Wang Xiuling (Famous Plays, Famous Segments) -- Henan Opera Masters Series (Qu Opera)

Author: Guo Guangyu (Editor-in-Chief)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Celebrity actors at your doorstep, always by your side. Sing a few tunes when you're free, and happiness surpasses immortality. Wang Xiuling, born in Hankou, Hubei in 1935, began learning to sing Qu Opera as a child. By the age of 7, she had already starred in plays such as Blue Bridge Meeting and Flower Courtyard Meeting. At 9, she gained fame as the lead actress in The Seven Fairies. Wang Xiuling has a graceful appearance and a sweet voice. Her singing style is clear, melodious, and emotionally expressive, with a rich inner depth, making her an outstanding representative of the Qu Opera female role. Over her 60-year career, she has starred in over 100 traditional and modern plays, such as Wind and Snow Match, Picking the Jade Lock, Listening to the Lute, and The Letter from Liu Yi to Shu. She has successfully portrayed vivid images of young women and women-in-law in various roles, captivating countless audiences with her stage presence.
Wang Xiuling, known as the "Living Lin Daiyu," excels in character portrayal, performance, and vocal mastery. Her sorrowful and pitiful gaze, delicate and graceful singing style bring the character of Lin Daiyu to life before the audience. A noble and pure lady, yet forced to live in someone else's shadow; fiercely rebellious yet isolated; yearning for freedom in love yet facing harsh reality; kind-hearted yet sensitive in a stifling environment, leading her to weep endlessly. Wang Xiuling brought Lin Daiyu to life, and in the process, deepened her own understanding of performance—performance should not merely mimic appearance but bring characters to life on stage. This realization marked a qualitative leap in her acting. After receiving guidance from masters such as Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, and Ma Lianliang at the Ministry of Culture's Qu Opera Actor Training Class in 1956, her performance reached a new level.
Following her portrayal of Lin Daiyu, Wang Xiuling did not disappoint her audience. She presented her new work, Wind and Snow Match, successfully portraying the joyful, cheerful, and sweet character of Gao Qiufang, completing another masterpiece. Her performance in the "bridal chamber" scene and the aria remain widely loved and. In 1981, the Henan Film Studio adapted the play for the screen. Wang Xiuling's performance is a distillation, beautification, and elevation of life. She avoids exaggeration, emotional manipulation, or pretense, striving for accuracy, precision, elegance, and balance in her acting. This gives her performances a fresh and natural style, making them both pleasing to the eye and deeply moving while remaining perfectly measured.
At the inaugural Yellow River Drama Award ceremony in 2002, ten elderly artists in our province were honored with the "Special Contribution Award," including the renowned Qu Opera actress Wang Xiuling. Today, at over 60, Wang Xiuling still radiates vitality: tall, fair-skinned, and effortlessly graceful as a young woman on stage. Offstage, she is gentle and refined, evoking memories of her characters. The good news is that fans can still see her perform today. Yet, Wang Xiuling remains humble about her past achievements, as if those days are no longer worth mentioning. The detachment of an elderly artist leaves one in awe.
After retiring, Wang Xiuling joined the "Senior Artists' Joy" troupe, frequently performing for fans at Qu Opera appreciation centers. In her spare time, she and her husband, Song Xiyuan, sing at parks during morning exercises, often drawing crowds of admirers. Wang Xiuling says she has been learning the art since childhood, and decades of hardship were all for the sake of art. She never aspired for fame or fortune. Now retired, she has no other desires—only the satisfaction of contributing to Qu Opera by mentoring talented students.