One

  July 10th, 1937, Shaw's residence.

  In a couple of weeks, it will be Shaw's eighty-first birthday. These days, many people come to congratulate him in advance, which makes him a bit annoyed.

  As early as twelve years ago when he won the Nobel Prize, he was already complaining that the award had come too late. He felt that during his most difficult struggles, help was often nowhere to be found, but now that he no longer wanted to struggle, the award had arrived.

  "I've already struggled to the other shore, and you're just throwing over a life ring now," he said.

  It can be seen that at that time, he already felt that "the other shore" had arrived, and the end of his life was approaching.

  But who would have thought, twelve years had passed since then, still celebrating birthdays, without any sign of wanting to leave the world. He liked to mock himself, thinking that he had occupied life's remaining time for too long, so long that even he felt embarrassed about it.

  What's even more ironic is that it was precisely during his long period of "stealing life's remaining balance" that he received the most respect.

  He seems dignified and respected today, every corner of society is honored to disturb him. He tries to decline, but some requests are hard to refuse, such as donations.

  He was not stingy and had already donated the entire ￡80,000 of his Nobel Prize in Literature to impoverished Swedish writers. However, he disliked it when people mixed a bit of moral blackmail into charitable donations. He wanted to make a statement about this.

  It so happened that a women's association wrote to him for a donation for an activity, with a very specific amount. Shaw immediately replied, saying he knew nothing about the activity and was not interested, so he would not donate.

  He thought to himself after replying, let them scold him as they wish. Unexpectedly, a few days later he received their thank-you letter, saying that they had auctioned off his reply and the amount of money they got far exceeded their initial demand.

  "He was still being dragged into it by them." He shrugged his shoulders.

  For all sorts of people who came directly to the door, the servant naturally blocked them. Therefore, there was a quiet in the house.

  However, just now he heard the doorbell ring and someone came in. Soon a servant came to report: "The Chinese Mr. Huang you agreed to meet has arrived."

  Mr. Huang was actually Huang Zuolin, who went to the UK in 1925 to study business but soon became a student of George Bernard Shaw's drama and wrote "East and West" and "Chinese Tea", which were highly praised by Shaw. Huang Zuolin had returned to China before, but two years ago he came back to England with his wife to research Shakespeare at Cambridge University's Royal College and learn directing at the London Theatre Academy. He should be around thirty now? This time he was eager to meet up, a bit sudden for Shaw, but he quickly guessed the reason.

  Given his experience, the student wouldn't have gone out of his way to come and wish him a happy birthday. The reason must be something big: The Times had already reported that three days ago, on July 7th, Japan had formally launched its invasion of China.

  Shaw thought, China and Japan have started fighting, the motherland has become a battlefield, can't go back, Mr. Huang may ask himself to introduce a job that can stay in the UK for a long time. Of course, it's a drama job.

  Shaw walked into the living room, thinking to himself. He saw that this young Chinese man was carefully reading a quote engraved on the fireplace in the living room, his own words.

  Huang Zuo Lin heard the footsteps and immediately turned around to greet Teacher Xiao Bo Na.

  After sitting down, Shaw immediately opened his mouth: "I know what happened on July 7th."

  "So, I have come to bid you farewell." Huang Zuo Lin said.

  "Goodbye? Where are you going?" Shaw was very surprised.

  "Return home." Huang Zuolin said.

  "Return to the country?" Shaw was even more surprised, and after a pause, he said, "That place is already a battlefield, and the war will only get bigger. You're not a general or a soldier, what can you do by going back?"

  Huang Zuolin couldn't explain in English a heavy concept in Chinese culture: "going to the country's difficulty". He just said, "We Chinese people encounter such things, most will go back. I'm not a general, but also count as a soldier."

  Xiao Bo Na looked at Huang Zuo Lin, and didn't speak for a while.

  "What can I do to help you?" asked Shaw. "I made a speech about what happened in China yesterday. Four years ago, I went there and met Soong Ching-ling and Lin Yutang, both of whom spoke good English. And also a small-sized writer named Lu Xun."

  Huang Zuolin nodded and said: "This time I go back, may not come back. Can you give me a few more sentences to write like last time?"

  "What was it again?" Shaw had obviously forgotten.

  "Last time you wrote: Ibsen is not an Ibsenist, he is Ibsen; I am not a Shawite, I am Shaw; if Mr. Huang wants to achieve something, he must never be a disciple of anyone, but must create his own style." Mr. Huang recited a few lines from memory.

  "Ah ha! I remember!" exclaimed Shaw, "That's what I said."

