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2006年3月，一个属于越剧鲜花簇拥的春天：全国各地拉开了纪念越剧百年华诞大幕，高朋满座，嘉宾云集，鲜花如海，笑脸如花。这场纪念活动一直延至10月。接着，当中国越剧艺术节中轰轰烈烈的“越女争锋”大奖赛刚刚降下帷幕，优秀越剧剧目大奖赛又火爆登场，来自全国的21台越剧20个艺术团体，一台又一台地向节日献礼……
越剧百年纪念是全国戏曲工作者的盛大节日，也成了5000多万越剧观众的盛大节日。正如今年10月16日举行的越剧百年庆典会上，浙江省委书记习近平所指出的：“越剧诞生于浙江，繁荣于上海，影响遍及全国大部分地区，声名远播东南亚及全球华人社会。越剧不仅是浙江人民宝贵的文化财富，更是全国乃至全球华人共同珍视的民族文化瑰宝。”
诞生在萧绍平原
1906年农历三月初三，公历3月27日，在浙江东部萧绍平原上的嵊州，诞生了一个新剧种——越剧。在这之前的春节期间，有两批表演“落地唱书”的男班艺人巧遇于临安於潜乐平伍村和余杭陈家庄，他们在这里分别将说唱段子串成一个故事的大概，形成一种舞台演出的雏形。到了这年三月，两班艺人回到嵊县，便像模像样地在甘霖镇东王村联合演出《十件头》和《双金花》，这个演出形式又好听又好看，引起了四乡八邻的轰动。这次演出，标志着越剧的正式诞生。
不过这个剧种在诞生初期在艺术上几乎“一穷二白”。首次演出之时没有舞台，就用稻桶门板临时搭凑；没有照明，台上就挂一盏气油灯；没有服装，就向秀才、财主租借；没有长须，用草麻充当；没有化妆油彩，就擦一些胭脂花粉。这些简朴的行头，如今一一陈列在嵊州市越剧博物馆。然而老百姓看得欢天喜地：“看了小歌班，男人忘记去田畈，女人忘记去烧饭，小囡忘记回家转。”艺人们由此觉得自己脸上十分光彩，他们在小山村受到了英雄般的欢迎。接着，他们便开始闯嵊州、走宁绍、赴杭州、进上海。
最初的越剧艺术登上舞台，尽情地吸取了其他艺术的多种营养的乳汁：绍剧的声腔、姚剧的音乐、湖州的曲艺“三跳”旋律，他们都虚怀若谷地汲取，即使是越剧以后几十年赖以自傲的“女子文戏”，也是偷学了京剧“髦儿戏”女科班的拳头，开办了一茬又一茬的女子越剧科班，招进了一批又一批的农家少女，依样描红，因而演出的越剧更好看了！之后越剧又不断模仿其他剧种的做法，从更高层的昆剧、话剧、电影、京剧等艺术形式上借鉴了大量可以纳入越剧表演艺术的东西，如音乐、表演乃至行当的分配、脚本的运用，舞台监督、演艺机构组合等等。可以说越剧的吸纳兼容的能力是惊人的，她在诞生之后的短短一二十年时间里，完成了其他剧种未能完成的自我定型和脱胎换骨的过程。
自觉地广纳博采
艺术的变化无穷尽，艺术的追求无止境，越剧之所以历百年而蓬勃不衰，就在于她一贯的创新求变艺术品格，这是更高层次的剧种文脉。
从越剧诞生到女子越剧进入上海，是越剧自觉广纳博采、完成剧种定型的一个过程，除了舞台艺术、表演、音乐、服饰、灯光、布景等的完善外，它的最大变革在于确定了越剧由女子扮演的剧种角色。完成越剧诞生及转型的男班艺人居功厥伟，然而艺术的发展规律，又决定了他们必然地迅速退出历史舞台。这样一种在极短时间内在一个剧种中由女演员全部顶替男演员的格局，这在中外戏剧艺术史上也是罕见的，这也印证了剧种与生俱来带有浓重江南印迹的文化脉络。这一重大变革几乎不带有外力的因素，完全是按照艺术规律来完成的，它启示我们：一切的变革必然有它的规定动作，想当然的、人为的变革，只会导致拔苗助长，适得其反。
从女子越剧进入上海到1942年的“新越剧”改革运动，是越剧自觉求新求变的一次追求，按照眼下的流行语，便是从“浙江制造”向“浙江创造”转变的一种自觉行为。近20年这一阶段改革，制造了两个高潮：由“越剧皇后”姚水娟于1938年发起的“改良女子文戏”运动为第一个高潮，它直接开启了越剧演艺界的敏感话题：越剧如何生存？越剧发展的动力何在？由这两个话题引伸，触及到剧种发展的一系列带有普遍规律的问题，这一讨论延伸至1942年，由袁雪芬带头对越剧进行了全方位的反思，从演艺体制、编导制、音乐改革、文人参与等方方面面着手，大刀阔斧地作了一番改革。这次改革的成果是显而易见的：大量文人编导的介入，导致了新剧目层出不穷；音乐的改革使越剧出现了属于自己的成熟的“尺调”、“弦下调”声腔体系。这一次改革具有其他剧种改革罕见的力度、广度和深度，完成了一次越剧自身的“质”的提升，出现了袁雪芬、范瑞娟、尹桂芳、徐玉兰、筱丹桂、竺水招等一批光芒四射的越剧明星和《祥林嫂》《屈原》《宝玉与黛玉》《沙漠王子》《北地王》等一大批极大影响力的作品，特别是越剧十姊妹义演《山河恋》，在越剧史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔！越剧改革提升了越剧在戏剧界的地位，其成果一直影响到以后的五六十年。但越剧求新求变的内在动力仍然没有减弱：新中国成立后对越剧男女合演的尝试，以及延至20世纪80年代浙江遍地开花的越剧“小百花现象”，集中地体现了这一剧种的内在品质，如浙江小百花越剧团演出的《五女拜寿》《陆游与唐琬》等剧目，被列入国家艺术精品，茅威涛、陈辉玲、董柯娣等演员拥有众多的戏迷。
