1906 In Yicheng, an amateur flower drum troupe appeared, performing some life plays, such as selling white cloth, filling jars, and having a spring outing. The form of performance at that time was extremely simple. The troupe circled the ground with a sorghum duster, and the actors could "perform on stage". This form is commonly known as "stall" or "grass platform". 1924, a new activity of women singing Xiangyang ancient paintings appeared in Yicheng for the first time. The cause of this incident is that the troupe of the village is composed of six people, including Liu, Xie Silun, Liu, Liu, Liu and Liu. Among them, Liu Guitang and Wei Yao sang operas on the same stage, which was the first time for women to sing ancient paintings. It was refreshing, and surprise gift had a great influence at that time. At that time, famous opera artists in Yicheng included Wei Gang, Monk Luo from Zengzhou, Li Jie, Liu Dongsheng from Guanzhuang and Liu. In the 1940s, there were more than 50 ancient painting troupes in Yicheng, which successively performed 160 plays, including more than 20 plays. These troupes not only performed in local urban and rural areas, but also moved to Xiangyang, Nanzhang, Zaoyang, Baokang and other places, and sometimes sang on the same stage with ancient painting troupes from other counties. For example, Liu Dongsheng once sang with Baokang Xiaolian Yang, Xiangyang Kangsanlai and Nanzhang Graphite. All these have greatly promoted the complementarity, mutual influence and integration of ancient painting dramas in various places. Xiangyang ancient painting drama became more and more mature, and finally became a kind of drama loved by the people. At that time, there was a saying in Yicheng: "Yiqing (Qing Opera), Huang Er (Shanhuang Children's Play), March Tune (Hubei Yue Tune) and Tibetan Opera are really lively."
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the introduction of Henan Quju and Henan Opera, Xiangyang ancient painting opera gradually declined. Except Xiangyang County and Zaoyang County, which once established state-run professional ancient painting troupes, the ancient painting troupes in other counties were replaced by Qu Troupe and Yu Opera Troupe. By the mid-1970s, with the renaming of ancient painting troupes in Xiangyang County and Zaoyang County, Xiangyang ancient painting opera almost disappeared in Xiangyang area and was on the verge of extinction. At that time, there were 1 1 professional troupes in Xiangyang, but there were no professional troupes of Xiangyang ancient paintings and operas.
Xiangyang ancient painting drama was the main popular area of Xiangyang ancient painting drama in that year. Although the professional ancient painting drama troupe in Yicheng had been renamed at that time, it still had strong vitality among the people in Yicheng. With a deep mass base, "a single spark" appears and disappears from time to time. The amateur ancient painting troupe in Yicheng County is still scattered, and many people have inherited folk firewood. At the same time, Yicheng professional troupe has not forgotten the responsibility of inheriting Xiangyang ancient paintings and operas. They often perform Xiangyang ancient paintings not only on the stage of Yicheng, but also in the provincial capital. During 1953, Yicheng artists Liu, Xie Silun and Peng Kaicheng participated in the "Xiangyang Folk Art Exhibition" on behalf of Yicheng, and the performance "Visiting Friends" was commended by Xiangyang Cultural Bureau.
1954, Liu and Xie Silun staged "Flying Kites" at Xiangyang Spring Festival Gala.
1955, in view of the weakness that the traditional ancient paintings were only accompanied by percussion instruments, Yicheng Cultural Center first reformed with Zhu Shi Amateur Ancient Paintings Troupe as a pilot, with ethnic orchestral music, mainly silk instruments such as erhu, erhu, sheng, flute, Ruan, pipa and dulcimer, which received good musical effects and immediately spread throughout the county, and were very popular with the masses.
1956 Liu Dongsheng, an old artist of ancient paintings and operas in Yicheng, was elected as the representative of the literary and art circles to attend the second Hubei Provincial Congress of Literature and Art. This greatly inspired artists and amateurs of ancient painting and drama, and made ancient painting and drama widely spread in Yicheng. At that time, there were 40 amateur troupes with more than 800 actors in the county. During the mowing season, the songs of ancient paintings could be heard everywhere.