  As they spoke, Huang Zuolin had already opened a newly purchased autograph book and placed it in front of Shaw, saying: "Leave me another lifelong memento."

  Shaw picked up his pen, thought for a moment with his head raised, and then began to write with his head lowered. Huang Zuolin walked over behind him.

  Shaw's first sentence was:

  Rise, China! The future of the Eastern world belongs to you.

  After finishing writing, he turned his head to look at Huang Zuolin. Huang Zuolin nodded deeply with emotion. On the third day after the "July 7th Incident", this sentence could move every Chinese person.

  Shaw went on writing——

  If you have perseverance and courage, then what will make future ceremonies more grandiose is Chinese opera.

  Huang Zuolin bowed to George Bernard Shaw, put away the autograph book and left.

  Two

  The scene above was told by 80-year-old Mr Huang Zuolin in Singapore.

  At that time, I was teaching in Singapore, coinciding with an international drama seminar to be held there. The representatives of various countries participating in the preparation heard that Shaw's legitimate son, Asia's most authoritative drama master Huang Zuolin, was still alive and boldly tried to invite him to attend the meeting. It was a fantasy, but if it became a reality, the seminar would have had an astonishing weight.

  Mr. Kuo Pao Kun, a renowned playwright from Singapore, made a special trip to Shanghai to personally invite and arrange for me. Playwrights from several countries also came knocking on my door repeatedly, hoping I could contribute some effort as well.

  They found me because I am Mr. Huang Zuolin's "iron buddy". I had a long-distance call with Mr. Huang about this, and he said that what made him slightly hesitant was not his physical condition, but rather the unclear "inner hierarchy" of this meeting.

  I said: "I've already made some inquiries, come on." He then came with his daughter Huang Xiaojin accompanying him.

  This caused a sensation at the international conference and also in Singapore.

  Singapore's Foreign Minister paid his respects and asked: "When was your last visit to Singapore?"

  "Sixty years ago."

  The foreign minister was very young, he misheard "sixty years ago" as "the sixties". This already made him feel it was extremely distant, saying: "The sixties? That's over twenty years ago now, it's really too long!"

  Mr. Huang Zao Lin smiled and said, "Please move the time forward by another forty years."

  The minister was confused, but thought it was the old man in front of him who was confused. I immediately explained: "Mr. Huang went to study in Britain in 1925 and passed through Singapore."

  "Sixty years ago?" The minister finally understood, but was shocked.

  I continued: "He went to England to study under Shaw, who had just won the Nobel Prize in Literature. By the time he said goodbye, Shaw was already 81 years old."

  The minister looked a bit puzzled again. This was my intention, as the official language in Singapore is always too rigid and I wanted to liven up the atmosphere of our conversation with a long-winded magic wand. Although what I said casually was not wrong.

  Mr. Huang Zuolin gave a speech at that international conference. When the host announced his name, the whole audience stood up and applauded. He walked to the podium with his tall stature, silver hair, steady steps, and a kind of world-class elegance.

  He spoke in standard London English, with a moderate pace, precise words, and a hint of humor, his tone was smooth and elegant. The whole room fell silent, as if listening to a command from heaven.

  In the high-level academic and cultural circles, people value the speaker himself, not his nationality. Those famous Western cultural giants, everyone knows their works, schools of thought, but often can't tell which country they belong to. Take Mr. Shaw's teacher, George Bernard Shaw, for example, should he be counted as Irish or British? Picasso, is he Spanish or French? Einstein?... In culture, greatness always transcends borders. Thinking about this, I looked back at the audience in the auditorium and found that everyone had become a devout student of the elegant elder on stage, regardless of nationality. Who would believe that this elder had just emerged from China's "Cultural Revolution" disaster?

  Then just listen to a few sentences anyway——

  After Brecht, absurdism pushed his grand philosophical ideas into a narrow alleyway, as if it couldn't go through, but it did...

  He said calmly, and everyone below was bowing their heads and scribbling notes.

  In terms of performance, after Grotowski's "poor theatre", I particularly value the work of Eugenio Barba. In recent years, the most academically rigorous has been Theatre Anthropology. The centre of this field has moved from Britain and Poland to the US, with Richard Schechner at New York University being a notable exponent, although his experiments are not as extensive as those in Europe...

  Everyone was taking notes a bit slowly, he noticed it, smiled and said: Some technical terms and names will be sent to you by the Secretariat of the General Assembly.