铸就百年的辉煌
越剧来源于民间，她是靠吸收当地的文化营养而壮大的，因而她身上的一切特征都具有民间的、江南的烙印，如舞台的抒情雅致、运声的吴侬软语、音乐的轻柔舒缓、服饰的飘逸灵巧、妆扮的嫣然卓约都来源于古越文化的传承。越剧的剧目大都演绎人性的善恶、婚姻的成败、功名的追求等等，它很少有古道西风的苍凉和大江东去的豪迈以及生死厮杀的粗犷，这是这一剧种最深层的文化底蕴，是江南风情、江南人文的高度象征。
越剧善于吸收、扎根沃土，决定了这个剧种的迅猛发展。从剧团数量看，从1923年7月9日第一个女子科班在嵊县施家岙诞生，到女子越剧初露锋芒的20世纪40年代末，女子戏班一时达到100余个。50年代登记在册的越剧团，仅上海、浙江两地就有130多个，全国达280多个。剧团遍及北陲南疆，还不包括成千上万个业余民间剧团。50年代初据不完全统计，浙江全省的农村业余剧团有4647个，仅绍兴地区就有业余剧团399个。
在不断的博采众纳中，越剧还将许多其他剧种的剧目移为己用，并形成了自己独特的风格。20世纪40年代的革新运动，越剧引进文人参与编剧，剧目建设一时风起云涌。在上海的三四十个越剧戏班每个戏班都积累了上百个代表剧目，其中最具代表性的是南薇根据鲁迅小说《祝福》改编的《祥林嫂》，将现实主义的写作方法推上一个新的高度，并从现代题材的创作上拓宽了越剧的表现力；著名剧作家田汉为越剧创作了《珊瑚引》《情探》《追鱼》《杨八姐盗刀》等作品；剧作家徐进创作了《梁山伯与祝英台》《红楼梦》《舞台姐妹》（与他人合作）等作品；南薇还编导了《香妃》《山河恋》《月光曲》；吴琛编导了《十一郎》《西厢记》等剧目；浙江也涌现了陈静、贝庚、金松、天方等一批越剧编剧以及黄沙、陈鹏、钟泯、史行、张骏声等一批著名导演，浙江的顾锡东、胡小孩、魏峨、双戈等著名编剧创作了许多越剧优秀剧目，流传至今盛演不衰。至80年代，浙江小百花的《五女拜寿》《汉宫怨》《陆游与唐琬》《西厢记》、上海的《杨开慧》《毋忘曲》《三月春湖》《汉文皇后》等作品更是大放异彩。
越剧百年百明星
一、早期男班名伶
马潮水金荣水张云标
二、四工调时期明星
施银花屠杏花赵瑞花王杏花支兰芳姚水娟魏素云筱丹桂小白玉梅竺水招马樟花竺素娥
三、尺调时期明星
袁雪芬范瑞娟尹桂芳傅全香徐玉兰徐天红张桂凤吴小楼邢竹琴商芳臣
周宝奎毛佩卿徐惠琴钱鑫培吴剑芳钱妙花裘大官
四、五六十年代群芳谱
王文娟戚雅仙毕春芳陆锦花张云霞金采风吕瑞英高剑琳屠笑飞张茵
陈佩卿金宝花薛莺王爱勤尹小芳丁赛君陈少春邢瑞月张琴娟刘觉宋顺发
孟莉英史济华高佩张蓉桦姚剑英王少楼陈书君江涛方海如
何贤芬梁永璋张志明周云娟李培珍王媛赵碧云高爱娟尉少秋张腊娇
钱爱玉洪芬飞张薇
五、小百花时期
茅威涛何赛飞董柯娣方雪雯何英陈辉玲黄依群夏赛丽洪瑛赵志刚
肖雅竺小招张瑞春乐彩珍颜恝钱惠丽单仰萍谢群英王志萍
江瑶吴素英吴凤花陈飞蔡浙飞陈晓红
越剧百年百台戏
红楼梦、西厢记、梁山伯与祝英台、五女拜寿、祥林嫂、追鱼、长乐宫、碧玉簪、珍珠塔、孟丽君、西园记、汉宫怨、双玉蝉、唐伯虎落第、陆游与唐琬、秦香莲、孔乙己、情探、孔雀东南飞、春香传、李娃传、凄凉辽宫月、血手印、玉堂春、毛子佩闯宫、山河恋、春江月、汉文皇后、沙漠王子、乔太守乱点鸳鸯谱、五姑娘、斗诗亭、终身大事、北地王、柳玉娘、乾嘉巨案、莫愁女、貂蝉、花烛泪、胭脂、王老虎抢亲、花中君子、龙凤锁、二度梅、杜十娘、三看御妹、白蛇传、柳毅传书、何文秀、双玉蝉、云中落绣鞋、双珠凤、十一郎、仁义缘、九斤姑娘、玉蜻蜓、盘夫索夫、宝莲灯、打金枝、状元打更、古墓香魂、吹箫引凤、离宫恨、彩楼记、琵琶记、徐九经升官记、穆桂英挂帅、李翠英、辕门斩女、三笑、则天皇帝、关汉卿、香妃、西施断缆、玉镯记、沉香扇、一支梅、莫问奴归处、画眉、陆文龙、孔雀胆、南冠草、张羽煮海、唐太宗、桃花扇、春草闯堂、百花公主、秋海棠、救风尘、文姬归汉、文天祥、包公打銮驾、乱世佳人、王昭君、一缕麻、杨乃武与小白菜、越王勾践、蔡文姬、玉卿嫂、赵氏孤儿
（百明星及百台戏系草案，有待进一步充实）
Centennial of Yue Opera
