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周恩来爱好戏剧，重视戏剧。他曾多次观看故乡的昆剧、越剧、绍剧、婺剧，对浙江地方戏剧给予亲切的关怀。
“你们浙江做了一件好事：一出戏救活了一个剧种。《十五贯》有丰富的人民性和相当高的艺术性。”
昆曲是集我国的历史、文学、表演、音乐、舞台艺术于一体的古老剧种，在全国有很大的影响。
周恩来一生多次观看过昆剧表演，对不少昆剧剧目从剧情内容到表演程式都有中肯的评价。
解放前夕，昆剧濒临绝唱。新中国成立后，这一古老的剧种步入改革、创新和发展的新时期。1956年，浙江昆剧团改编演出了昆剧《十五贯》，并晋京演出。4月19日，周恩来在文化部副部长刘芝明陪同下观看，演出结束后，周恩来等上台慰问演员，并称赞“昆曲的表演艺术很高”。他说：“你们浙江做了一件好事：一出戏救活了一个剧种。《十五贯》有丰富的人民性和相当高的艺术性。”他称赞《十五贯》的剧本改编得好，演员演得也好。他说：“《见都》一场那面堂鼓就很好嘛。你要见他，他官僚主义，不见你；你一击鼓，他就只好出来了。”在分析了官僚主义产生的根源之后，周恩来又说：“我们有的官僚主义者比戏中的巡抚还严重……甚至在‘击鼓’后还不出来。”他还关切地询问剧团的演出情况、折账收入以及演员的年龄、艺龄、健康状况等，并鼓励他们说：“只要你们好好努力，将会取得更大的成就。”5月17日，周恩来主持召开由文化部、中国戏剧家协会联合邀请首都文化界知名人士在中南海紫光阁举行的昆剧《十五贯》座谈会。座谈会长达7个小时，周恩来作了约1小时的长篇讲话。他对昆曲艺术和浙江昆剧团的演出给予很高评价，说昆曲是江南兰花，幽雅而清香馥郁，《十五贯》是“百花齐放，推陈出新”的榜样。他要求浙江昆剧团的周传瑛、王传淞和朱国梁等30位昆曲前辈共同担起昆曲艺术继承发展的重任。翌日，《人民日报》发表了题为《从“一出戏救活了一个剧种”谈起》的社论。尔后，浙江、上海、江苏和北京以及湖南等地的昆剧院团相继成立，昆曲艺术有了很大的发展。
根据周恩来的指示，浙江昆剧团着力整理传统剧目，编演贴近现实生活的新戏，培养锻炼了一批青年演员。1963年，周恩来观看了新整理的明杂剧本《西园记》，对青年演员汪世瑜的成长颇为高兴。1964年6月，周恩来陪同阿拉伯也门共和国总统阿卜杜拉·萨拉勒来杭参观访问，当他知道浙江昆剧团正在杭州上演现代昆剧《红灯传》，7日晚便在杭州饭店小礼堂专门观看了该剧，并同演职员们一起讨论剧本和舞台演出的加工提高问题。他说：“你们戏演得很好，有两场戏演得很感人，内心和外在都表现得很统一。总的说，前面几场戏情节比较合理、可信。而后面几场有些地方就不大合理。比如刑场上母子见面时不可能讲这么多的话，老奶奶和李玉和都是有丰富斗争经验的革命者，他们不可能把密电码的事和叛徒的情况都在刑场上讲给铁梅听，因为敌人是要窃听的，敌人也是有斗争经验的嘛。如果能把这些话放在李玉和与老奶奶发现情况不对时，在家里向铁梅讲，可能会更好一些。当然，在家里讲，舞台表演效果也许不如现在感人，但比较合理。”他还就该剧的历史背景、李铁梅应如何转移“密电码”、地下交通员应如何突围等问题，详尽地谈了自己的意见。1972年春，他陪同尼克松总统到杭州参观访问时，关切地问起浙江昆剧团的情况。当他得悉该团已被迫解散时，感慨地叹惜道：“我们这么大的国家，难道还养不起这么一个剧团吗？”
“金华越剧团自力更生，没有要国家一分补贴，还有积蓄，我提议你们要向金华越剧团学习。”
越剧是个年轻剧种，清咸丰年间发源于嵊县。原称“小歌班”、“的笃班”，30年代初改名为越剧，是浙江省最大的剧种。越剧的艺术特色以优美、细腻、纯朴、儒雅见长。周恩来早在1946年就在上海观看过根据鲁迅小说改编的《祥林嫂》，给予很高的评价。新中国成立后，周恩来对越剧的发展倾注了很多心血。1957年4月，周恩来让工作人员到杭州中国剧院购票，以观看金华越剧团演出的越剧传奇剧《孟丽君》。看完戏，他上台慰问演职员，并对剧中几个地方提出了探讨意见。他首先问：这是一出有历史依据的历史剧呢，还是完全编出来的？编导回答：是根据古本弹词、小说和老戏整理的，没有历史依据。周恩来又说：我没有研究，是否查一查，有没有皇甫少华其人？有没有征过高丽？如有，把这段内容回避了。倘若没有任何依据，干脆换个名称，不写高丽。高丽就是朝鲜，可以改成反侵略战，不必写征服——征服也有侵略的内容。我们的《隋唐演义》中薛仁贵“征东”，就是写打朝鲜，还杀了高丽大将盖苏文。现在朝鲜还有“盖苏文点将台”，把他列为民族英雄。鉴于当前中朝两国的深厚情谊，不要有使朋友不愉快的事。既然这出戏完全是虚构的，戏也很好看，何不改了这一段，把戏改得更精彩呢！周恩来对剧团在艰苦条件下坚持编演好戏的精神给予鼓励，并希望当地有关部门从各方面关心他们，帮助剧团多演好戏。1958年4月，浙江省组织现代戏赴京汇报演出团，越剧《关不住的姑娘》和《风雪摆渡》深受首都观众喜爱，周恩来同文化部的领导一起来观看。演出结束后，金华越剧团团长杨琴芳将一封剧团建设汇报信呈交给周恩来。周恩来看后，对着周扬等文化部领导和首都文艺团体的代表高声地说：“金华越剧团自力更生，没有要国家一分补贴，还有积蓄，我提议你们要向金华越剧团学习。”同年9月13日，周恩来又在北京长安剧场观看了浙江越剧二团演出的《雨前曲》，对剧本以及男女演员合演等问题提出了意见，指出：“女演男，男演女，都是封建社会的产物。男女合演是历史发展的必然。”
