Ordinary folk give Yuju Opera lively second act

Inside the historic Kaiming Grand Theater in Suzhou, Jiangsu, the actors rehearsed their stage movements and ran through their lines in preparation for performing an opera style imported to the province.

By day, they are doctors, construction workers, deliverymen, entrepreneurs and retirees. But when night falls, they transform into members of the Suzhou Henan Yuju Amateur Troupe, a volunteer group that has brought Yuju Opera from its home in Central China's Henan province to Suzhou.

In May, the amateur troupe gave a performance of Mu Guiying Takes Command, one of Yuju Opera's best-loved classics about a female warrior. Another show is scheduled for October.

Liu Bing, director of the troupe, works as a doctor at a Suzhou hospital and is an inheritor of the Tang school of Yuju Opera.

He relocated to Suzhou in 2003 and brought his passion for the art form with him. After finishing long hospital shifts and feeling homesick, he would wander along the city's riverbanks, loudly singing Yuju Opera arias.

His impromptu performances were like a siren call. Liu attracted a group of Henan-born people and opera enthusiasts and became a disciple of master artist Jia Tingju, head of the Tang vocal lineage.

"None of us earn money from performing opera," said Liu, who gained national attention performing on the popular TV opera competition, Springtime at the Pear Garden. "We make our living through our regular day-today jobs. For our troupe, Yuju Opera feeds our souls and eases our homesickness."

Stage presence

Fan Benxun, a 42-year-old construction worker, learned about Liu in 2013 from watching the TV show and was touched by his story.

"Back then, there was no formal troupe. Just some amateur enthusiasts got together to sing opera for fun. That was how I joined them, and it has been more than 10 years now," Fan said.

The Suzhou troupe welcomes most people regardless of their skill levels, as long as they love Yuju Opera. Experienced singers take lead roles, while enthusiasts help out behind the curtains doing jobs such as stage management, subtitles and taking care of costumes. There are also positions in the troupe's live-music band.

"It recharges us, so we can go back to our daily work with fresh motivation," Fan said.

For many of the performers, stepping onto the stage triggers a deep change in their character. Quiet and reserved offstage, Fan surprised his construction site co-workers when he played Kou Zhun, an upright elderly imperial minister of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1126) in Mu Guiying Takes Command.

To build the role, Fan said he observed the movements of his older workmates. "I would borrow small, real-life physical gestures from them to shape my stage performance," Fan said.

He said he is usually quiet offstage, but as soon as he steps under the spotlight he becomes a different person. "I am no longer just myself — I turn into the character. The stage gives me confidence I never have in my everyday life," he explained.

The amateur troupe has more than 50 members, ranging in age from 23 to 75, with their careers spanning many sectors.

The deputy director of the troupe, Zhang Jing, 44, originally from Zhoukou, Henan, runs a business in Suzhou.

She said years of work stress had led to her having heart palpitations.

Zhang loved Yuju Opera as a child but never dared sing in public until she joined the amateur troupe in 2022. Singing has become a key emotional release for Zhang.

She said she has poured her joy, frustration and built-up stress into her opera performances, which have reduced her anxiety and eased her heart problems.