  。

  Note that Western dramaturgy since the end of World War II, seemingly incomprehensible and chaotic, is more likely to converge with Eastern classical drama, thus leaving a huge space for fusion and creation. Japan has well protected traditional drama but fossilized it. China also wants to combine tradition and innovation, but mostly it's administrative will and theoretical will, lacking the participation of true great artists. India, on the other hand, is still not self-aware...

  Everyone is still working hard to record.

  In short, in the mouth of this elegant elder, there is almost no time barrier and no spatial barrier. He speaks so modernly, with a lot of professional information, that even young scholars in their twenties can't keep up.

  Three

  When Mr. Huang Zuolin bid farewell to Bernard Shaw and returned home, he stepped onto the land where cannons were firing continuously. After several twists and turns, he finally settled in Shanghai. He thought about it over and over again, what he could do for the "national crisis" was still drama.

  At that time, Shanghai had a very special status. The surrounding areas were already occupied by the Japanese invading army, but since the opening of Shanghai, the British, French and American concessions had been formed one after another - "concessions". Japan had not yet completely fallen out with these countries, so those places also temporarily became "isolated islands". In the "isolated island", artists from all over the place who escaped from the cannon fire and blood pool gathered together, bursting out unprecedented social responsibility and creative passion. Until the outbreak of the Pacific War, the "isolated island" fell, many works were banned, authors were arrested, and everyone was still insisting. In the meantime, Huang Zuolin was the main representative of the drama world.

  Who would have thought? In the midst of a catastrophic disaster that destroyed the country and its people, China welcomed the golden age of drama. These plays, some cooperated with the resistance against Japan, some exposed cruelty, some criticized darkness, and some focused on social reform and spiritual rebuilding. A large part of them explored internationalization and nationalization in artistic form. Due to Huang Zuolin's rigorous training in Britain, each performance was full of vivid episodes and clear images, greatly welcomed by audiences. From the fragmented data I occasionally came into contact with, just one not-so-important play "Inspector General" had 77 performances in 40 days. The crowds at other performances were also astonishing.

  Everyone, think about it, so many people crowded into the theater, at that time they were suffering from the hardships of fleeing. The major mission of art is to warm people's hearts in a cold and chaotic world.

  Art should warm people's hearts and must gather real heat. At that time, the artistic level of these performances, from the accounts of old artists, reached a height that later generations could hardly reach. To say nothing of others, just from the performance alone, Mr. Huang Zuolin's most frequently used actor Shi Hui was hailed as the "Emperor of Spoken Drama" at the time. From some video materials, we can see that even today, no one has surpassed him yet. Apart from Shi Hui, Mr. Huang Zuolin's artistic team is vast and numerous, with a long list of names.

  Several veteran artists with insight wrote in recalling the feeling of watching plays at that time: "Those performances were as good as they could be"; "The best I've ever seen in my life, and it was already sighing at the time..."

  This once again proves one of my views: the most noble art does not necessarily come from huge investment, official attention and media manipulation. On the contrary, it is often a direct response to harsh environments. The best background for art is not gold, but black.

  Let's scan through the titles of Mr. Huang Zuolin's artistic achievements during that period: "Border Town Story", "Small Town Story", "Miao Feng Mountain", "Metamorphosis", "Round Lie Record", "The True Story of Ah Q", "Hero of the Deserted Island", "Big Circus Troupe", "Gentleman on the Beam", "Heroes in Turbulent Times", "Autumn", "Jin Xiaoyu", "Heavenly Net and Earthly Trap", "As You Wish", "Inspector"... probably still incomplete.

  If someone is writing the history of art and looking for an example to illustrate that humanity can create the most magnificent artistic palaces in a turbulent world, then I must suggest to him: pay attention to Shanghai at that time, pay attention to Huang Zuolin.

  Four

  Mr. Huang Zuolin finally welcomed 1949. For the revolution, for the new regime, as an artist who had long been suppressed with social reform demands and was full of romantic fantasies, he almost accepted without any resistance. He showed enthusiasm, optimism, and wanted to perform many plays needed by the new regime, even if they carried some "propaganda" atmosphere, he didn't mind.

  But there were some things that saddened him. In his later years, the things he talked to me about the most were those things. When talking, he would always shoo away the crowd, beckon me to a corner, and not speak for a while. I knew it was this topic again.

  Actually, the theatrical activities he led after returning from Britain were not completely accepted by the Communist Party's underground organization. He certainly knew that the Communist Party's underground organization was also organizing similar cultural activities, which included some good cultural figures. But he regarded them as fellow travelers in culture, and did not want to participate in political factions, including not only the Communist Party but also the Nationalist Party.