“你们演得很好，外宾看了很满意。”“我是绍兴人，今天第一次看到绍剧，还是陈老总介绍的。”
绍剧，又称“绍兴大班”、“绍兴乱弹”，是周恩来家乡的戏，有300多年的历史。其表演粗犷豪放，夸张强烈，唱腔高亢，富有激情。解放后，绍剧进行了改革，注入时代的表演意识，使古老的绍剧产生新的魅力。1957年12月，周恩来在上海陪同外宾参观。他对上海的同志说：“浙江绍剧有出猴戏《大闹天宫》，可以调来为外宾演出。”演出结束后，他陪外宾上台向绍剧团赠送花篮，祝贺演出成功。他热情地称赞：“你们演得很好，外宾看了很满意。”他还风趣地说：“我是绍兴人，今天第一次看到绍剧，还是陈老总介绍的。”周恩来详细地询问了绍剧的主要唱腔“二凡”、“三五七”的来源、特点，有些什么传统唱法等。还亲切地问了几个演员的年龄。当他得知一个小演员小六龄童只有8岁时，关切地说：“要好好培养，要培养接班人。”还叮嘱他：不但要从小学功夫，也要从小学戏德。并把他抱在怀里和大家一起合影留念。几天后，他又一次陪外宾观看了绍剧《大闹天宫》。1958年4月底，绍剧团进京汇报演出。周恩来观看演出后来到后台，和演职员一一握手，笑着说“我们又见面了，我们是老朋友了”，并随和地坐在后台的戏箱上与演职员们交谈。当他听到剧团已划归国营，演职员生活越来越好时，高兴地说：“好，你们要努力学习，多为工农兵演出。”还教育坐在身边的几个青年演员要“勤学苦练，走又红又专的道路”。勉励大家要认真学习，努力贯彻“双百”方针，更好地为工农兵服务。1961年9月25日，为了纪念鲁迅诞辰80周年，浙江绍剧团演出《女吊》。演出前，周恩来在休息室高兴地对其他中央领导同志说，今天晚上请大家看绍兴大班《女吊》。演出结束后，周恩来及其他领导同志上台慰问演员。随后，他又到后台厢房，问哪一位是演《女吊》的章艳秋，当章艳秋点头应答后，周恩来鼓励她说：“你演得不错嘛，很有经验。你不仅自己要演好，还要好好培养下一代。”拍完集体照后，周恩来又邀请章艳秋：“来，我与艳秋拍一张。”周恩来与章艳秋合影的照片第二天发表在首都各大报纸上。28日，他在北京民族文化宫安排绍剧《孙悟空三打白骨精》招待缅甸奈温将军，对该剧予以赞扬并提出了改进意见。他认为《三打》的改编是成功的，具有一定的现实意义。他又向毛泽东推荐。10月10日，毛泽东观看了这出戏。看后诗兴大作，毛泽东写下了著名诗篇《七律·和郭沫若同志》：
一从大地起风雷，便有精生白骨堆。
僧是愚氓犹可训，妖为鬼蜮必成灾。
金猴奋起千钧棒，玉宇澄清万里埃。
今日欢呼孙大圣，只缘妖雾又重来。
“一个演员在台上要做到目中无人，心中有人。”“现在要多演些有教育意义的戏。”
婺剧是影响力仅次于越剧的地方剧种，以演武戏、做工戏、大戏为主。1962年11月3日，周恩来在北京饭店接见了晋京汇报演出的浙江婺剧团以及浙江省文化局领导。大家坐定后，周恩来就风趣地说：“浙江有个婺剧，为什么我都不知道？别人还说我不推荐，你们过去为什么不推荐给我？”省文化局和剧团的领导有些紧张地汇报：“毛主席在杭州曾看过婺剧的。”“什么时候？”周恩来问。“1962年3月，主席接见尼泊尔首相那次。”周恩来说：“哦，那一次我没去，没看到。”随后摸出一张剧团演出的节目单：“来，我们一起研究一下，明天请朝鲜李周渊副首相看些什么戏。”定下节目后，他询问了剧团是什么时候成立的，有多少人，大家的事业心强不强。他听到回答后高兴地说：“浙江是个好地方。我本来就是个浙江人嘛。”“你们在国务院小礼堂的演出就很好嘛，越演看的人越多，礼堂挤得满满的。”周恩来又殷切地说：“要多搞点折子戏，不要老是搞大戏”，“要多下乡上山为群众演出”。11月4日，周恩来陪同朝鲜李周渊副首相观看演出，称赞表演非常成功。17日，周恩来在长安剧院再次观看了剧团演出的《昭君出塞》，并对剧中的部分情节提出意见。他说：“你们戏中对少数民族的皇帝总是称‘狼主’，明明不是这样的嘛，为什么总要加上一个‘犬’字旁，不这样称呼行不行呢？最好改掉它。”21日晚，当他得知剧团第二天要离开北京返回金华时，就当晚在中南海西花厅接见演职员。他握着郑兰香的手说：“你叫郑兰香，是吗？为什么不围围巾？要好好保护嗓子，演完戏最容易感冒，这是梅兰芳告诉我的。”他鼓励大家：“你们在北京打响了，你们的团风很好。”他要求“一个演员在台上要做到目中无人，心中有人。”“现在要多演些有教育意义的戏。”周恩来还很欣赏婺剧的几出折子戏，如《断桥》《牡丹对课》《僧尼会》等，并向毛泽东推荐。毛泽东看了《牡丹对课》后说：周总理说好，我看确实不错，小姑娘斗败了大神仙。