The year 2006 marks the centennial of Yue Opera, a unique local opera born in Zhejiang Province. Celebrations across the country started in March and lasted till October, 2006. The centennial is not only a celebration for professionals involved in operas, but also a festival for 50 million Yue Opera fans across the country.
The theatric grandeur and glory trace back to the year 1906 when two groups of traveling actors met respectively in two villages. They each put their story-telling singings together to create a play. On March 27, namely the third day of the third month of that year on the lunar calendar, the two groups jointly staged their new shows in the village of Dongwang, Ganlin Town. Villagers were fascinated by the shows, for they had never seen anything like this before. The shows caused a big sensation in the neighboring villages.
The jointly show marked the genesis of Yue Opera. But on that day, the shows were presented in a very simple way. The stage was set up with door planks and straw bundles; a single gasoline lamp was all the lighting; costumes were borrowed from local landlords;hemp threads were used as beards, rouges were used to paint the faces. These simple costumes are now on display in Yue Opera Museum in Shengzhou. The Yue Opera was a huge local success. Pretty soon, troupes emerged and began to stage shows in Shenzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
The Opera began to evolve rapidly, absorbing musical elements from other operas. In addition to borrowing all mature techniques ranging from stage art, performance, music, costume, lighting, to setting from other major operas, Yue Opera fast became all-women performances, with the first all-women troupe appearing on July 9th, 1923 in Shijia誥o, Sheng County. Theater historians now conclude that this radical metamorphosis, probably the biggest one that made what Yue Opera is today, took place on the strength of the cultural tradition in Zhejiang, an important section of the southern Yangtze River Delta. The change did not occur under external pressures, but due to the perfect understanding of the governing principle that makes great theatrical art.