During the period of 1959, Huagu Opera "678" starring amateur Huagu Opera actor Jia Wenxiu participated in the local opera performance in Hubei Province, which made Xiangyang Huagu Opera enter the art hall of the provincial capital for the first time from the countryside.
During the period of 1964, more than a dozen amateur ancient painting and opera actors from Yicheng went to the province for training on behalf of the former Xiangyang area. During the training, they transplanted two small plays, Mending Pots and Borrowing Cattle, and performed many times in Wuhan, the provincial capital.
From 65438 to 0974, Yicheng Opera Troupe created the Flower Drum Opera "Fa Fa", which was a great success. It was selected by the former Xiangyang area to participate in provincial performances, and Wuhan Conservatory of Music also recorded its music as a teaching material.
1975, Yicheng Opera Troupe created Huagu Opera Selling Eggs. The play represents Xiangyang in the whole province. The central aria of the play was broadcast on Hubei People's Broadcasting Station.
1983, Yicheng Troupe created and performed the Xiangyang ancient painting drama Yipin Xiang. The play won the first prize in Hubei province and the third prize in national performance, and was broadcast on Hubei TV station.
1986, Yicheng Repertory Theatre transplanted the opera Panfusov with Xiangyang ancient painting and drama, participated in Xiangfan Young Actors Competition and won the second prize.
1988, Yicheng Opera Troupe created and performed a large-scale modern Xiangyang Flower Drum Opera "Bai Hefei". The play was filmed as a TV stage art film and played on Hubei TV station many times.
In this way, with the efforts of the whole city, Yicheng has gradually become a key area for the protection and inheritance of Xiangyang ancient paintings and operas, and has made great contributions to the dissemination, protection and inheritance of Xiangyang ancient paintings and operas. After entering the 2 1 century, Yicheng Municipal Party Committee and Municipal Government made great efforts to create local culture with Chu culture characteristics, and allocated hundreds of thousands of yuan for the creation and rehearsal of Xiangyang ancient paintings and operas. In August, 2002, Yicheng Folk Music was compiled and published by the Propaganda Department of Yicheng Municipal Committee, Cultural Bureau and Group Art Museum, which included the music and aria of Xiangyang ancient painting and drama, and it was a master of Xiangyang ancient painting and drama music, laying a solid foundation for the protection and inheritance of this kind of drama. From June 5, 2004 to 10, with the consent of Xiangfan Municipal People's Government, Yicheng Cultural Art Troupe was renamed as "Xiangfan Ancient Painting Troupe" and the ancient painting troupe was reorganized.
In the process of revitalizing Xiangyang ancient painting drama, Yicheng hired Li Daqing, the former director of Xiangfan Art Research Institute and a national first-class composer. Li Daqing made a series of bold and effective explorations and innovations in Xiangyang ancient painting and opera music, which made this endangered drama glow with new vitality.
In 2000, Yicheng Cultural and Art Troupe rehearsed the flower drum performance "Chu Di Feng Love" (that is, "Eighteen Bies") composed and created by Li Daqing. The play participated in Xiangfan 200 1 Art Show and won the first prize.
In 2002, Yicheng Art Troupe rehearsed a large-scale newly-edited historical flower drum drama "Legend of Song Yu", participated in the rehearsal of the third creative repertoire in Xiangyang City, and won the first prize of excellent repertoire, director, screenwriter and composer. In 2003, the drama participated in the seventh new drama exhibition in Hubei Province and won the "Hubei Chiming Stage Art Performance Award", and won the director award, screenwriter award and composition award respectively. In 2004, based on Legend of Song Yu, the renamed Xiangfan Opera Troupe rehearsed a large-scale new historical ancient painting opera Song Yu Elegy, which was directed and composed by Song Xiting of the Provincial Academy of Arts and Wang of Xiangfan Academy of Arts. The play was shortlisted as an alternative repertoire for the stage art boutique project in Hubei Province that year.
Xiangyang Ancient Painting Troupe is also bold and innovative, creating works that reflect social reality and show the style of the times. In 2005, Xiangyang Ancient Painting Troupe transplanted and rehearsed a large-scale modern ancient painting opera "Ren Changxia" to cooperate with party member's advanced education. After the play was staged in Yicheng, Xiangyang and other places, it was full and won high praise from the audience.