  I don't know how much work the underground organization of the Communist Party did to win him over, but it seemed that none of them were effective. So in the end, they sent an underground party member Li Delun to "infiltrate" his drama troupe. Many years later, Mr. Li Delun, who had become a famous music conductor, frankly admitted: "I didn't win him over, he instead won me over with his personality charm and artistic charm."

  After 1949, the cultural figures of the Communist Party's underground organization naturally became leaders in Shanghai and even the national cultural circle. They had a deep impression of Huang Zuolin's long-standing "only asking about resistance to Japan, not asking about political parties; only doing art, not doing tools" "stubbornness". Therefore, no matter how active he was, they only regarded him as a "fellow traveler", rather than "one of us".

  This thinking has continued even after the "Cultural Revolution" into the new era. Many collections of literary and historical materials, modern drama history, anti-war cultural history, Shanghai history and other works have made little mention of Mr. Huang Zuolin's significant contributions, and some have even deliberately downplayed them. This involves some revolutionary cultural figures we respect.

  Mr. Huang Zolin once whispered to me: "Xia Yan is a bit more generous, and he's okay with me. Mr. Yu Ling and his comrades-in-arms, including Mr. Wang Yuanhua who later became the Minister of Propaganda after the end of the 'Cultural Revolution', were relatively persistent in their underground struggle principles, and they were quite cold to me."

  Apart from this historical debt, he encountered an even worse environment. In the Chinese drama circle after 1949, in terms of directors, it was generally referred to as "Northern Jiao and Southern Huang". "Northern Jiao" refers to Mr. Jiao Ju-Hui of the Beijing Art Theatre. At that time, Beijing concentrated a number of high-end cultural figures, and the cultural atmosphere was relatively normal. Mr. Jiao collaborated with playwrights such as Lao She, Cao Yu, and Guo Moruo, achieving success after success. On the other hand, "Southern Huang", namely Shanghai's Huang Zuolin, encountered the "extreme left thinking syndrome" formed by Shanghai's top leader Ke Qingshi and his propaganda and cultural officials Zhang Chunqiao and others.

  I heard Director Xie Jin say that once, Ke Qing Shi made an exception to watch Huang Zuolin's new play, but before he finished watching, he stood up and left with a gloomy face, leaving Huang Zuolin at a loss.

  There was another time when Huang Zuolin directed a play written by worker authors, the play was ordinary, but the director's technique was very brilliant. Unexpectedly, Zhang Chunqiao immediately issued instructions to the newspaper: only publicize the author, not the director.

  So when "Bei Jiao" was red and burning hot, "Nan Huang" really turned yellow.

  Huang Zuolin suffered one humiliation after another and asked himself: "Where does my humiliation come from?" The answer was: "How can I care about politics again!"

  Then he regained his dignity after returning from Britain. "No matter what they say, I still return to art."

  Huang Zuolin has faded from people's sight. Shanghai newspapers are more willing to report on Beijing's Jiao Juyin, and more willing to report on Yue Opera, Huju Opera, and Huai Opera, which can only be transformed after being guided by Mr. Huang Zuolin.

  What is a truly world-class master doing? What are they thinking about? The bustling streets are bewildered and do not know, nor do they want to know.

  At this time, *** caused by political frenzy and natural disasters began. Shanghai, a city in famine, was pale and thin.

  Will there be decent artistic behavior in a famine? No one dares to imagine.

  Completely beyond people's expectations, on April 25th, 1962, a Beijing newspaper published Mr. Huang Zuolin's long article "A Casual Talk on 'Dramatic View'". Although the title was very humble, it was a milestone in modern world drama studies. Suddenly standing before everyone's eyes, nobody had ideological preparation.

  The intellectual framework established in this article was completely out of touch with the local cultural reality at that time, but immediately entered the international academic vision.

  This is just like when a lion gets up, and the distant mountains are shocked, but the sparrows, fish, and frogs beside it are completely unaffected.

  It should be noted that at the time, most Chinese literati were still enthusiastically discussing class struggle. If one had to talk about drama, there were only two types: proletarian and bourgeois, which were already abbreviated as "fragrant flowers" and "poisonous weeds". Therefore, when reading Mr. Huang Zuolin's writing in plain and simple language, it felt extremely alienating.

  So I have no choice but to examine his theoretical achievements at that time with international academic standards.

  To summarize human drama history with "creating illusions" and "breaking illusions" is a highly condensed simplification, belonging to first-rate theoretical achievements.

