Song of the Female Textile Workers - English Script
SCRIPT SUSBJECT TO COPYRIGHT
Song of the Female Textile Workers
By MA Haili
Script consultant: Mary Cooper, Steve Ansell, XU Wenyi
Time/date: August 2021
Location: A flat in a high skyscraper on Pudong side of Shanghai facing the Huangpu River with a view overlooking the Bund and Pearl Tower.
Characters: ZHANG Yaolu (Lu): 48, wearing a black silk Chinese style top with buttons on right side, jeans, flat black shoes, appears on stage with a big suitcase.
Act One
Dragging suitcase, key opens door, walks in and closes door behind. Dark outside and misty, lights shine at the background. She closes the door whilst talking to boyfriend in the UK on her mobile phone, she turns the light on, walks into the living room
Lu just arrived ... Its 10pm ... I am exhausted. (pause) You know I don’t want to be here. I am fine. Don’t worry. Got to go, uncle is calling. Will ring later. Bye.
Answering Uncle’s call, puts down suitcase, sits on sofa
Uncle, I just walked in. Yes, I will come to see you tomorrow. Mum left me a box? You left it on the dining table for me? Alright, that’s fine. I asked for one weeks leave, got to fly back as soon as possible. Gaming company headquarter arranged a temporary gaming manager whilst I am away. ‘Golden Collar’? Thank you, Uncle (laugh). I will come to see you tomorrow morning. Goodbye.
Lu turns on the air-con and TV. Takes a bottle of water from the fridge. Music from TV is Eighteen Mile Farewell from Love of the Butterfly:
Music: ‘three years we studied together, our feeling is as deep as the sea; Shanbo does not want to bid goodbye to Yingtai; walking together they came down the mountain, together, they walk toward Qiantang road …’.
Lu: (rings boyfriend) Hello. Going to meet uncle tomorrow and scatter mum’s ashes. I told you, I am fine. I was more upset when attending grandma’s funeral here 10 years ago. Sorry, it's the Love of the Butterfly playing on the TV. I’ll turn it down a bit.
TV volume turns down
It’s actually the first Yueju grandma taught me, Love of the Butterfly, her signature performance. Yueju, the all-female one … yes, the one I played the male role. Well done, you remembered! I haven’t watched it for ages. It feels like a last century thing. (pause) I am really tired. I’ll ring tomorrow okay? Love you too, bye.
Turns the TV volume back up, appears to be enjoying the music.
Lu sees a cardboard box on living room table. There is a note on top which reads: ‘for Lu, Mum’. Lu turns away from the box and looks outside. It’s misty with lights darting in the dark. Lu notices that it’s raining outside, there are strings of rain on the window.
Music of Eighteen Miles Farewell continues to play on TV:
Music: ‘brothers we walk out of the school, there is a pair of magpies singing. Magpies always bring good news, wishing you, my dear brother safe return home…’.
Lu watches LIANG Shanbo performing with the fan, she takes a fan from side pocket of the suitcase, waving to cool herself. Then she stands up looking at herself in the window reflection, imitating LIANG Shanbo on TV with fan movements. Suddenly, grandma appears on the window reflection making LIANG Shanbo movements. Lu takes a step back, looks at the window reflection, gasping:
Lu: Grandma!
Grandma disappears and Lu looks at herself reflected in the window. On the TV, performance continues, LIANG sings: ‘I am a real man, why would you compare me as a woman?’ Images of grandma/LIANG Shanbo reappear on the window. Merge along with Lu’s image, with final image as the grandma. Grandma sings the first one/two lines of the lullaby, before moving to documentary images as detailed below. On stage, grandma sings.
Grandma: (sings on stage) From countryside to urban city, from outdoor stage to indoor theatre; I sang for male audience, I sang for female audience; I sang for living, I sang to survive. I sang for the wars, I sang for peace; I sang for revolution, I sang for red hope. I dreamt of singing for MAO Zedong when I gave birth to your mother, I sang for new China, I sang for the textile workers. I dreamt of your mum singing Yueju, she dreamt of becoming new China textile workers. I sang and sang until no one listened anymore. So I sang for you and only you. I wrapped you around my chest, and also listened to you sing for me. Not for golden bars, not for cheers, not for fame, but only you and me. But why have you also stopped singing, Lu? You sang so well and so like your mother …
On screen/window black and white documentary materials: 1920s-1940s Yueju and textile female workers arrive in Shanghai from Zhejiang becoming the urban female culture. 1945 Ten Sisters; 1947 Love of the Mountain and River; 1949 YUAN Xuefeng stood on Tiananmen tower next to MAO Zedong as he announced the establishment of the People’s Republic of China. 1950s MAO and ZHOU Enlai receiving Yueju performers, 1955 Shanghai Yue Opera House established; late 1950s textile factory/Yueju national expansion, 1952 Love of the Butterfly film released. 1966 Cultural Revolution, Model Opera. 1978 DENG Xiaoping announced market reform. On screen/window, grandma reappears at the end of 1978 DENG Xiaoping reform image, grandma speaks from the screen: ‘you sang so like your mother’. On stage, Lu turns away from the screen facing audience. Lu looks up as if looking at her grandma on screen/window.
