Henan Opera Masters Series (Qu Opera) – Famous Plays and Famous Segments by Shen Fengmei

Author: Guo Guangyu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Shen Fengmei, known by the stage name Damei (1927-1995), was a female Han Chinese from Linying County, Henan Province. She grew up in poverty and began studying opera at the Yue Opera troupe in Zhangfan Town, her hometown, at the age of 11. She made her stage debut at 14. In 1947, she joined the Second Column of the People's Liberation Army's Victory Troupe and, in 1949, transferred to the Luohe Yue Opera Troupe. In 1951, she moved with her troupe to Xiangcheng, where they became the Xiangcheng Yue Opera Troupe. Later, she was transferred to the Kaifeng Special District, Shangqiu Special District, and Zhoukou Special District Yue Opera Troupes.
On November 11, 1958, she joined the Communist Party of China, and on October 10, 1977, she was elected as a representative to the Fifth Session of the Henan Provincial People's Congress. In 1978, she became the head of the troupe, and in 1979, she was honored as a "March 8th Red Flag Hero" nationally. That same year, she was elected as a council member of the China Theatre Association. In 1980, she was appointed as the vice chairman of the Henan Provincial Theatre Association. In 1983, she became the honorary head of the Henan Provincial Yue Opera Troupe. In 1984, she was named a Labor Model and Outstanding Communist Party Member of Henan Province. On October 10, 1987, she was elected as a member of the Henan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and as a delegate to the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. In November 1988, she became the party branch secretary of the troupe, and in December of the same year, she was appointed as a first-class actress. In 1989, she was honored as a national Labor Model, and in 1990, the Henan Provincial Department of Culture named her a "Jiaoluyu-style cultural worker," urging the entire cultural and artistic community to learn from her. In 1992, she was elected as the chairman of the Henan Provincial Theatre Association and, again, as a delegate to the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of China.
Comrade Shen Fengmei was an outstanding Yue Opera performer. Over her 57-year career, she played roles in nearly 200 traditional, historical, and modern operas, embodying a wide range of characters across all major roles. In the traditional opera Guo Jie Lou, she portrayed Li Tianbao; in Lei Gu Zhan Jin Shan, she played the heroic woman Liang Hongyu; in Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, she took on the role of the flower character Yan Xijiao; in the historical drama Ming Jing Ji, she portrayed the founding emperor Li Shimin; and in the modern opera Ku Cai Hua, she successfully portrayed a revolutionary mother. The renowned People's Artist Lao She wrote a commendation for her, praising her as a "master of Yue Opera" and noting that she excelled in both male and female roles, conveying both joy and sorrow. Especially in plays like Zhuge Liang Diao Xiao and Shou Jiang Wei, her portrayal of Zhuge Liang was highly acclaimed by audiences. In the eyes of many, Shen Fengmei was Zhuge Liang, and Zhuge Liang was Shen Fengmei.
After watching her perform Shou Jiang Wei, the beloved Premier Zhou Enlai praised her as a "living Zhuge Liang" and playfully remarked, "Zhuge Liang from Henan is good at doing ideological work." Comrade Shen Fengmei possessed profound artistic talent. From 1963 to 1995, she led her troupe on six tours to Beijing, earning high praise from leaders of the Party and state, cultural experts, and audiences. Leaders such as Mao Zedong, Liu Shaoqi, Zhou Enlai, Dong Biwu, Li Xianwen, Deng Xiaoping, Jiang Zemin, Yang Shangkun, and Peng Zhen all attended her performances and took photos with her. Nearly four hundred articles praising her were published in over twenty newspapers and magazines, including People's Daily, Guangming Daily, Beijing Evening News, Theatre Monthly, China Culture News, Henan Daily, Wen Hui Bao, and Tianjin Evening News.
In 1963, Comrade Shen led her troupe on its first tour to Beijing, which was a resounding success. Both experts and laypeople praised her, and the famous Peking Opera performer Ma Lianliang took her on as his disciple, greatly benefiting her artistic growth. Throughout her life, she dedicated herself to the prosperity and development of Yue Opera, pouring her heart into her work, pursuing her passion with unwavering dedication, and making outstanding contributions. In 1963, the Central Newsreel Film Studio produced a documentary on her titled The Artistic Career of Shen Fengmei. In 1965, her modern opera Pao Guayuan was adapted into a theatrical art film by the Beijing Film Studio. Her representative works Li Tianbao Qiu Qin, Zhuge Liang Diao Xiao, and Shou Jiang Wei were filmed as color art films by the Beijing Film Studio and the Pearl River Film Studio between 1979 and 1981. In 1994, the Henan Provincial Department of Culture, the Henan Provincial Audio-Visual Studio, and the Henan Provincial Direct-Line Yue Opera Troupe jointly produced a fourteen-episode Yue Opera television series titled Zhuge Liang, starring her. In 1996, it was awarded the Henan Provincial "Top Ten Cultural and Artistic Achievements" award. In 1992, she was invited to perform Zhuge Liang Diao Xiao and Chao Nao Qin Jia in Shanghai and won the Fourth Shanghai "White Magnolia" Award. In 1995, her historical drama Qi Yan Meng Huo participated in the Second Exchange Performance of China's "Golden Triangle" Theatre Festival, where she received the "Special Award for Performance." That same year, the play was also honored with the Henan Provincial "Five-One Project" award and the Henan Provincial "Top Ten Cultural and Artistic Achievements" award.
Comrade Shen Fengmei devoted herself selflessly to the Party's cultural and artistic cause, dedicating her life to it. Her noble spirit—"willing to die on stage rather than be confined to a bed"—her high ideals of self-discipline, dedication to her profession, and, her concern for the younger generation and her role as a mentor, her virtue of being a stepping stone for others, her impeccable artistic and moral integrity, her exquisite vocal artistry, and the glorious image she projected on stage will forever shine upon future generations, illuminating the world like the sun and the moon, and shining as brightly as the earth.