  Borrowing the French concept of "the fourth wall" to distinguish between the internal and external aspects of "illusion", the above distillation has gained a figurative conceptual support, precise and powerful.

  Thirdly, by breaking the "illusion" and the "fourth wall", Brecht is introduced, making this German dramatist's "innovative function" rise to a "historical periodization function".

  Four, with Stanislavski, Brecht and Mei Lanfang to mark the three drama views of 20th century human beings, theoretical atmosphere is vast, saying what others have not said before, but very much in line with dramatic reality. Raised so far, no major dissent has been seen internationally.

  Five, the transition from the three major drama views to "freehand drama view" is a major aesthetic creation. Now, it has become a commonly used working language in the drama circle. This is a miracle in the theoretical construction of modern literature and art.

  It has a bird's-eye view of the world, summarizes the world, and is accepted by the world. Such theoretical results are rare in history.

  Remember, on April 25th, 1962, this was the day when the gods of philosophy and art in heaven were all bowing their heads to gaze at China, to gaze at Shanghai.

  I really can't think of it, in decades, all Chinese art theories, no, all Chinese cultural theories, which one has exceeded it.

  I have asked many cultural scholars and theorists. They thought for a long time, searched for a long time, and arranged for a long time, but in the end they all shook their heads and said: "Indeed, we can't find one."

  Then, I would like to remind everyone that two weeks after this day, on May 9th, 1962, another cultural giant from Shanghai, Ba Jin, will give a speech titled "The Courage and Responsibility of Writers", which pointed out the main obstacle hindering the development of Chinese literature is the "stick". Practice has proven that it was a prophecy for the disaster of the Cultural Revolution.

  In the late spring of 1962, Shanghai was radiant. Great creation, great discovery, great judgment, and great prophecy all emerged at once.

  The glory was so strong that even half a century later today, it still feels a bit dazzling, so everyone deliberately ignores it, as if such a thing had never happened.

  If you ask today's media: Fifty years ago, what memorable cultural figures and events appeared in this city? The answer may be two widely publicized songs, three segments of familiar lyrics, a pile of well-known stars. Of course, it is also possible to list several professors who are said to be erudite but disdain writing articles to express their own views. No matter how they are listed, Huang Zuolin's articles and Ba Jin's speeches will not be included.

  Five

  Mr. Huang Zuolin's experience during the "Cultural Revolution", I don't want to say much. The reason is, he himself doesn't want to say much either.

  I have long had experience with this kind of thing: those who suffer the most are the least likely to speak, those who speak the most must not be suffering much, and those who speak loudly must be making others suffer.

  Among those who do not want to speak, there are also differences. In my opinion, both are tragedies, but Ba Jin turned the tragedy into a noble one, while Huang Zuolin turned it into a comedy. Or, Ba Jin sublimated the tragedy, while Huang Zuolin saw through the tragedy. The result of seeing through is laughter.

  His daughters have told me many interesting stories about how he ridiculed the rebels during the Cultural Revolution, without them realizing they were being ridiculed. There were several times when he was present while they were telling these stories, but not only did he not join in, he would subtly shake his head to stop them.

  No matter what, his ultimate thinking outcome on that disaster was very serious, which is the interrogation of intellectuals' souls. Shortly after the end of the "Cultural Revolution", he went to Beijing and directed Brecht's masterpiece "The Life of Galileo" (co-directed with Chen Yong).

  ）。

  At that time, in order to set things right, the National Science Congress had just been held, and intellectuals should have had a space to gallop in their careers. But could they establish dignity spiritually? The Biography of Galileo timely raised this question, which shocked the entire capital for a while.

  People say that they have never seen a play that can shake people's souls so deeply at critical moments. It is also said that this is the sequel to the "Science Congress", but this "Congress" was convened in the hearts of intellectuals across the country.

  "Bei Jiao" has passed away, "Nan Huang" heads north, the capital is shocked, fame is not in vain!

  After returning to Shanghai from Beijing, Mr. Huang Zuolin made up his mind to intensify his efforts and promote the construction of the "National Opera System" on the basis of the "Free Theater View". He studied and explored with a strong desire, engaging in one avant-garde artistic experiment after another, almost making people forget that he was nearly eighty years old.

  That year, I met many senior scholars who were "survivors of the disaster", warm and mature, worthy of respect, but their thinking had been severely delayed. None of them could stand on the first line of international art like Mr. Huang Zuolin, studying various emerging schools, full of life, even youthful and radiant.