周恩来对《断桥》的艺术特色很赞赏。但他说：现在大家都在称赞婺剧《断桥》，连演了许多年的名家也说你们有特色。有人提出这是天下第一桥，我不反对。但我看为了百花齐放，就不提这个“第一”吧！他提出：对一个优秀的艺术作品的评价，在欣赏之余还应留有余地。譬如过去北京有件较大的象牙深雕艺术品，很精彩，有人说是全国第一。后来在上海看到另一件，质量、大小不相上下。所以北京这个也就不能称第一。周恩来用具体事例来生动说明艺术总是在不断竞争中发展的，是永无止境的。
周恩来语重心长地对浙江昆剧团的年轻演员说：“你们都是党培养起来的青年演员，一定要很好地为工农兵服务。”
Premier Zhou Enlai chats with young artists of Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe after a show.
1959年4月25日，周恩来在杭州中国剧院观看金华越剧团演出的越剧《孟丽君》。演出结束后，周恩来与演职员合影留念。
Zhou Enlai and artists of Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe pose for a photograph at New China Theater on April 25, 1959 after the performance of Meng Lijun.
1959年9月，周恩来与浙江籍著名越剧表演艺术家徐玉兰亲切交谈。
Zhou Enlai and Xu Yulan, a Yueju Opera artist of Zhejiang origin, are in a conversation in September 1959.
周恩来看完金华越剧团《自有后来人》的演出后，与演职员亲切交谈。
Zhou Enlai chats with artists after watching a play staged by Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe.
Premier Zhou Comments on Regional Operas of Zhejiang
By Mao Yingmin
Zhou Enlai (1898-1976), China’s premier for twenty-seven years, had a special feeling for the four regional operas of Zhejiang. Zhou’s ancestral roots were in Shaoxing and he considered himself a native of Zhejiang.
During his 27-year premiership, he watched performances of the four regional operas of Zhejiang and met with opera artists of his home province. During his meeting with the opera artists, he commented on the regional operas and new plays.
Kunqu Opera
Kunqu Opera was on the verge of extinction before 1949. After the founding of New China, the opera staged a spectacular comeback. In 1956, Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe came to Beijing and performed a Kunqu Opera play “Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins.” On April 19, 1956, Premier Zhou watched the play. After the show, he came to the stage and spoke highly of the performance. He praised that Zhejiang did a good thing: a play saved an opera genre and that “Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins” was a grassroots entertainment and showed a great level of artistry.