Even in its early years of Yue Opera, innovation was the opera’s constant theme. From the time when all-women Yue Opera troupes came to Shanghai to the time when the New Yue Opera movement started in 1942, efforts to create something new never stopped. Two major events marked the innovation during this period of nearly 20 years.
In 1938, Yao Shuijuan, known as the Queen of Yue Opera, started a discussion about how to improve the all-women plays. The pursuit touched on two major sensitive issues: how should Yue Opera survive? What should be the driving force behind the development of the Yue Opera? As discussions on these two subjects deepened, a series of essential issues concerning the opera’s future development were covered.
These discussions resulted in a full range of unprecedented changes ushered in by Yuan Xuefen in 1942. Playwrights were hired to write new plays, directors were hired to direct, changes took place in music, and the production-marketing system was renovated. The achievements were evident: stars shone and new plays became national hits. Yue Opera, previously a regional opera with limited influence, became respected by other operas across the country.
Innovation has never stopped since the opera’s birthday. The innovative momentum of the 1940s was carried on to the 1950s and 1960s. After New China came into being in 1949, joint shows of men and women were initiated and in the 1980s further changes took place as 襀undred Flowers Troupes?became phenomenal. New plays such as Five Daughters Celebrating Mother’s Birthday and Lu You and Tan Wan have been designated by the state cultural authorities as State Art Masterpieces and Yue Opera stars such as Mao Weitao, Chen Huiling and Dong Kedi have large numbers of fans.
Since playwrights and directors started playing an important part in Yue Opera and helped it take off, many excellent plays have come into the opera’s honored repertoire of classics. In the 1940s, each of the Yue Opera 40 troupes in Shanghai had a repertoire of about 100 representative plays. Plays with modern themes have broadened the Yue Opera, injecting energy into the ever-innovating opera. Yue Opera has a great hall of fame for actresses, directors, playwrights, in addition to its founding farmers in the first decade of the 20th century.