Lu: Grandma!
Eighteen Mile Farewell still plays on TV: ‘I want you, on the day of (Chinese) valentine day, to come to my house. Before bidding goodbye, there are thousands of words I want to tell you, please do come early, my Liang brother’.
Act Two
Lu turns the TV off, opens the window. Outside it's the view of the Pearl Tower. Lu turns around, approaches the box on the table and opens it. Inside there is a Yueju costume and a pair of high heel opera shoes. Lu recognizes straight away that they belonged to grandma. Lu took out the costume, high heeled opera shoes. Underneath the costume, there are bundles of letters, along with a red wool flower, a textile worker apron and sleeve protectors. She places them all on the table next to the box. Lu opens one of the letters.
Lu reads the letter silently, whilst mother’s voice reads out the letter:
Mother (Voice): 3rd June 2015. Lu, I don’t think I will ever send these letters to you but I want to write to you. This has been the habit of the past 5 years. When your father and I were living in different regions, we used to write all the time. You were only two when he died. You don’t remember him. When you see your father’s handwriting, it’s as if you have seen him. I can’t get used to computers. When I write, it is as if you are next to me, as if you never left me.
Lu puts this one down and picks up another letter. Lu reads the letter silently, whilst mother’s voice reads out the letter:
Mother (Voice): 1st March 2010. Lu, the flat you bought for the family has an excellent location. The allocated house was too far away from the city centre and there was nothing there. I often accompany your grandma take a walk on Fuzhou Road. Our old house on Fuzhou Road has long been dismantled; but every time we walk on that road, it feels like we are home again. Do you remember grandma used to take you for a walk after dinner on Fuzhou Road and along the Bund. Grandma used to take you to watch Yueju at Yifu Theatre with tickets given to me by the factory. You always complained that I did not accompany you. Of course I wanted to be with you but the textile factory is the responsibility the Party has bestowed on me and I was fully devoted to the Party!
Whilst the last few words are being spoken, Lu puts on the sleeve protectors transforming herself to a textile factory worker. On screen, the textile factory hall filled with machines and female workers. Mother sings Red Flower as a model textile worker and accomplished Yueju singer.
Mother: Sister, come quickly; sisters, look – we now have this Little Red Flower, our factory will no doubt make progress!
(Sings)
Little Red Flower, so red you are;
Comrade Yuzhen gave it to me;
She taught me advanced (textile) skills,
Comrade friendship and love warmed my heart.
Take a stool as a weaving machine,
Use my scarf as a weaving stitch.
Dormitory is my workshop,
I bend my head and lower my back to check the quality of the weaving.
Red flower, I place you on the weaving line,
Red colour and white strings I see clearly.
Not to miss one small fault,
To increase the quantity with improved quality I can guarantee.
Party’s words I remember heartedly,
Diligent learning and hardworking to ensure my skills.
This shinning red red little flower,
I will plant you in Xinxing Mill.
Red flower, if you can root and bear fruit in Xinxing Mill,
It will fill my heart with sweetness despite my tired body.
Red flower, if you can help advance Xinxing Mill,
You would have fulfilled the dreams of the comrades and mine!
As she finishes singing, mother gradually takes off the sleeve protectors and transforms back to Lu.
Lu looks at the Pearl Tower in the not too far distance. The window view begins to merge with documentary footage of China/Shanghai 30 years reform: 1992 DENG Xiaoping Southern Tour, Shanghai is named Head of the Dragon, 1994 ZHU Rongji proposed to ‘Smash the Machines’ to reduce industry production; textile industry transformation. Shanghai city redesign, M50 transformed from textile factory to creative park; three textile factories were dismantled in Pudong and the Eastern Pearl Tower was built on top of them - becoming Shanghai’s first landmark. Landmarks continue to be added until the 2018 Bottle Opener. Gaming industries, magnetic train, international airport.