  At that time, he became more "handsome" than ever before, and his whole body was radiating an unparalleled brilliance.

  His daughter, Huang Shu-qin, said that a middle-aged former Soviet scholar named Nina told her: "Oh my, I've fallen in love with your father! It's rare to see someone as noble and elegant as him!" Nina seemed to have genuinely fallen in love, and she went around proclaiming this to others, until it finally reached Mr. Huang Zao-lin's ears. He responded by saying: "Well, that's great! There's hope for Sino-Soviet friendship after all!"

  An old man becomes "handsome", he must have entered a beautiful creation process that is enough to summarize his life.

  My judgment in "Frosty Long River" that "old age is the poetic years" mainly comes from my long-term observation of him.

  At that time, every time one of my academic works was published, he would finish reading it in a very short period. I once estimated that he might be more receptive to books like "World Dramaturgy" and "A History of Chinese Drama", but not necessarily nodding his head at "Audience Psychology" (initially titled "The Aesthetics of Theatre Psychology")

  Because "The Psychology of the Audience" almost completely denies a series of most authoritative artistic dogmas since ancient times, and only seeks creative rules from the psychological acceptance of the audience. This has a subversive destructive power for the predecessors of artists. Unexpectedly, just one month after the book was published, his daughter handed me a long letter he wrote.

  He joyfully wrote in the letter: "After finishing that book, I realized that my whole life has been spent exploring audience psychology. This scenario was already written by Molière in 'The Bourgeois Gentleman', where a rustic who wants to become a noble hires a teacher to teach him literature, learns that non-rhyming articles are called prose, and finally exclaims: "So I've been speaking prose all my life without knowing it!"

  He said: "I am that native, coincidentally conforming to the audience's psychology." Then, he also had an in-depth discussion with me on several artistic joints.

  Such an elderly man is so charming, how can I not try my best to interact with him more?

  He is also willing to be with me. Even when foreign artists came to our home, or others sent us crabs and so on, he would invite me to dinner. He finally found out at the dinner table that I could cook well, and repeatedly encouraged me to open a "Professor Yu's Restaurant" specifically for Shanghai cultural circles. He sat in for me for a week to see how business was, and if it wasn't good enough, he would sit again.

  Later, he enthusiastically told me about a new concept of "drama tour plan". Select twenty best plays and arrange them on twenty large trucks for fragment performances, one city after another. Every time he talked about this plan, he would get excited and his face would turn red.

  He said that the theater is dead, cars are alive, ancient Greece did not have motor vehicles, we have now, and many European cities used to do so. However, when I splashed cold water and said that it was impossible to select "the twenty best plays", he thought for a moment, nodded, and became worried. This process repeated several times, making me believe that great artists are just children.

  No matter how many times they interacted, there was truly only one "close collaboration", and it wasn't short on time.

  That was in the mid-1980s, when Shanghai's cultural circles also began to evaluate "professional titles". This was a troublesome matter that required careful consideration, and officials did not dare to get involved. In fact, they themselves also wanted to participate in the evaluation, so they had to find two people who could "handle it fairly" to take charge. These two people were Mr. Huang Zuolin and I.

  After coordination with various parties, he and I were appointed as the "Co-Directors" of the "Shanghai Cultural Circle Senior Title Evaluation Committee". I said that it couldn't be "Co-Directors", only Mr. Huang Zuolin could take charge, and I would serve as Deputy Director. However, Mr. Huang Zuolin explained that he was also a member of the cultural circle, while I could be considered part of the education circle, and was responsible for evaluating professors in various universities' liberal arts departments, which made me more objective. Therefore, "Co-Directors" was his proposal.

  During the review process, Mr. Huang Zonglin's character was fully demonstrated. On the surface, he spoke very little, but in his heart, he understood everything.

  For example, for the "backbone" of political movements after 1949, no matter how high their official position or reputation, he did not agree to give them high-level titles. There was a "president" who came from the Yan'an era, with very old qualifications and not small official positions, also applying. According to convention, it would necessarily pass, but the many members of the review committee were silent. Mr. Huang Zolong only said lightly in discussion, using Hamlet-style dialogue: "Is it about works or people? This is a question." After that, the vote did not pass.

  Shanghai's cultural circle is not large, and those who are qualified to apply for senior titles are all familiar with each other. What about those "Cultural Revolution" rebel leaders and activists? Mr. Huang Zuolin said: "We are not political examiners, we only evaluate business performance. But how can art be separated from character?"