On May 17, 1956, Premier Zhou hosted a 7-hour symposium at Zhongnanhai. At the invitation of Ministry of Culture and China Theater Scriptwriters Association, cultural celebrities of Beijing attended. Zhou spoke for an hour. He praised Kunqu Opera in general and the performance of the troupe from Zhejiang in particular. He requested Zhou Chuanying, Wang Chuansong and Zhu Guoliang, the best-known Kunqu Opera artists of the days to carry on the ancient opera and cultivate a new generation of artists. At that time, there were only about 30 Kunqu Opera artists remaining in China. After the symposium, various Kunqu Opera troupes emerged and the opera flourished again.
In 1963 and 1964, the premier watched the performances of Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe respectively. In 1972, the premier was in Hangzhou to hold talks with the visiting America President Nixon. During his visit, Zhou inquired about Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe. After learning that the troupe had been disbanded, Zhou sighed emotionally saying why such a great nation could not afford to support a troupe.
Yueju Opera
Compared with Kunqu Opera, Yueju Opera is relatively young. It originated in Shengxian County in eastern Zhejiang in the mid-19th century and became popular in Shanghai in the early 20th century. It became known as Yueju Opera in the 1930s. Yueju Opera, the largest regional opera genre of Zhejiang, is known for its grace, subtlety, elegance and distinct regional characteristics. In 1946 in Shanghai, Zhou watched “Sister Xianglin”, an innovative play based on a short story of Lu Xun (1881-1936), a great author of the 20th century China. In April 1957, Zhou bought tickets and watched Meng Lijun, a legend play staged by Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe in New China Theater in Hangzhou.
After the show, the premier came onto the stage and met with the artists and staff members of the troupe. The premier inquired about the historical background of the legend. After learning that the script was based on ancient scripts, stories and plays, he advised to avoid mentioning Korea to avoid embarrassment between China and DPRK.
In April 1958, Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe came to Beijing and performed. The troupe manager Yang Qinfang submitted to the premier a report on the troupe’s business operations. Zhou commented to the officials from the Ministry of Culture and representatives from the capital’s literary and art circles that Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe enjoyed a prosperous business without any state subsidy and that the troupe should be a pacesetter for other troupes to follow.
On September 13, 1958, Premier Zhou watched a play staged by Zhejiang Number Two Yueju Opera Troupe. After the show, he remarked that women artists acting as men and male artists acting as women was a residue of the old society and that it was a historical trend that male and female artists would perform together.
Shaoxing Opera
Shaoxing Opera, a 300-year-old opera genre in Shaoxing, is known for its exaggerating performance and loud and high-pitched singing, in curious contrast with and entirely different from Yueju Opera, which originated in Shengxian, a rural county in Shaoxing. After 1949, local artists introduced innovation into the opera and brought about a renaissance to the ancient art.
In December 1957, Zhou accompanied some foreign guests to watch “The Monkey Creates Havoc in Heaven” in Shanghai. The premier met the artists after the show and spoke highly of the performance. He said he was a native of Shaoxing and it was his first experience of the opera. He asked about the characteristics of the regional opera. A few days later, the premier and some foreign guests watched the play again. In April 1958, Zhou met with the visiting Shaoxing Opera troupe again in Beijing. After hearing a report of the troupe’s work and operation, Zhou encouraged the artists to perform better for grassroots audience.
On September 25, 1961, Zhejiang Shaoxing Opera Troupe staged a play in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the birthday of Lu Xun. After the performance, the premier took photos with artists. Three days later, the premier watched “Monkey King Subdues the White-Bone Demon,” another play staged by the troupe. Premier Zhou recommended the play to Mao Zedong. Mao watched and wrote a poem later.
Wuju Opera
Wuju Opera is the province’s second largest opera genre, extremely popular in central Zhejiang. It is known for its kongfu show and refined performance. It is also known for staging long plays. In November 1962, Zhou met with Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe in Beijing and asked curiously why he had not had any idea there was something called Wuju Opera in Zhejiang. It turned out that Mao Zedong had watched a Wuju Opera play in March 1962 in Hangzhou. Zhou watched the plays by the troupe twice and recommended some highlights. He recommended some highlights to Mao Zedong. Mao enjoyed the highlights.
Zhou spoke highly of the artistry of “Broken Bridge,” a legend that had various versions in various regional operas across China. The version staged by Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe was considered special by some artists. Some said the performance was the best. Zhou congratulated the troupe on its outstanding performance but questioned the very best moniker. He said that an excellent play always had some room for future interpretation and improvement.
绍剧《孙悟空三打白骨精》中的美猴王形象
The Monkey King in The Monkey King Subdues the White-Bone Demon, a Shaoxing Opera play
浙昆《十五贯》再度晋京演出。
Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins is staged in Beijing again by Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe.
周恩来与《孟丽君》剧组的演职员亲切交谈，称赞说：“这出戏你们改得好。”他鼓励演职员“要继续上山下乡，多培养男演员。”
Zhou Enlai chats with artists who stage Meng Lijun on April 25, 1959.