Mother’s image appears intermittently with the documentary materials above. Whilst mother’s image appears she speaks the sentences below. Lu responds from stage:
Mother: There was an announcement yesterday, we are all made redundant. I will no longer be able to wave.
Lu: I said, time has changed, you can find other employment.
Mother: I worked all my life in the factory, I perfected my skills, earning red flowers. Apart from weaving what else can I do?
Lu: I said, you can sing yueju? Did grandma not always wanted you to sing yueju?
Mother: would you sing with me?
Lu: No. I have other important matters to pursuit.
Mother: such as what?
Lu: Mother, this feels like a great new era to me. I want to grasp the opportunities …
Mother: What opportunities?
Lu: China is so open, free and multi-dimensional …
Mother: but what could you do!
Lu: I could study, I could learn programming, I could work in multinational companies!
Mother: perhaps you could find a job in Shanghai …
Lu: No, I want to see the world!
At the end of the speech, screen image shows the international airport.
Lu takes a deep breath, stands up and walks to the window, looking out across the Huangpu River.
Act Three
There are letters all over the table. Everything has been taken out of the box. Lu takes a last look in the box and sees a small item in the corner. Lu takes it out and it is a small elegant bag. Lu opens it, takes out a jade butterfly pendent. There is a note.
Lu reads the letter silently, whilst mother’s voice reads out the letter:
Mother (Voice): Lu, this butterfly pendent was given to me by your grandma when I volunteered to be sent to Helongjiang for national textile and Yueju development. I now leave it to you. I sent you to Shanghai when you were little because I wanted you to be happy; I didn’t understand you after I was made redundant because I could not understand the world at the time. Your grandma often said you were the best student of hers; you sang Yueju better than I did. Yet, neither of us followed the path of Yueju. We gave up something that was most dear to our hearts for the dreams of our motherland. I want you to forgive me. I have always loved you. When you were little you used to say singing Yueju makes you happy. I want you to keep singing Yueju! I want you to be happy!
Lu (emotional): Mother!
Suddenly, Lu has the strong desire to sing Yueju. She walks to the costume on the table, puts it on, along with the high heeled opera shoes. Takes up the fan. Sings Eighteen Miles Journey Return.
(Sings)
I am visiting Yingtai at Zhujia Village!
Whilst walking, I am delighted,
How classmates become joint roots with love flowers blooming;
Whilst walking, I am thinking,
How she and I studied together with shared tender love;
Whilst walking, I am wondering,
How could I not tell male from female for 3 long years?
Whilst walking, I am thinking,
I remember seeing her off for 18 miles and arrived at this very pavilion.
In front of me are memories of the past,
Memories bring me joy and surprise.
I remember she showed me cherry flower hinted spring (love) had arrived,
I was like a Buddha made of mud and wood did not pick up the hint.
I remember we walked out of the town, passed the fort gate;
She implied the woodcutter was working hard for the wife.
I remember we climbed the mountains and entered the woods,
She suggested there was a peony at her home waiting for me to pluck.
I remember we descended the mountains and arrived at a pond,
She said there is a pair of mandarin duck swimming side by side.
Passing the pond, there is a river,
Yingtai said to ‘Shanbo, what a dumb duck you are!’
She said on the magpie bridge Weaving Girl and Cow Boy meets every year!
She said village dog bites only female;
She said ‘there is a woman and a man in the reflection of the well’.
She said ‘let’s bow for our marriage in front of Guanyin Buddha’.
All these hints and yet I had no clue.
Yingtai said she is playing music to a silly silly Ox;
This Ox is me, Liang Shanbo!
This is the pavilion where we finally said goodbye,
This is where she promised the hand of her sister Jiumei.
I never dreamed that Jiumei is Yingtai and Yingtai is a female in disguise!
Yingtai, this match you made for us, is a job well-done!
From my inner pocket, I took out the jade butterfly pendent,
Delighted, I carefully put it away.
Yingtai asked me to send a marriage sedan chair to her home,
Yingtai asked me to reunite her at the earliest time.
Sijiu! Calling Sijiu lets run for the rest of our journey,
How I wish I could have a pair of wings fly to her home and re-join her!
Act Four
End of singing, Yueju Butterfly Transformation section of Love of the Butterfly and piano concerto Love of the Butterfly come in. On screen, scattered letters are transformed into butterflies dancing across screen. On stage, Lu performs butterfly dancing, choreographed through Chinese opera sleeves, fan and body movements. Design movements to symbolise the embodiment of Grandma, Mother and Lu, the three characters in one.