(Translated by David)
越剧百年纪念是全国戏曲工作者的盛大节日，也成了5000多万越剧观众的盛大节日。正如今年10月16日举行的越剧百年庆典会上，浙江省委书记习近平所指出的：“越剧诞生于浙江，繁荣于上海，影响遍及全国大部分地区，声名远播东南亚及全球华人社会。越剧不仅是浙江人民宝贵的文化财富，更是全国乃至全球华人共同珍视的民族文化瑰宝。”
诞生在萧绍平原
1906年农历三月初三，公历3月27日，在浙江东部萧绍平原上的嵊州，诞生了一个新剧种——越剧。在这之前的春节期间，有两批表演“落地唱书”的男班艺人巧遇于临安於潜乐平伍村和余杭陈家庄，他们在这里分别将说唱段子串成一个故事的大概，形成一种舞台演出的雏形。到了这年三月，两班艺人回到嵊县，便像模像样地在甘霖镇东王村联合演出《十件头》和《双金花》，这个演出形式又好听又好看，引起了四乡八邻的轰动。这次演出，标志着越剧的正式诞生。
不过这个剧种在诞生初期在艺术上几乎“一穷二白”。首次演出之时没有舞台，就用稻桶门板临时搭凑；没有照明，台上就挂一盏气油灯；没有服装，就向秀才、财主租借；没有长须，用草麻充当；没有化妆油彩，就擦一些胭脂花粉。这些简朴的行头，如今一一陈列在嵊州市越剧博物馆。然而老百姓看得欢天喜地：“看了小歌班，男人忘记去田畈，女人忘记去烧饭，小囡忘记回家转。”艺人们由此觉得自己脸上十分光彩，他们在小山村受到了英雄般的欢迎。接着，他们便开始闯嵊州、走宁绍、赴杭州、进上海。
最初的越剧艺术登上舞台，尽情地吸取了其他艺术的多种营养的乳汁：绍剧的声腔、姚剧的音乐、湖州的曲艺“三跳”旋律，他们都虚怀若谷地汲取，即使是越剧以后几十年赖以自傲的“女子文戏”，也是偷学了京剧“髦儿戏”女科班的拳头，开办了一茬又一茬的女子越剧科班，招进了一批又一批的农家少女，依样描红，因而演出的越剧更好看了！之后越剧又不断模仿其他剧种的做法，从更高层的昆剧、话剧、电影、京剧等艺术形式上借鉴了大量可以纳入越剧表演艺术的东西，如音乐、表演乃至行当的分配、脚本的运用，舞台监督、演艺机构组合等等。可以说越剧的吸纳兼容的能力是惊人的，她在诞生之后的短短一二十年时间里，完成了其他剧种未能完成的自我定型和脱胎换骨的过程。
自觉地广纳博采
艺术的变化无穷尽，艺术的追求无止境，越剧之所以历百年而蓬勃不衰，就在于她一贯的创新求变艺术品格，这是更高层次的剧种文脉。
从越剧诞生到女子越剧进入上海，是越剧自觉广纳博采、完成剧种定型的一个过程，除了舞台艺术、表演、音乐、服饰、灯光、布景等的完善外，它的最大变革在于确定了越剧由女子扮演的剧种角色。完成越剧诞生及转型的男班艺人居功厥伟，然而艺术的发展规律，又决定了他们必然地迅速退出历史舞台。这样一种在极短时间内在一个剧种中由女演员全部顶替男演员的格局，这在中外戏剧艺术史上也是罕见的，这也印证了剧种与生俱来带有浓重江南印迹的文化脉络。这一重大变革几乎不带有外力的因素，完全是按照艺术规律来完成的，它启示我们：一切的变革必然有它的规定动作，想当然的、人为的变革，只会导致拔苗助长，适得其反。
从女子越剧进入上海到1942年的“新越剧”改革运动，是越剧自觉求新求变的一次追求，按照眼下的流行语，便是从“浙江制造”向“浙江创造”转变的一种自觉行为。近20年这一阶段改革，制造了两个高潮：由“越剧皇后”姚水娟于1938年发起的“改良女子文戏”运动为第一个高潮，它直接开启了越剧演艺界的敏感话题：越剧如何生存？越剧发展的动力何在？由这两个话题引伸，触及到剧种发展的一系列带有普遍规律的问题，这一讨论延伸至1942年，由袁雪芬带头对越剧进行了全方位的反思，从演艺体制、编导制、音乐改革、文人参与等方方面面着手，大刀阔斧地作了一番改革。这次改革的成果是显而易见的：大量文人编导的介入，导致了新剧目层出不穷；音乐的改革使越剧出现了属于自己的成熟的“尺调”、“弦下调”声腔体系。这一次改革具有其他剧种改革罕见的力度、广度和深度，完成了一次越剧自身的“质”的提升，出现了袁雪芬、范瑞娟、尹桂芳、徐玉兰、筱丹桂、竺水招等一批光芒四射的越剧明星和《祥林嫂》《屈原》《宝玉与黛玉》《沙漠王子》《北地王》等一大批极大影响力的作品，特别是越剧十姊妹义演《山河恋》，在越剧史上留下了浓墨重彩的一笔！越剧改革提升了越剧在戏剧界的地位，其成果一直影响到以后的五六十年。但越剧求新求变的内在动力仍然没有减弱：新中国成立后对越剧男女合演的尝试，以及延至20世纪80年代浙江遍地开花的越剧“小百花现象”，集中地体现了这一剧种的内在品质，如浙江小百花越剧团演出的《五女拜寿》《陆游与唐琬》等剧目，被列入国家艺术精品，茅威涛、陈辉玲、董柯娣等演员拥有众多的戏迷。