“你们浙江做了一件好事：一出戏救活了一个剧种。《十五贯》有丰富的人民性和相当高的艺术性。”
昆曲是集我国的历史、文学、表演、音乐、舞台艺术于一体的古老剧种，在全国有很大的影响。
周恩来一生多次观看过昆剧表演，对不少昆剧剧目从剧情内容到表演程式都有中肯的评价。
解放前夕，昆剧濒临绝唱。新中国成立后，这一古老的剧种步入改革、创新和发展的新时期。1956年，浙江昆剧团改编演出了昆剧《十五贯》，并晋京演出。4月19日，周恩来在文化部副部长刘芝明陪同下观看，演出结束后，周恩来等上台慰问演员，并称赞“昆曲的表演艺术很高”。他说：“你们浙江做了一件好事：一出戏救活了一个剧种。《十五贯》有丰富的人民性和相当高的艺术性。”他称赞《十五贯》的剧本改编得好，演员演得也好。他说：“《见都》一场那面堂鼓就很好嘛。你要见他，他官僚主义，不见你；你一击鼓，他就只好出来了。”在分析了官僚主义产生的根源之后，周恩来又说：“我们有的官僚主义者比戏中的巡抚还严重……甚至在‘击鼓’后还不出来。”他还关切地询问剧团的演出情况、折账收入以及演员的年龄、艺龄、健康状况等，并鼓励他们说：“只要你们好好努力，将会取得更大的成就。”5月17日，周恩来主持召开由文化部、中国戏剧家协会联合邀请首都文化界知名人士在中南海紫光阁举行的昆剧《十五贯》座谈会。座谈会长达7个小时，周恩来作了约1小时的长篇讲话。他对昆曲艺术和浙江昆剧团的演出给予很高评价，说昆曲是江南兰花，幽雅而清香馥郁，《十五贯》是“百花齐放，推陈出新”的榜样。他要求浙江昆剧团的周传瑛、王传淞和朱国梁等30位昆曲前辈共同担起昆曲艺术继承发展的重任。翌日，《人民日报》发表了题为《从“一出戏救活了一个剧种”谈起》的社论。尔后，浙江、上海、江苏和北京以及湖南等地的昆剧院团相继成立，昆曲艺术有了很大的发展。
根据周恩来的指示，浙江昆剧团着力整理传统剧目，编演贴近现实生活的新戏，培养锻炼了一批青年演员。1963年，周恩来观看了新整理的明杂剧本《西园记》，对青年演员汪世瑜的成长颇为高兴。1964年6月，周恩来陪同阿拉伯也门共和国总统阿卜杜拉·萨拉勒来杭参观访问，当他知道浙江昆剧团正在杭州上演现代昆剧《红灯传》，7日晚便在杭州饭店小礼堂专门观看了该剧，并同演职员们一起讨论剧本和舞台演出的加工提高问题。他说：“你们戏演得很好，有两场戏演得很感人，内心和外在都表现得很统一。总的说，前面几场戏情节比较合理、可信。而后面几场有些地方就不大合理。比如刑场上母子见面时不可能讲这么多的话，老奶奶和李玉和都是有丰富斗争经验的革命者，他们不可能把密电码的事和叛徒的情况都在刑场上讲给铁梅听，因为敌人是要窃听的，敌人也是有斗争经验的嘛。如果能把这些话放在李玉和与老奶奶发现情况不对时，在家里向铁梅讲，可能会更好一些。当然，在家里讲，舞台表演效果也许不如现在感人，但比较合理。”他还就该剧的历史背景、李铁梅应如何转移“密电码”、地下交通员应如何突围等问题，详尽地谈了自己的意见。1972年春，他陪同尼克松总统到杭州参观访问时，关切地问起浙江昆剧团的情况。当他得悉该团已被迫解散时，感慨地叹惜道：“我们这么大的国家，难道还养不起这么一个剧团吗？”
“金华越剧团自力更生，没有要国家一分补贴，还有积蓄，我提议你们要向金华越剧团学习。”
越剧是个年轻剧种，清咸丰年间发源于嵊县。原称“小歌班”、“的笃班”，30年代初改名为越剧，是浙江省最大的剧种。越剧的艺术特色以优美、细腻、纯朴、儒雅见长。周恩来早在1946年就在上海观看过根据鲁迅小说改编的《祥林嫂》，给予很高的评价。新中国成立后，周恩来对越剧的发展倾注了很多心血。1957年4月，周恩来让工作人员到杭州中国剧院购票，以观看金华越剧团演出的越剧传奇剧《孟丽君》。看完戏，他上台慰问演职员，并对剧中几个地方提出了探讨意见。他首先问：这是一出有历史依据的历史剧呢，还是完全编出来的？编导回答：是根据古本弹词、小说和老戏整理的，没有历史依据。周恩来又说：我没有研究，是否查一查，有没有皇甫少华其人？有没有征过高丽？如有，把这段内容回避了。倘若没有任何依据，干脆换个名称，不写高丽。高丽就是朝鲜，可以改成反侵略战，不必写征服——征服也有侵略的内容。我们的《隋唐演义》中薛仁贵“征东”，就是写打朝鲜，还杀了高丽大将盖苏文。现在朝鲜还有“盖苏文点将台”，把他列为民族英雄。鉴于当前中朝两国的深厚情谊，不要有使朋友不愉快的事。既然这出戏完全是虚构的，戏也很好看，何不改了这一段，把戏改得更精彩呢！周恩来对剧团在艰苦条件下坚持编演好戏的精神给予鼓励，并希望当地有关部门从各方面关心他们，帮助剧团多演好戏。1958年4月，浙江省组织现代戏赴京汇报演出团，越剧《关不住的姑娘》和《风雪摆渡》深受首都观众喜爱，周恩来同文化部的领导一起来观看。演出结束后，金华越剧团团长杨琴芳将一封剧团建设汇报信呈交给周恩来。周恩来看后，对着周扬等文化部领导和首都文艺团体的代表高声地说：“金华越剧团自力更生，没有要国家一分补贴，还有积蓄，我提议你们要向金华越剧团学习。”同年9月13日，周恩来又在北京长安剧场观看了浙江越剧二团演出的《雨前曲》，对剧本以及男女演员合演等问题提出了意见，指出：“女演男，男演女，都是封建社会的产物。男女合演是历史发展的必然。”