  I followed up by saying: "If they can thoroughly change their old ways and are very strong in business, we can consider them in the future. But for now, the observation period is still not enough." Therefore, people like this did not make it to our first evaluation session.

  For the actors of the "revolutionary model play" troupe, Mr. Huang Zolong felt that there was no need to rush to evaluate them, and they would talk about it later. "The extreme prosperity of those ten years is not their responsibility. But they should know what kind of suffering their peers were experiencing at that time, and they can't pretend they didn't see it."

  For professionals in local opera, Mr. Huang Zuolin and I both advocate that they should not be given special treatment in the evaluation of professional titles. He believes that these famous actors already have many honors and cannot have everything. This is an evaluation of professional titles, which must measure cultural standards and innovation levels.

  I think that Shanghai's local opera is not of a high standard overall, and lacks strength in style. Those so-called "schools" are just the personal singing characteristics of some young artists back then, among which there were many shortcomings. If our understanding becomes muddled, it will become increasingly chaotic from now on, and who knows, we might even inherit those shortcomings as "heritage".

  That year, the cultural wisdom was clear, and the high and low of art were distinct, making people nostalgic. Unexpectedly, some of those who were put aside by us at that time have now risen to become "art masters" and "backbones of the city". I guess Mr. Huang Zuolin's spirit in heaven is reciting Hamlet again:

  "Is it Tai Dou or too cute? That's a question."

  " Backbone, or accomplice? That's another question."

  Not long after that title evaluation, the state *** went through three "public opinion tests" at the Shanghai Theatre Academy where I was located, and I ranked first each time, so I was appointed as the president of the academy.

  Mr Huang Zuolin immediately expressed his famous four-word sigh to the media: What a joy! What a pity!

  A reporter from Shanghai Television Station, Qi Ming, asked him: "What is worth being delighted about?"

  He said: "'The Cultural Revolution' lasted for ten years, tearing apart the relationships between people. It's extremely rare and delightful that this old fellow was ranked first in three public opinion polls within his unit after ten years. ***It's finally respecting public opinion, which is also delightful."

  "What is a pity?"

  He said: "This is not a small administrative position, at the level of a regular department, but it's only suitable for those who understand a little art and aren't too knowledgeable, or understand a little theory and aren't too knowledgeable. This old brother has a dual talent in both art and academia, wasting it on administration, isn't that a pity?"

  His talks were widely circulated in newspapers at that time. He called me "old brother", but I was actually forty years younger than him. But I didn't have the luxury of joking with him, nor did I have any room for hesitation, and had to take office immediately, wasting six years.

  For these six years, I have been constantly recalling the four words "what a pity". As time went by, the weight of the last two words gradually increased and became the curse that guided me to inevitably resign.

  Six years have passed and I finally succeeded in resigning. That year, he was already eighty-five years old; and I, had also reached forty-five years old.

  Six

  I thought quitting would bring ease, and I could travel thousands of miles in the vast desert. But reality is not so. Shanghai, from some strange corners, stretched out a pair of hands, pulling me back.

  What's going on?

  Originally, some Shanghai literati were clever and wanted to make a name for themselves by overthrowing famous people during the great social transformation. However, they were also timid and didn't dare touch powerful celebrities. So, once I resigned and became "famous but powerless", I became their target. Coincidentally, those who had been rejected by me in the title evaluation process also found an opportunity to vent their anger. As a result, I was massively "attacked".

  I'm a person who fears nothing, yet I've started to worry about Chinese culture. We spent so many years in the dark, searching for fire and fighting with whips, wasn't it all for the sake of creating a healthy cultural environment? How did things end up like this?

  That day, I walked into the dormitory and took out some letters from the mailbox. There was one that was particularly thick, so I picked it up to see who had sent it.

  Just one look and I felt tense. It was a letter from a hospital bed in the East Building of Huadong Hospital, and that handwriting, I was so familiar with!

  It suddenly occurred to me that Mr. Huang Zonglin lived in a hospital. I went to visit him once, but it's been a long time since I last went.

  Hurry back home, close the door, sit down and open that thick letter.

  Then I read -

  Autumn Rain

  Last year, one day, composer Shen Liqun professor rushed to my home with great enthusiasm, out of breath telling me that a masterpiece had emerged! She had just returned from Hefei and dropped off her luggage before rushing over to report this good news. She said the final scene, Ma Lan cried so much she couldn't sing anymore, and the provincial leaders in the audience watching the dress rehearsal also cried so much they couldn't watch anymore, and that scene was written by your brother overnight.

