Ｙｏｕｎｇ Ｙｕｅｊｕ Ｏｐｅｒａ Ａｒｔｉｓｔ Ａｃｔｓ ａｓ Ｐｅｋｉｎｇ Ｏｐｅｒａ Ｍａｓｔｅｒ

Lou Yujian， a Yueju Opera artist in his 20s， successfully starred in a CCTV television drama that highlights the life and art of Xun Huisheng (1900-1968)， a Peking Opera legend. The 28-episode drama not only brought back the wonders of the Peking Opera thespian’s achievement， but also catapulted the young Yueju Opera artist into the national limelight.

Lou Yujian， a native of Linhai in central Zhejiang Province， does not have a family tradition to explain his artistic aptitude and theatrical achievement. For him， the passion for art was a mystical godsend. He felt as if he was predestined for a career on stage. The year 1995 marked a turning point in his life. The Zhejiang Academy of Performing Arts came to Taizhou where his middle school was located.The academy wanted to recruit boys for a Yueju Opera training course for the first time in 15 years， even though the opera still has women acting as men in most roles in most of its plays. His teacher suggested that Lou try his luck. And luckily he was accepted by the academy. Upon his graduation， he appeared in a television drama. This drama marks the beginning of his acting career， though not on stage. After his first role， he worked as minor roles with many big stars until Xun Huisheng directed by Xia Gang. The play stars him as the hero with many other big stars working as supporting roles.

It was not easy to play a Peking Opera Master. Unlike Yueju Opera in which women act as men， men acted as women in Peking Opera in its good old days. Xun Huisheng was a master famed for his convincing interpretations of young women on stage although he was a man of tough personality off stage. Lou successfully demonstrated the sharp contrast between the man and his stage personas. During the shooting period， Lou often shut himself up in the hotel room， studied the photos of the Peking Opera master， and paced to and fro wearing the old-styled shoes and gown in search of the authentic feel of the early 20th century. Gradually， the feel came to him. His portrayal of the master won the unanimous approval of the people in the master’s hometown in Dongguang County， Hebei Province and of Xun’s disciples and other Peking Opera masters of different schools.

Lou Yujian’s success has opened the door to more important offers. However， he is picky in choosing a role. He wants roles that help him improve his stage skills and promote the art of theater. And he finds a great interest in directing. On locations， he does more than just act; he watches closely how directors work and how his fellow actors perform. He sometimes makes constructive suggestions. He dreams of being a director in the future. But right now， he does what he has learned to do: acting.