“你们演得很好，外宾看了很满意。”“我是绍兴人，今天第一次看到绍剧，还是陈老总介绍的。”
绍剧，又称“绍兴大班”、“绍兴乱弹”，是周恩来家乡的戏，有300多年的历史。其表演粗犷豪放，夸张强烈，唱腔高亢，富有激情。解放后，绍剧进行了改革，注入时代的表演意识，使古老的绍剧产生新的魅力。1957年12月，周恩来在上海陪同外宾参观。他对上海的同志说：“浙江绍剧有出猴戏《大闹天宫》，可以调来为外宾演出。”演出结束后，他陪外宾上台向绍剧团赠送花篮，祝贺演出成功。他热情地称赞：“你们演得很好，外宾看了很满意。”他还风趣地说：“我是绍兴人，今天第一次看到绍剧，还是陈老总介绍的。”周恩来详细地询问了绍剧的主要唱腔“二凡”、“三五七”的来源、特点，有些什么传统唱法等。还亲切地问了几个演员的年龄。当他得知一个小演员小六龄童只有8岁时，关切地说：“要好好培养，要培养接班人。”还叮嘱他：不但要从小学功夫，也要从小学戏德。并把他抱在怀里和大家一起合影留念。几天后，他又一次陪外宾观看了绍剧《大闹天宫》。1958年4月底，绍剧团进京汇报演出。周恩来观看演出后来到后台，和演职员一一握手，笑着说“我们又见面了，我们是老朋友了”，并随和地坐在后台的戏箱上与演职员们交谈。当他听到剧团已划归国营，演职员生活越来越好时，高兴地说：“好，你们要努力学习，多为工农兵演出。”还教育坐在身边的几个青年演员要“勤学苦练，走又红又专的道路”。勉励大家要认真学习，努力贯彻“双百”方针，更好地为工农兵服务。1961年9月25日，为了纪念鲁迅诞辰80周年，浙江绍剧团演出《女吊》。演出前，周恩来在休息室高兴地对其他中央领导同志说，今天晚上请大家看绍兴大班《女吊》。演出结束后，周恩来及其他领导同志上台慰问演员。随后，他又到后台厢房，问哪一位是演《女吊》的章艳秋，当章艳秋点头应答后，周恩来鼓励她说：“你演得不错嘛，很有经验。你不仅自己要演好，还要好好培养下一代。”拍完集体照后，周恩来又邀请章艳秋：“来，我与艳秋拍一张。”周恩来与章艳秋合影的照片第二天发表在首都各大报纸上。28日，他在北京民族文化宫安排绍剧《孙悟空三打白骨精》招待缅甸奈温将军，对该剧予以赞扬并提出了改进意见。他认为《三打》的改编是成功的，具有一定的现实意义。他又向毛泽东推荐。10月10日，毛泽东观看了这出戏。看后诗兴大作，毛泽东写下了著名诗篇《七律·和郭沫若同志》：
一从大地起风雷，便有精生白骨堆。
僧是愚氓犹可训，妖为鬼蜮必成灾。
金猴奋起千钧棒，玉宇澄清万里埃。
今日欢呼孙大圣，只缘妖雾又重来。
“一个演员在台上要做到目中无人，心中有人。”“现在要多演些有教育意义的戏。”
婺剧是影响力仅次于越剧的地方剧种，以演武戏、做工戏、大戏为主。1962年11月3日，周恩来在北京饭店接见了晋京汇报演出的浙江婺剧团以及浙江省文化局领导。大家坐定后，周恩来就风趣地说：“浙江有个婺剧，为什么我都不知道？别人还说我不推荐，你们过去为什么不推荐给我？”省文化局和剧团的领导有些紧张地汇报：“毛主席在杭州曾看过婺剧的。”“什么时候？”周恩来问。“1962年3月，主席接见尼泊尔首相那次。”周恩来说：“哦，那一次我没去，没看到。”随后摸出一张剧团演出的节目单：“来，我们一起研究一下，明天请朝鲜李周渊副首相看些什么戏。”定下节目后，他询问了剧团是什么时候成立的，有多少人，大家的事业心强不强。他听到回答后高兴地说：“浙江是个好地方。我本来就是个浙江人嘛。”“你们在国务院小礼堂的演出就很好嘛，越演看的人越多，礼堂挤得满满的。”周恩来又殷切地说：“要多搞点折子戏，不要老是搞大戏”，“要多下乡上山为群众演出”。11月4日，周恩来陪同朝鲜李周渊副首相观看演出，称赞表演非常成功。17日，周恩来在长安剧院再次观看了剧团演出的《昭君出塞》，并对剧中的部分情节提出意见。他说：“你们戏中对少数民族的皇帝总是称‘狼主’，明明不是这样的嘛，为什么总要加上一个‘犬’字旁，不这样称呼行不行呢？最好改掉它。”21日晚，当他得知剧团第二天要离开北京返回金华时，就当晚在中南海西花厅接见演职员。他握着郑兰香的手说：“你叫郑兰香，是吗？为什么不围围巾？要好好保护嗓子，演完戏最容易感冒，这是梅兰芳告诉我的。”他鼓励大家：“你们在北京打响了，你们的团风很好。”他要求“一个演员在台上要做到目中无人，心中有人。”“现在要多演些有教育意义的戏。”周恩来还很欣赏婺剧的几出折子戏，如《断桥》《牡丹对课》《僧尼会》等，并向毛泽东推荐。毛泽东看了《牡丹对课》后说：周总理说好，我看确实不错，小姑娘斗败了大神仙。