  I was overjoyed when I heard that. After the excitement, Professor Shen Liqun and I shifted our topic to the development of Chinese opera in the future. Shen said that the musical structure of Peking Opera and Kunqu Opera is too rigid, which restricts composers, while Huangmei Opera's music itself is very beautiful and also gives composers a lot of room for improvisation. In the future, China's new operas should be developed from this genre.

  I've heard about all sorts of "storms" and have been paying close attention. It's not that I'm worried about you, brother - a big tree is bound to attract wind, but the tree remains after the wind passes; what I'm concerned about is the current atmosphere in China's cultural circle. Just when one or two outstanding works finally appear, why must they always be followed by "storms"? It's truly heartbreaking.

  To you, my brother, I have only three sentences to offer. These three sentences come from my teacher, Bernard Shaw. Three days after the "July 7 Incident" in 1937, I went to his apartment to bid farewell and saw with my own eyes the three sentences he had engraved on the fireplace:

  They scolded him.

  What's going on?

  Let them scold!

  Can you say he really doesn't care about scolding? I don't think so, otherwise why would it still be engraved on the fireplace? I think this only shows that this strange old man has enough confidence.

  So I hope you won't be disturbed by all sorts of "storms". Concentrate your energy on cultural investigation and writing, that's the real culture.

  I've been hospitalized for three months now. Originally, after the CT scan, it was found that there were black spots in my cerebral blood vessels. After going through three courses of intravenous drips, I felt a bit better. However, currently, the main issue is with my heart (premature beats and atrial fibrillation), which is still being treated. This year, I'm already 87 years old, yet I still don't feel like I'm getting old, and I'm still fantasizing about writing a book called "The World's Best Play Has Always Been Free-Wheeling". You say, isn't that too "overestimating one's abilities"?

  Wish you a smooth inspection and writing.

  Zuo Lin

  East Hospital East Building 15th floor 16th bed

  May 21st, 1993

  It should be noted that he quoted three sentences on George Bernard Shaw's fireplace, which were first written in English and then translated into Chinese. The three English sentences are:

  Theyhavesaid.

  Whatsaidthey？

  Letthemsay！

  This immediately reminds me of the scene when he left Shaw's residence fifty-six years ago, which he described to me in Singapore.

  A few sentences, drifting across the ocean, experiencing all sorts of hardships, were picked up by an old man on his sickbed and written to me with trembling hands. I felt a heavy burden, yet suddenly felt joyful.

  Letthemsay！

  This short English sentence became the wooden raft that helped me get through the treacherous waters later on. From then on, I felt happy all along the way, because the creator and giver of this wooden raft were George Bernard Shaw and Huang Zuolin. They are both comedians who laugh so brightly.

  Mr. Huang Zuolin passed away in the second year after writing this letter.

  Standing at the punctuation of his life and looking back a little bit, everyone will find that this life is really wonderful.

  Let's summarize a few more sentences:

  "On the third day after the July 7th Incident, bid farewell to Bernard Shaw and 'head for national disaster'"

  Pioneering the golden age of Shanghai drama and Chinese drama in times of national crisis;

  Twenty years later, in another difficult year, he published a magnificent and grand theory of the world's three major drama views, shocking the international community.

  After the disaster passed, went north to Beijing, in the theater interrogating the intellectuals' souls.

  Finally, unfolding a noble and admired old age with an innocent heart...

  I can think of no other Chinese art master who had such a perfect and wonderful life, either before or after him.

  To him, I know that I cannot just express my personal gratitude. He gave Chinese drama, Chinese art, Chinese culture and the Chinese people another reason to be proud of. He is a magnificent peak, allowing the stumbling modern Chinese cultural ship to have an additional mast. This mast stands tall in the wind and rain, pointing directly at the sky, visible from afar.

  Now, many people have already forgotten his name, and this is not his regret.

  I followed his last words and never argued with others about what they said. However, two years ago, when commemorating the 100th anniversary of Chinese spoken drama, almost all articles did not mention Huang Zongjiang's name, and everyone focused on commemorating Beijing People's Art Theatre and "Teahouse". I couldn't bear it. Of course, "Teahouse" is also a good play, especially the first scene and the final ending are better. But this is a centennial epic of stormy history, how can it be like this!

  I finally wrote the article, saying: "Looking at a lost Chinese drama history of Huang Zuolin, even the spirits of Lao She, Cao Yu and Tian Han would be shocked. History is like an old piece of furniture, if you remove one important screw, it will collapse completely."

  I'm sorry, Mr. Huang Zuolin, this time I didn't respect your last words: Let them say!