Joy of the Fishermen



Shi, Jiehua Wu, Dezhang	Wu, Dezhang		Shi, Jiehua Wu, Dezhang



Shi, Jiehua	Wang, Taiqi		Shi, Jiehua



Shi, Jiehua	Shi, Jiehua


Joy of the Fishermen
Written by an anonymous writer of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), "Joy of Fishermen" is a well-known Kunqu play that tells a fascinating tale of revenge and the triumph of the good and justice over evil and inequity. (The title of the play bespeaks a Taoist viewpoint that one would find calm and happiness only in a life of simplicity represented by the life of a fisherman or a farmer.) The story takes place during the Han dynasty (25-225 A. D.). The play opens with the pursuit of Scallion Liu, the legitimate Crown Prince, by the soldiers of Northland Liang, the traitorous Grand Councilor who has staged a coup d'etat in which he conspired to set up another prince onto the throne. As Prince Scallion flees to the riverbank, a group of carefree fishermen are enjoying themselves at a relaxing wine party. In the chaos of the chase, an old fisherman named Grandpa Wu is shot by an arrow, which was aimed at the prince, and died. The daughter of Grandpa Wu, Sunset, is distraught at her father's murder. Later, when she meets Scallion Liu, who has sneaked on her boat to hide, she finds out who he is and how he is running from the assassins-soldiers who killed her beloved father. Enraged, she vows to take on Northland Liang and to avenge her father's death. She also offers the prince her assistance in his escape from his subversive adversaries. Thereafter, Sunset goes on to plot her revenge with a clever and resourceful fortune-teller, Springtime Wan, who has met and pledged loyalty to Prince Scallion Liu. Meanwhile, there is this young girl named Precious Herb whose father is a corrupt official who, despite the fact that he had already married his daughter to a scholar, sold her to the evil Northland Liang. When Sunset goes to visit Precious Herb, the two aggrieved ladies work out a plan to mend their respective broken hearts, once and for all. With spellbinding twists and turns the play leads to an exciting grand finale, in which the evil and insidious are punished and the good and decent amply rewarded. The play closes with Springtime Wan escorting Sunset to safety. Replete with extended and melodic arias and dexterous dance movements, this performance marks the premiere of the exhilarating opera outside of China.

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