周恩来对《断桥》的艺术特色很赞赏。但他说：现在大家都在称赞婺剧《断桥》，连演了许多年的名家也说你们有特色。有人提出这是天下第一桥，我不反对。但我看为了百花齐放，就不提这个“第一”吧！他提出：对一个优秀的艺术作品的评价，在欣赏之余还应留有余地。譬如过去北京有件较大的象牙深雕艺术品，很精彩，有人说是全国第一。后来在上海看到另一件，质量、大小不相上下。所以北京这个也就不能称第一。周恩来用具体事例来生动说明艺术总是在不断竞争中发展的，是永无止境的。
周恩来语重心长地对浙江昆剧团的年轻演员说：“你们都是党培养起来的青年演员，一定要很好地为工农兵服务。”
Premier Zhou Enlai chats with young artists of Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe after a show.
1959年4月25日，周恩来在杭州中国剧院观看金华越剧团演出的越剧《孟丽君》。演出结束后，周恩来与演职员合影留念。
Zhou Enlai and artists of Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe pose for a photograph at New China Theater on April 25, 1959 after the performance of Meng Lijun.
1959年9月，周恩来与浙江籍著名越剧表演艺术家徐玉兰亲切交谈。
Zhou Enlai and Xu Yulan, a Yueju Opera artist of Zhejiang origin, are in a conversation in September 1959.
周恩来看完金华越剧团《自有后来人》的演出后，与演职员亲切交谈。
Zhou Enlai chats with artists after watching a play staged by Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe.
Premier Zhou Comments on Regional Operas of Zhejiang
By Mao Yingmin
Zhou Enlai (1898-1976), China’s premier for twenty-seven years, had a special feeling for the four regional operas of Zhejiang. Zhou’s ancestral roots were in Shaoxing and he considered himself a native of Zhejiang.
During his 27-year premiership, he watched performances of the four regional operas of Zhejiang and met with opera artists of his home province. During his meeting with the opera artists, he commented on the regional operas and new plays.
Kunqu Opera
Kunqu Opera was on the verge of extinction before 1949. After the founding of New China, the opera staged a spectacular comeback. In 1956, Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe came to Beijing and performed a Kunqu Opera play “Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins.” On April 19, 1956, Premier Zhou watched the play. After the show, he came to the stage and spoke highly of the performance. He praised that Zhejiang did a good thing: a play saved an opera genre and that “Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins” was a grassroots entertainment and showed a great level of artistry.