铸就百年的辉煌
越剧来源于民间，她是靠吸收当地的文化营养而壮大的，因而她身上的一切特征都具有民间的、江南的烙印，如舞台的抒情雅致、运声的吴侬软语、音乐的轻柔舒缓、服饰的飘逸灵巧、妆扮的嫣然卓约都来源于古越文化的传承。越剧的剧目大都演绎人性的善恶、婚姻的成败、功名的追求等等，它很少有古道西风的苍凉和大江东去的豪迈以及生死厮杀的粗犷，这是这一剧种最深层的文化底蕴，是江南风情、江南人文的高度象征。
越剧善于吸收、扎根沃土，决定了这个剧种的迅猛发展。从剧团数量看，从1923年7月9日第一个女子科班在嵊县施家岙诞生，到女子越剧初露锋芒的20世纪40年代末，女子戏班一时达到100余个。50年代登记在册的越剧团，仅上海、浙江两地就有130多个，全国达280多个。剧团遍及北陲南疆，还不包括成千上万个业余民间剧团。50年代初据不完全统计，浙江全省的农村业余剧团有4647个，仅绍兴地区就有业余剧团399个。
在不断的博采众纳中，越剧还将许多其他剧种的剧目移为己用，并形成了自己独特的风格。20世纪40年代的革新运动，越剧引进文人参与编剧，剧目建设一时风起云涌。在上海的三四十个越剧戏班每个戏班都积累了上百个代表剧目，其中最具代表性的是南薇根据鲁迅小说《祝福》改编的《祥林嫂》，将现实主义的写作方法推上一个新的高度，并从现代题材的创作上拓宽了越剧的表现力；著名剧作家田汉为越剧创作了《珊瑚引》《情探》《追鱼》《杨八姐盗刀》等作品；剧作家徐进创作了《梁山伯与祝英台》《红楼梦》《舞台姐妹》（与他人合作）等作品；南薇还编导了《香妃》《山河恋》《月光曲》；吴琛编导了《十一郎》《西厢记》等剧目；浙江也涌现了陈静、贝庚、金松、天方等一批越剧编剧以及黄沙、陈鹏、钟泯、史行、张骏声等一批著名导演，浙江的顾锡东、胡小孩、魏峨、双戈等著名编剧创作了许多越剧优秀剧目，流传至今盛演不衰。至80年代，浙江小百花的《五女拜寿》《汉宫怨》《陆游与唐琬》《西厢记》、上海的《杨开慧》《毋忘曲》《三月春湖》《汉文皇后》等作品更是大放异彩。
越剧百年百明星
一、早期男班名伶
马潮水金荣水张云标
二、四工调时期明星
施银花屠杏花赵瑞花王杏花支兰芳姚水娟魏素云筱丹桂小白玉梅竺水招马樟花竺素娥
三、尺调时期明星
袁雪芬范瑞娟尹桂芳傅全香徐玉兰徐天红张桂凤吴小楼邢竹琴商芳臣
周宝奎毛佩卿徐惠琴钱鑫培吴剑芳钱妙花裘大官
四、五六十年代群芳谱
王文娟戚雅仙毕春芳陆锦花张云霞金采风吕瑞英高剑琳屠笑飞张茵
陈佩卿金宝花薛莺王爱勤尹小芳丁赛君陈少春邢瑞月张琴娟刘觉宋顺发
孟莉英史济华高佩张蓉桦姚剑英王少楼陈书君江涛方海如
何贤芬梁永璋张志明周云娟李培珍王媛赵碧云高爱娟尉少秋张腊娇
钱爱玉洪芬飞张薇
五、小百花时期
茅威涛何赛飞董柯娣方雪雯何英陈辉玲黄依群夏赛丽洪瑛赵志刚
肖雅竺小招张瑞春乐彩珍颜恝钱惠丽单仰萍谢群英王志萍
江瑶吴素英吴凤花陈飞蔡浙飞陈晓红
越剧百年百台戏
红楼梦、西厢记、梁山伯与祝英台、五女拜寿、祥林嫂、追鱼、长乐宫、碧玉簪、珍珠塔、孟丽君、西园记、汉宫怨、双玉蝉、唐伯虎落第、陆游与唐琬、秦香莲、孔乙己、情探、孔雀东南飞、春香传、李娃传、凄凉辽宫月、血手印、玉堂春、毛子佩闯宫、山河恋、春江月、汉文皇后、沙漠王子、乔太守乱点鸳鸯谱、五姑娘、斗诗亭、终身大事、北地王、柳玉娘、乾嘉巨案、莫愁女、貂蝉、花烛泪、胭脂、王老虎抢亲、花中君子、龙凤锁、二度梅、杜十娘、三看御妹、白蛇传、柳毅传书、何文秀、双玉蝉、云中落绣鞋、双珠凤、十一郎、仁义缘、九斤姑娘、玉蜻蜓、盘夫索夫、宝莲灯、打金枝、状元打更、古墓香魂、吹箫引凤、离宫恨、彩楼记、琵琶记、徐九经升官记、穆桂英挂帅、李翠英、辕门斩女、三笑、则天皇帝、关汉卿、香妃、西施断缆、玉镯记、沉香扇、一支梅、莫问奴归处、画眉、陆文龙、孔雀胆、南冠草、张羽煮海、唐太宗、桃花扇、春草闯堂、百花公主、秋海棠、救风尘、文姬归汉、文天祥、包公打銮驾、乱世佳人、王昭君、一缕麻、杨乃武与小白菜、越王勾践、蔡文姬、玉卿嫂、赵氏孤儿
（百明星及百台戏系草案，有待进一步充实）
Centennial of Yue Opera
The year 2006 marks the centennial of Yue Opera, a unique local opera born in Zhejiang Province. Celebrations across the country started in March and lasted till October, 2006. The centennial is not only a celebration for professionals involved in operas, but also a festival for 50 million Yue Opera fans across the country.
