssu Lang Visits his Mother, was included in the first volume of his Traditional Chinese Plays (1967).

Performance history

Silang tanmu was first staged in the mid-Qing dynasty, albeit in a "provincial" form of Peking opera. Due to its portrayal of a general surrendering to the enemy, the play has been repeatedly banned in China since the Chinese Communist Revolution. The Cultural Department of Tianjin, for instance, banned the play in 1945 because it "distorted the normal ethics and morality".

The ban was briefly relaxed in 1956, as part of the Hundred Flowers Campaign, although playwrights were nonetheless obliged to amend some of the dialogue. The first post-ban staging of Silang tanmu in May of the same year was watched by approximately two thousand people. The play continued to be performed until 1960, following which it apparently "incurred official disapproval once more".

Adaptations

The play has been performed in various other forms of Chinese opera, including Hebei opera, Shanxi opera, Shaanxi opera, and Sichuan opera.

A Cantonese film adaptation of the play (Jyutping: sei3 long4 taam3 mou5), was released in 1959. It was directed by Wong Hok-sing and stars Ma Sze-tsang, Yu Lai-jan, Lam Ka-sing, Fung Wong-nui, and Poon Yat On. In the film, Yang is coerced into marrying the Liao princess. She is subsequently visited by one of Yang's sisters-in-law, who persuades her to allow Yang to return to his home to visit his ailing mother. A sequel was released in the same year.

References

Works cited

• Chang, Bi-yu (2007). "Disclaiming and Renegotiating National Memory: Taiwanese Xiqu and Identity". In Carsten Storm; Mark Harrison (eds.). The Margins of Becoming: Identity and Culture in Taiwan. Harrassowitz. pp. 51–68. ISBN 9783447054546.
• Fu, Jin (2021). A History of Chinese Theatre in the 20th Century. Vol. 4. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000435573.
• Idema, Wilt L.; West, Stephen H. (2013). The Generals of the Yang Family: Four Early Plays. World Scientific. ISBN 9789814508698.
• Rolston, David L. (2022). "How Purpose and Function Has Affected Translation and Subtitling of the Jingju Play Silang tanmu". In Lintao Qi; Shani Tobias (eds.). Encountering China's Past: New Frontiers in Translation Studies. Springer. pp. 11–27. ISBN 9789811906473.
• Scott, A.C. (1967). Traditional Chinese Plays. Vol. 1. University of Wisconsin Press.
• Stokes, Lisa Odham; Braaten, Rachel (2020). Historical Dictionary of Hong Kong Cinema. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781538120620.
• Ye, Tan (2020). Historical Dictionary of Chinese Theater. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. ISBN 9781538120644.