On May 17, 1956, Premier Zhou hosted a 7-hour symposium at Zhongnanhai. At the invitation of Ministry of Culture and China Theater Scriptwriters Association, cultural celebrities of Beijing attended. Zhou spoke for an hour. He praised Kunqu Opera in general and the performance of the troupe from Zhejiang in particular. He requested Zhou Chuanying, Wang Chuansong and Zhu Guoliang, the best-known Kunqu Opera artists of the days to carry on the ancient opera and cultivate a new generation of artists. At that time, there were only about 30 Kunqu Opera artists remaining in China. After the symposium, various Kunqu Opera troupes emerged and the opera flourished again.
In 1963 and 1964, the premier watched the performances of Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe respectively. In 1972, the premier was in Hangzhou to hold talks with the visiting America President Nixon. During his visit, Zhou inquired about Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe. After learning that the troupe had been disbanded, Zhou sighed emotionally saying why such a great nation could not afford to support a troupe.
Yueju Opera
Compared with Kunqu Opera, Yueju Opera is relatively young. It originated in Shengxian County in eastern Zhejiang in the mid-19th century and became popular in Shanghai in the early 20th century. It became known as Yueju Opera in the 1930s. Yueju Opera, the largest regional opera genre of Zhejiang, is known for its grace, subtlety, elegance and distinct regional characteristics. In 1946 in Shanghai, Zhou watched “Sister Xianglin”, an innovative play based on a short story of Lu Xun (1881-1936), a great author of the 20th century China. In April 1957, Zhou bought tickets and watched Meng Lijun, a legend play staged by Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe in New China Theater in Hangzhou.
After the show, the premier came onto the stage and met with the artists and staff members of the troupe. The premier inquired about the historical background of the legend. After learning that the script was based on ancient scripts, stories and plays, he advised to avoid mentioning Korea to avoid embarrassment between China and DPRK.
In April 1958, Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe came to Beijing and performed. The troupe manager Yang Qinfang submitted to the premier a report on the troupe’s business operations. Zhou commented to the officials from the Ministry of Culture and representatives from the capital’s literary and art circles that Jinhua Yueju Opera Troupe enjoyed a prosperous business without any state subsidy and that the troupe should be a pacesetter for other troupes to follow.
On September 13, 1958, Premier Zhou watched a play staged by Zhejiang Number Two Yueju Opera Troupe. After the show, he remarked that women artists acting as men and male artists acting as women was a residue of the old society and that it was a historical trend that male and female artists would perform together.
Shaoxing Opera
Shaoxing Opera, a 300-year-old opera genre in Shaoxing, is known for its exaggerating performance and loud and high-pitched singing, in curious contrast with and entirely different from Yueju Opera, which originated in Shengxian, a rural county in Shaoxing. After 1949, local artists introduced innovation into the opera and brought about a renaissance to the ancient art.
In December 1957, Zhou accompanied some foreign guests to watch “The Monkey Creates Havoc in Heaven” in Shanghai. The premier met the artists after the show and spoke highly of the performance. He said he was a native of Shaoxing and it was his first experience of the opera. He asked about the characteristics of the regional opera. A few days later, the premier and some foreign guests watched the play again. In April 1958, Zhou met with the visiting Shaoxing Opera troupe again in Beijing. After hearing a report of the troupe’s work and operation, Zhou encouraged the artists to perform better for grassroots audience.
On September 25, 1961, Zhejiang Shaoxing Opera Troupe staged a play in commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the birthday of Lu Xun. After the performance, the premier took photos with artists. Three days later, the premier watched “Monkey King Subdues the White-Bone Demon,” another play staged by the troupe. Premier Zhou recommended the play to Mao Zedong. Mao watched and wrote a poem later.
Wuju Opera
Wuju Opera is the province’s second largest opera genre, extremely popular in central Zhejiang. It is known for its kongfu show and refined performance. It is also known for staging long plays. In November 1962, Zhou met with Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe in Beijing and asked curiously why he had not had any idea there was something called Wuju Opera in Zhejiang. It turned out that Mao Zedong had watched a Wuju Opera play in March 1962 in Hangzhou. Zhou watched the plays by the troupe twice and recommended some highlights. He recommended some highlights to Mao Zedong. Mao enjoyed the highlights.
Zhou spoke highly of the artistry of “Broken Bridge,” a legend that had various versions in various regional operas across China. The version staged by Zhejiang Wuju Opera Troupe was considered special by some artists. Some said the performance was the best. Zhou congratulated the troupe on its outstanding performance but questioned the very best moniker. He said that an excellent play always had some room for future interpretation and improvement.
绍剧《孙悟空三打白骨精》中的美猴王形象
The Monkey King in The Monkey King Subdues the White-Bone Demon, a Shaoxing Opera play
浙昆《十五贯》再度晋京演出。
Fifteen Strings of Copper Coins is staged in Beijing again by Zhejiang Kunqu Opera Troupe.
周恩来与《孟丽君》剧组的演职员亲切交谈，称赞说：“这出戏你们改得好。”他鼓励演职员“要继续上山下乡，多培养男演员。”
Zhou Enlai chats with artists who stage Meng Lijun on April 25, 1959.