The theatric grandeur and glory trace back to the year 1906 when two groups of traveling actors met respectively in two villages. They each put their story-telling singings together to create a play. On March 27, namely the third day of the third month of that year on the lunar calendar, the two groups jointly staged their new shows in the village of Dongwang, Ganlin Town. Villagers were fascinated by the shows, for they had never seen anything like this before. The shows caused a big sensation in the neighboring villages.
The jointly show marked the genesis of Yue Opera. But on that day, the shows were presented in a very simple way. The stage was set up with door planks and straw bundles; a single gasoline lamp was all the lighting; costumes were borrowed from local landlords;hemp threads were used as beards, rouges were used to paint the faces. These simple costumes are now on display in Yue Opera Museum in Shengzhou. The Yue Opera was a huge local success. Pretty soon, troupes emerged and began to stage shows in Shenzhou, Ningbo, Shaoxing, Hangzhou and Shanghai.
The Opera began to evolve rapidly, absorbing musical elements from other operas. In addition to borrowing all mature techniques ranging from stage art, performance, music, costume, lighting, to setting from other major operas, Yue Opera fast became all-women performances, with the first all-women troupe appearing on July 9th, 1923 in Shijia誥o, Sheng County. Theater historians now conclude that this radical metamorphosis, probably the biggest one that made what Yue Opera is today, took place on the strength of the cultural tradition in Zhejiang, an important section of the southern Yangtze River Delta. The change did not occur under external pressures, but due to the perfect understanding of the governing principle that makes great theatrical art.
Even in its early years of Yue Opera, innovation was the opera’s constant theme. From the time when all-women Yue Opera troupes came to Shanghai to the time when the New Yue Opera movement started in 1942, efforts to create something new never stopped. Two major events marked the innovation during this period of nearly 20 years.
In 1938, Yao Shuijuan, known as the Queen of Yue Opera, started a discussion about how to improve the all-women plays. The pursuit touched on two major sensitive issues: how should Yue Opera survive? What should be the driving force behind the development of the Yue Opera? As discussions on these two subjects deepened, a series of essential issues concerning the opera’s future development were covered.
These discussions resulted in a full range of unprecedented changes ushered in by Yuan Xuefen in 1942. Playwrights were hired to write new plays, directors were hired to direct, changes took place in music, and the production-marketing system was renovated. The achievements were evident: stars shone and new plays became national hits. Yue Opera, previously a regional opera with limited influence, became respected by other operas across the country.
Innovation has never stopped since the opera’s birthday. The innovative momentum of the 1940s was carried on to the 1950s and 1960s. After New China came into being in 1949, joint shows of men and women were initiated and in the 1980s further changes took place as 襀undred Flowers Troupes?became phenomenal. New plays such as Five Daughters Celebrating Mother’s Birthday and Lu You and Tan Wan have been designated by the state cultural authorities as State Art Masterpieces and Yue Opera stars such as Mao Weitao, Chen Huiling and Dong Kedi have large numbers of fans.
Since playwrights and directors started playing an important part in Yue Opera and helped it take off, many excellent plays have come into the opera’s honored repertoire of classics. In the 1940s, each of the Yue Opera 40 troupes in Shanghai had a repertoire of about 100 representative plays. Plays with modern themes have broadened the Yue Opera, injecting energy into the ever-innovating opera. Yue Opera has a great hall of fame for actresses, directors, playwrights, in addition to its founding farmers in the first decade of the 20th century.
(Translated by David)